September 9

So, parades… REALLY not Ken and my cup of tea but one of those memories we all have of growing up, so when Steven mentioned that the town he lives in was having a parade and that as usual Saturday was his Quinn day… well we had to head out and join in. We dressed up and headed out relatively early and met up with the boys at their house.

From there we drove to a parking lot to park and walk to the street the parade was on. We chose the end of the parade so had a bit of a wait.  I am so glad that we purchased that blanket at the Tyrell Museum. It comes in handy and is so easy to take along!

Hanging out

The kids DID get bored as we had to wait well over 30 min for the parade to get to us but it was worth the wait.  The kids were much more interested in candy collection, once we explained to them what was  going on that is. They were very sure candy was only available during Halloween so this was all new to them.

Waiting on candy

Post parade and candy and even watching someone launch a t-shirt into the crowd (that REALLY can’t be safe!) we slipped off before the parade ended and got out of the parking lot with minimal issues.

A float

Then it was time for LUNCH! The daddies were in charge as yours truly is STILL trying to finish the dolly blanket and kept and eye on the baby while she trundled around in the garage. Steven’t parents have put up a large mosquito screen across  the one side of their garage and made a baseball themed seating area that is absolutely amazing! I could totally see homeschooling in there through out the warm months. They had a wall between the double garage section and a single car area so you could close doors and all that but it was a great idea! 

Hello puppy!

Steven’s backyard is a great place to be. They managed to get their hands on a rather amazing play set that is big enough for Quinn and our entire brood to enjoy! Add to that a lovely hill that the boys asked to come back and visit in the winter to sled down and some random toys and we had some VERY happy kids.

Fun in the sun

Lunch was hotdog and hamburgers with chips and grapes and juice pouches. I think everyone was full up when we were done!

Lunch!

Add to that a break in the basement with Thomas the trains and the Netflix version as well!

TV break

It was a great visit and a welcome break to being here at our house. After our visit we stopped in at a few stores… Jo-Ann’s of course finally! I am going to have to watch on sales and coupons as they do have some interesting bits and pieces… we picked up beads and plastic string this time. OH and Ken’s yarn for the scarf HE wants. I ran into the Dollar Tree at that location and was a little disappointed. I DID get my poster paper to create our Pen Pal display. We are going to make pockets for each of our correspondents. I also picked up google eyes and pom poms. What a difference from my usual Dollarama hauls, I am holding out hope that that was just a smaller store and that a bigger one (say like the one near Darcy) may hold more hope. Otherwise I am going to have to keep hunting sales and coupons. 

Totally enjoying the chance to keep my hands busy

I have started our craft bucket though, we are already saving our toilet rolls, collecting the crafty bits I DID bring down here and sourcing out options. I found some bags of bits and bobs a sweet friend and fellow homeschooling mom had sent to me when I was still in Alberta and had forgotten I saved (thank you BJ!!) so we have some sequins, glitter and random fun things to use… I am going to save my yarn bits as well as I remember using those for crafting as a child.  Now our end of the week was more of a play but there is so much merit in learning through play so I feel forgiven if not vindicated! We will just keep on going and trying over the next week and tweak what we are doing… oh and watch the mail, I have a few things of great importance coming in the post! So check back as I share how we get along!

Basically Birthday Buddies

September 6-7

Is definitely something we are striving for… and a work in progress. Thursday did not really go as planned. I was last one up since Ken was able to watch the kids in the morning and I have not been getting lots of sleep… but they did NOT do their school work in the meantime. The code Ken needs to complete his job application and move onto the next stage is a HUGE priority of course… and the week has been a heavy on the study so far anyway. 

Once I was up and going it was crack down time on the schooling and we got results. Another completion on the review books – this time Gavin finished HIS math book! That moves us back to our Grade 2 level comprehensive. With it being a CANADIAN version I do have to get my hands on some good American money and measurement (oh, and temperature ugh  come on Metric I love you so!) worksheets. After all, we have to learn BOTH systems now. 

So proud!

With our first week of school for the year in our new state and home we had to make our own school house! I love the Activity Village site! I am sure most people have noticed a lot of my print outs are from their site… you can find the instructions for our school house HERE. We altered it slightly by having each of the windows, door and bell have one of the 4 schooling age kids’ personal pictures. Then all 4 of them decorated the background around the school. It was great fun! Ken and I just cut out the shapes in advance to make it a simple project. 

Working together

All done!

And the check marks keep coming! The twins are trying their best to read that book solo and Emanuel and Trinity jump to do their tasks each morning. I am hoping the momentum continues.

The kids and I all headed outside in the afternoon once Ken had left to look at computers at his brother’s work (seriously time worked against us… and then add in the weather…) to enjoy what sunlight there was… and to get sprinkled on! Echo was adorable going OW and then rubbing the spots that she got rained on and smiling.

Rain

It wasn’t too bad for us to be in the front yard but I chose not to trust a walk. Which was a good call as once Ken got home it rained outright!  But Gavin revamped his wooden structure into what he and Emanuel called a squirrel tee pee, but only until winter when it would leave and only while said squirrel was NOT out hunting for nuts.

