Week 3, Day 12

So I've missed a couple of days....  Friday, I worked at the IMS to raise money for the girls' competitive meet fees.  They were all home living & learning that way; however, I don't have anything to write down.  Monday, K & I went to the grocery stores while C & the T's stayed home & worked on whatever.  The T's did wash dishes for me a couple of times over the weekend.  C has been playing Roblox a lot too.

We'll see what today holds.

Week 2, Day 9

Today is more about living (& learning in the process) than anything else.  We're having company, so everyone has been pitching in to get things all cleaned up.

C has been working on her crossword puzzle from yesterday, though.

No idea what the afternoon will hold, other than a visit & play time w/ good friends!

Week 2, Day 8

Another day, another set of word searches & a crossword puzzle for C.  :)) 

The T's have been playing in their room with their Little People stuff & what have you.  K is on Roblox & giving guesses to C while she's doing her crossword puzzle.  She worked on one yesterday, but I don't think she ever finished it.  It was a tough one.  We're getting them off the USA Today website, w/ the easy skill level selected.  (HA!)  I gave her an answer on today's b/c I didn't think she'd ever get it, (it took me a bit to even understand why it was), so now she's got a good start & can maybe finish this one.

We've had to SB the difference between "emigrant" & "immigrant" (Exiting the country & coming Into the country) & the difference between oysters & clams (sedentary & has a foot to crawl around).  Oh the interesting things we look up!

The T's & I watched some TV shows on Nick, then switched over to Animal Planet.  Actually, I had trouble sitting there watching b/c my eyes kept wanting to shut.  TS & I had a tickling match as well.  If I were sleeping better (& consistently) at night, things might be a little different.  I'm struggling just to make it thru the day, let alone be creative w/ the kids.  :[  It's a pretty good thing they have wonderful imaginations, the way it is.

K tried to explain coding to me earlier.  He does so much of it (& scripting, if that's any different) on Roblox & is all self taught.  C is also learning to do it & they've been working collaboratively today.  I like when that happens.  :))

Week 2, Day 7

The T's are in their room right now, playing w/ their Little People stuff.  They have all kinds of fun w/ that, making up stories, etc.

K has been on the computer for a while.  They've all been doing word searches & C wanted a crossword puzzle.  We found one on USA Today's website that we could actually print, so she's working on it now.  I printed off the answers so we'd have a clue if she was right or not.

They're also having a Stargate: SG1 marathon as well.  The T's are back up in their room (hopefully cleaning, most likely playing) & using their imaginations, I'm sure.

I'll be working on crossword puzzles tonight for all the kids.  I'll do one for K & C & a separate one for the T's.  I just need to come up w/ clues & answers.  I sit down at the computer to make one & totally draw a blank.  (HERE is the website to make your own...)  I think I'll do basic vocab to start.

K, C, & I watched a special on Hurricane Katrina online a little earlier.  I found it really interesting; of course, I'm very far removed from the situation.  However, what I found extremely annoying is.... how in the world does the Gulf oil spill have anything even remotely to do w/ Katrina?  Yes, I understand it's the same area & it affects the same people & their livelihoods, but it HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH KATRINA!  If you want to post about the hurricane, fine.  Do that.  If you want to post about the Gulf oil spill, fine.  Do that.  Don't confuse the two.  K & C didn't understand that either.  (I'm just kind of surprised they didn't blame Bush for all of it again.)

Don't mind me much...  Out of the last 4 nights, I've slept one... partially.  I'm overly tired & overly emotional, so everything bugs me.

It's lunchtime, so I'll see if anything else happens afterwards.

Week 2, Day 6

Hmmm.. I'm not sure I can keep up the titles this way.  I guess we'll see.

TC is playing math games on the computer (Sheppard's Software).  I'm getting ready to set up my laptop for TS to work on Starfall.com.

So here is today's work listed...  TS read 8 stories on Starfall & played some of the games.  She's really doing well with her reading.  There are still words that stump her, but I think it's more b/c she's looking at the picture & trying to guess the word, rather than actually looking at the word.

Then she moved onto Multiplication.com & did some of the online adding quizzes.  I love those, b/c they're self grading & simple for the kids to do. 

TC also did some stories on Starfall & played some of the games.  She also played some of the games on Sheppard's Software's site.  She moved to Multiplication.com & did an adding quiz (only b/c we couldn't figure out how to get to where we wanted to be.  We finally figured that out, so she did a couple of multiplication quizzes - Ones & Twos.  It seems to be taking a little bit for her to figure out the concept, but she'll get it.

C did the multiplication (Nines) quiz.  She said she missed 0 & did it in just over 2 1/2 minutes (I think.)  She also did a couple of typing speed tests. 

