Not Back To School - Curriculum Week

Even though I've only been homeschooling for one year, I feel much older and wiser.  I'm much more confident in my curriculum choices.  Here's what we're going to do for 3rd grade this year:

Math - Saxon math 3.  Millie got 100% on the math portion of her standardized test.  Saxon seems to really work for her, so I'm not going to change a thing!

Language Arts - Queen Homeschool Language Lessons for the Elementary Child.  I love this course.  I wish I would have found it last year!

Spelling - All About Spelling.  Millie bombed the spelling portion of her standardized test, so I had to get something that is proven to work.  Fingers crossed that this does the trick!

Cursive - Queen Homeschool Pictures in Cursive Primer.  We'll start this after Christmas.  Until then, we'll work on her printing using Draw Write Now and other copy work.

Reading - She's going to work on her reading out loud skills by reading to Elise every morning.  She's also going to read several Classic Starts novels.  Millie finally loves reading for fun, so exposing her to some great literature will be really cool.

Science - I've developed my own hybrid science curriculum using the Usborne Encyclopedia of Science.  We're going to focus on plant and animal biology and physics this year.  We're also going to do a lot of nature study.

History - We're doing American History 1 this year, using guesthollow.com as my guide.

PE - She'll take skating and polka dancing in the Fall, and we'll swim in our pool whenever possible.  While it's still nice out we'll ride bikes, play tennis, and take lots of walks.  In the Spring she'll take a school yard games class.  We'll also attend open gym once per month or so.

Art - She's doing photography through our homeschool group, art at the Children's Museum when possible and, a homeschool art class once per month.

Other activities - Millie will be taking Jr. Ranger classes with her homeschool group once per month.  They'll do all kinds of cool stuff like fossil hunting, star gazing, ice fishing, and canoeing.  Both girls will take Farm Explorers class at Gale Woods Farm in the Spring.  There are so many "other activities" I can't possibly list them here.

This year we're going to try to socialize a little less.  Things got a little out of control last year.  We're going to try to limit our outings with friends to two days per week.  Don't worry, two days with friends will not an awkward child make ;)  She'll still get to interact with humans when she goes out with Grandma Susie on Wednesday while I work, Sunday school, regular "lunch break" outings to the library, children's museum, science museum, weekend play dates with friends and cousins, etc.

Let's get this party started!

Check out other curriculum blogs at the Not Back To School Blog Hop!

Our Homeschool Wish List

Our homeschool is almost complete for the 2012-13 school year!  There are a few items we WANT (not need), but I need to save up for them first.  Here's our list:

Nikon CoolPix camera for Millie.  Nothing fancy (she's 8!), just something that'll take good pictures, at a reasonable cost.

PoGo Instant Photo Printer - This compact, portable printer prints small pictures on stickers!  This would be perfect for science and nature study journaling.

Marine biology coloring book - We're doing a seas and oceans unit this year.  This coloring book is so cool!  Although the suggested age is 13+, I think she'd absorb it all.

Oil spill cleanup experiment kit - Founds this in the Home Science Tools catalog today.  Perfect!

That's it!  I'm looking forward to a great school year!  Can't wait to get started.  Seriously, I need  my regular routine back.  C'mon September!

Our Summer In Pictures - Week 9 & 10

We've been enjoying this Summer so much, and the past two weeks were no exception!  The highlight was  a two day trip up to Duluth.  Millie was at a birthday party the first day, so it was just the three of us at first.

We rented a 4 person bike, stuck Elise in the basket up front, and rode around.  Fun!

Had nice chit-chat and beer with Sakura and family.

We played at the water park in our hotel.  Millie was afraid to go on the water slide, but once she went down, we couldn't stop her.  She loved it!

Day two we payed a visit to the Split Rock Lighthouse.

Playing in Lake Superior.  The water was crystal clear.  So pretty!!!

Afterwards, we stopped by the completely changed Gooseberry Falls.  

A few days after we got back, Millie had a lemonade stand with a friend.  She's been wanting to do this all Summer!

The Changing Face Of Our Homeschool, 2012

I anticipate that each year will be very different from the last.  It's inevitable since I have 2 kid, 4 years apart.
Last year, I focused on Millie's academics and socialization.  It was my number one priority.  This year, there's going to be a small change.
Here it is:

Elise!

Elise is nearly four years old, energetic, daring, curious, and very ready to start preschool!

Now, I'll have to change my focus to include Elise, not as a bystander, but as a participant.  Fear not, I have a plan.  In fact, I'm so excited about my plan, that I'm going to detail Elise's preschool career on a weekly basis starting in September.  I'm using the following resources for her academics:

Letter identification, sounds, and printing from Jan Brett

Science and crafts from Wee Folk Art

Nature study from Handbook Of Nature Study

Songs, themes, and tot boxes from Preschool Plan It

We'll also regularly include visits to the library for story time and the Science Museum for Preschool Playdates.    

This will be a big change, but I'm up for the challenge! 

Is it September yet?!

Our Summer In Pictures - Week 8

This was a big week, as Millie turned EIGHT!  Eight years ago I was on a much desired 6 week maternity break from work, and spending time cuddling with my sweet, fuzzy, dimpled, little monkey girl.  Fast forward  eight years...

This was week 3 of tennis lessons.  Millie loves tennis!

For her birthday dinner, Millie requested Osaka.  Everyone loved the food and really loved the "show".  Millie and Bud both caught flying food in their mouths :)  Turns out, they like raw zucchini.  Who knew?

Millie was away at 4-H day camp on Tues-Thurs, so Elise and I had some fun bonding time.  We went rollerblading on Tuesday.

Ben and Patrick came to play on Thursday.  We cooled off in the fountains at Upper Landing.

Bud went out of town for the weekend, so the girls and I had "girls night".  They watched movies...

"roasted" marshmallows on the construction paper camp fire...

and built a tent.  They stayed up as late as they wanted to, and slept in the living room.  Good times!

Our Summer In Pictures - Week 7

It seems that every time I do a new "Summer In Pictures" blog post, I mention how fast the Summer is going.  I'm sooo happy that we still have 8 weeks left!  We've been spending more time outdoors than we have in the past few years.  It's wonderful!!  Here's what we did this week:

Swimming with the cousins during Aunt Leslie's Day Camp

We also had Icees and played in a fountain :)

4th of July parade in Wannamingo.  I love this parade!

Getting ready to watch fireworks from our balcony

Millie's very small birthday party

The week had been so so hot.  Once the heat broke we got to take our first family bike ride (now that Bud has a bike.  Woo hoo!)

Our Summer In Pictures - Week 6

I wasn't very good about taking pictures this week.  I was too busy having lots and lots of kid-free mommy time.  It was nice!  Not that I don't enjoy spending time with my kids, but let face it. I'm with them 6-7 days per week, all day long, all year long.  Breaks in the Summertime are very welcome :)

Here's what we did:

The girls had Vacation Bible School Monday-Thursday from 9-12.  During that time, I managed to go antiquing, cleaned the house, had lunch, coffee, coffee, and more coffee with a friend, and a lot of business planning.  It was so nice!  On the last day, the kids performed a few songs they learned during VBS.

See Millie?  She's in a pink top in the right third of the picture.

We also went swimming with a friend at our pool, and went swimming at a friends outdoor pool.