I cut K's hair, then he went to take a shower.  I was outside w/ C & found several cicada carcasses.  We'd see a couple of dead ones (the actual bug, not carcasses) the other day, so I called the T's out to see them as well.  They all thought they were pretty creepy.  :))

It's lunchtime now, so I'll be back later w/ the rest of our day.

K was quizzing the T's & C w/ Brain Quest cards.  He also did a lot of stuff w/ his Roblox worlds.

Week 1, Day 5

I worked w/ the T's until about 5:00 or 5:30 last night on telling time.  They still have worksheets left that they can do today, so unless they beg me for some, I don't think I'll be printing anything.  I've decided to take all the finished sheets/pics/whatever & keep them in a binder in tabs, so everything for this year is together.  That way, I also know what they've done.

I don't think I've mentioned here, but K is playing football.  I keep hearing all kinds of really good things - how he knows all the plays & is working so hard.  The coaches are really impressed with his work ethics & his skill level is continuing to improve.  His first game is Aug. 30....

K & C have spent the day working on Roblox worlds & fostering camaraderie.  The T's have been helping me with the laundry, general housekeeping, etc.  They've also been watching TV, playing games, working on the computer, doing handstands, doing Level 4 "beam" dismounts, other things, I'm sure.

We're off to the weekend now!  Yay!!!!

Week 1, Day 4

Catchy titles I'm coming up with, eh?  It just makes it easier for me to keep track of where we are in our school year, I guess.

We've been pretty busy this morning.  I printed off word searches for all the kids w/ the "appropriate" grade level word lists.  When I printed TS's page, her word list didn't save, so she got the same list as TC.  We went thru her list of words so she'd know what they were.

The T's also have time sheets w/ analog clocks.  That was one of the things TC told me she wanted to do, so... they have sheets where they have to put the hands on the clock.  They also have mazes & some handwriting papers.

I printed out fractional values for K & C (different levels though).  He knows how to do it, just needs to do the computation.  I had to show C how to figure it out.  She told me the other day she doesn't like fractions much... maybe this will help her understand it better.

I also printed out something called Number Blocks from Discovery's PuzzleMaker.  However, I neglected to print out an answer sheet.  K was working it in pen & BOTH of us were sooooo confused!  I printed a different one WITH the answer sheet, & while he worked on it, I worked on the other one.  We decided it's all just a matter of where you start how hard or easy it is.

Everyone is hanging out in my bedroom working away.  I haven't even made it downstairs yet this morning.  I'm thinking I need to go eat pretty soon.

I don't think the TV has been on at all today.  K was playing the keyboard earlier, & the T's were playing in their room.  They've also been making magazines again today. 

The TV finally came on & the T's watched Tru Jackson, VP & I'm not sure what else.  K worked on his Roblox worlds again.  I had to go out & run an errand, so I'm not sure what all went on in that time frame. 

Since I've been home, though, the T's & I have gone over telling time.  TS got it really easily, although she did forget the "between the numbers" thing for X:30 or later.  TC kept telling me she couldn't remember, but she was doing fine.

I've set things up so that when they actually FINISH a sheet or something, I have a binder w/ separating tabs for each one of them & I'm keeping all their paperwork together.  Things seem to be going very well & everyone is enjoying what we're doing so far.  Almost 1 full week down; 35 more to go.  =/

Week 1, Day 3

So it's been kind of a crazy day....  C got her braces off this morning, so we were gone for about 3 hours.  I know the T's were watching "Me or the Dog" when we left. 

They made magazines this afternoon, cutting pictures out of catalogs & TC wrote a story to go along w/ her pictures.  Both the girls took them to the gym tonight & gave them to their friend.  :)

K spent a lot of time on the computer, designing worlds, writing script for, & playing his Roblox game.  He's getting even better at script... he's been doing it for a few years now & is way beyond me in what he does.

C watched some Animal Planet & The Most Extreme.  She's always telling me something they've watched/searched/discussed/etc. the night before.

Yes, it was a super easy, normal living day....

Week 1, Day 2

I was pretty pleased with how our day went yesterday, as well as using this to log everything.  By law, we only have to keep attendance records, so everything else is for *MY* benefit.  I'll continue to set my computer up & add as we go thru the day.  I love the scheduled post time option.  <3

However, I hate trying to remember to type the nicknames I've given everyone, so I'll ditch that & go w/ initials instead.  I type too many things about the T's that using the nicknames totally messed it all up.  So, initials it is.

The T's have had a blast this morning!  TS played Starfall.com on my computer.  She did Lessons 1 - 5 & did pretty well w/ it.  TC played on the other computer.  She did a bunch of brain games, & went to Sheppard's Software.  She did some animal game quizzes - food chain stuff, then moved on to geography.  She picked out the states, then placed the states on the map.  TS decided that looked like a lot of fun, so she wanted to do it as well.  She had a little more trouble w/ picking out the states, but she did well w/ placing them.  TC is playing more brain games, while TS is making a birthday card for her oldest sister.

K & C slept in again this morning.  K is working on a binder cover while eating breakfast, & C is looking thru a Spanish book while eating.  She started making up some cookies before breakfast, so she'll need to finish those up when she's done.  She also helped TS w/ some of her state placing.  I think she actually took over the game & did Level 9.  (TS was on Level 2.)

Everyone is asking for more worksheets today.  I guess I need to stay on top of that & print some out for them every night.

C & K were kinda working together on C's equivalent fraction sheet.  K was explaining it to her again.  They were also going thru some of the Brain Quest cards, too.  K worked on his Roblox world.  C baked a cookie. ;-)

TC is working on a math problem search now.  She has to find X number of addition problems.  It's kind of interesting....  She thought she had them all, but she's a few short.  Now she's found at least 2 extra!  TS is playing Sheppard's Software Place the States again.  TC is also working on singular & plural nouns.  However, we're going to have to leave shortly, so....  Gotta get everyone working on getting ready.

Week 1, Day 1

It's the first official day of school around here.  Shrimp & Goober are working on word searches as I sit here & answer question after question.  Kmac & Stix are still sleeping.  That's okay.. they're both rapidly growing, so they need their sleep.

I'll be updating this as we go thru our day, so I don't forget anything.

I sat down w/ Shrimp & Goober to find out what kinds of things they want to learn about this year.  We have all kinds of fun things on their lists!  Shrimp really wants to learn about frogs, so we Swagbucked it (& earned 11 SB!) & got to listen to a couple of different audio files.  She decided she wanted a picture to color, but we settled for connect the dots.  Kmac had come down in the meantime & sat at the table w/ us.  He did 2 equivalent fractions pages (& got them all right) & said he wanted a connect the dots too!  :D  Right now, he's working on a word search using words from a 10th grade spelling bee list.  We've been discussing what some of the words mean, since neither of us knew for sure.  (We Swagbucked it.  I'll have to come up w/ an easier way to say that... SB'd it, I guess.)

Shrimp is making snowflakes on the computer, & Goober finished her connect the dots frog & is coloring it.

Kmac has moved on to the computer, & Shrimp & Goober are painting w/ water colors.  I think they've had fun so far.

Stix finally decided to wake up & join us.  She's had breakfast, talked about what we've done, the 2 of us took a short walk around the yard to maybe make some plans, discussed her weirdo cat - who acts like he has NEVER eaten a day in his life =/.... She's doing some worksheets now & has been playing Roblox on the computer as well.  S/G have had lunch & cleaned up & are now doing all kinds of other things... Scooby Doo, Riddle School 2 on the computer, etc.

Kmac showed her some fraction concepts - how to convert fractions to percentages &/or decimals & back.  He was very good w/ it, so I figured he'd be a good one to explain it to her.

The science channel or Discovery is on the TV in the background.  The kids have all been observing tomatoes worms that we picked off our plants last night.  Lots of things going on here, there, & everywhere!

The Cast of Characters

I wanted to post to this blog in the evenings, but I'm not sure that's going to work out.  Life is just too busy then.

I want to introduce the cast of characters.... Oldest shall be known as "D", 2nd as "C", 3rd as "JC", 4th as "Kmac", 5th as "Stix", 6th as "Shrimp", & 7th as "Goober".  Yes... the last 3 are nicknames used on a semi-regular basis.


The 3 oldest have graduated & "D" no longer lives w/ us.  We ranged in "school age" from 10th grade down to 1st.  Fun, huh?

So yesterday Shrimp & Goober decided waiting until the 16th to start school was somewhat unacceptable.  They wanted to start RIGHT NOW!!!  I bought everyone new notebooks & rulers the other day, so they were both writing stories, or notes, or letters, or something in their notebooks.  Goober kept asking me how to spell different words, but when I encouraged her to think about what it sounded like, she did a pretty good job of figuring it out.  Those silly "e's" though.... She decided they just throw them in wherever they want to!
I really want to get a bunch of sheets printed out, especially for the last 2.  They love to do worksheets & puzzles.  As a matter of fact, they've asked me the last 2 days if I'd printed any out for them.  Maybe I can do some of that today.

The Beginning

I decided to start a new blog... simply to record our daily pursuits, especially in relation to educating ourselves.  I want to keep the majorly "personal" side a little more protected, so I will be using initials or nicknames, rather than actual names.  *Names have been changed to protect the innocent... & all that.   I'll have to think on that for a little while, before I introduce everyone.

We'll be starting school officially on Aug. 16 & I want to record those days here.  I'm tired of handwriting everything we do, so I hope this will make it a little easier.

So, welcome to my new blog!