Squirrel tee pee

  Friday was a baking day for the kids. Everyone was a little burned out from the week at home and Ken had his tour of the company he has had his interview and test code with in the afternoon. Add to that windy weather and Echo NOT sleeping the night before and nothing lined up for us doing any sort of walk. So, why not make cookies and corn muffins?  Ken’s mom had bought package mixes of a couple types of cookies so we chose the molasses package to make our cookies.

Molasses Cookies

The boys and Emanuel helped read the packaging (words for the boys and the pictures for Emanuel)… they helped me figure out the temperature for the oven and then counted with me as we set it. Each of the kids did some stirring and then left me to put the cookies on the tray and into the oven. 

Mixing

So of course we had to put it into our observational journal… each of the steps and then worked on words to explain them. I was so proud of how WILLING they were to do it! 

Watching the baking

All done

The corn muffins worked out well as well with the kids’ help. Though next time we get it I want to get some cupcake papers as well. This box came with our handmade bags from the Abundant Harvest event. I have actually started saving all the little boxes and plastic containers food come in, sealing them up and starting a collection for Trinity to start a new kitchen set. We will have to purchase the actual stove, fridge, etc combo later but I can start building up her food collection and the muffin box was PERFECT!! On top of that I also saved a Rice-a-Roni and a Jell-o box. Great start!!

Muffins

Our weekend is looking like we will keep busy, we have not yet chosen a church but with Ken’s intense focus on job hunting and getting us settled here it looks like it could be the rest of the month before that decision is made. That is ok, we are working step by step to figure out our life here in Minnesota and it is a little difficult when we KNOW we will not be staying here long term. 

With our coloured rules

The crocheting is going on… and on and on. I am seeing the end of my scarf and debating a fringe… and planning on trying combining different rows of stitches and hoping for the best! I am enjoying it!

My first “real” project, though without a pattern

So our first week back and our first real week in Minnesota was a success in my mind! We will get the forms sent out next week and be officially in the system and go from there… in the meantime, I am just going to keep on going and trying and doing! 

NOMS

The ability to keep busy is definitely a great one to cultivate in the pursuit of home education! And Tuesday was no exception. I wish I could say it all went smoothly but with kids involved… NEVER! We started the morning with… breakfast… then time with Ken (gotta get it in before he is gainfully employed here in Minnesota) working on Minnesota… and that is where we hit a wall. Sadly when Ken read to the boys from the lapbook I found on Currclick they really didn’t listen so when Ken asked questions about it they guessed and really refused to try. So the response was a 5 min cool down in the bedroom to see if they could remember what was read to them, and then a redo… which didn’t work so Ken tried 10 min and a redo… nope… so the final solution was actually a rather smart one… he gave THEM the reading matter (which was rather advanced for them), their observation journals and some pencils and told them to read each word and write it out as they do. Every 3 words or so they came back to Ken to reread what they had written until the first couple sentences were done and amazingly enough they not only TRIED but succeeded both in reading the words (with some assistance, silent K’s are RUDE) and writing it down legibly! Although in the end there was an unfinished word I had to squeak a few letters onto for them! 

So while the actual lapbook progression was short and sweet we did get the boys TRYING and that is HUGE! I made sure to take advantage of that and jump right into the rest – workbooks, Farmer Boy (I think we have TWO chapters left) and of course reading their books. We have a new plan in action… each day each of the children has a chance to earn a check mark. Once they get TWENTY FIVE of those they get something special. Trinity is doing a workbook page PROPERLY a day, Emanuel 2 letters or numbers a day in his copybook, and the twins reading a book a day to myself or their daddy. I am hoping this will foster motivation and maybe even some special one on one moments with our busy family. Day 1 went VERY well!

Working on their check marks

Baby on the go

Animal Planet has become a family favourite as has Turtle Man and today’s marathon of Steve Irwin (remember the crocodile hunter??) on the anniversary of his death. Emanuel absolutely loves the snapping turtles and was excited to record some knowledge about it and the show in his journal. I figure if it has him on the edge of his seat wanting to know more it is all good! There is another show the kids have latched onto, by the way, on Animal Planet. This one about people making extreme fish tanks called Tanked. The boys were very impressed by the tanks and LOVED seeing all the fish! 

Gavin at work

The Perler bead pieces that the kids were working on over the weekend and such are FINALLY ironed. Gavin finished the last one Tuesday. Ken had quite the job to do with all that ironing!!

Terrific job!!

I actually finished my very first crochet project Monday night! The single stitch piece which is now going to be a headband once I get a nice strong snap to finish the back! I think it looks rather nice for a first project and have already jumped into my second project – learning the (US) double stitch with a ball of white yarn… the jury is still out as to what it will be, depends on how far the yarn goes! Thank goodness for Facetime and Karyn who was able to sit with me Monday night and watch me go. The best part about it is that the camera reverses  you so when she was stitching it looked lefty to me (though from the wrong side) and was much easier for my mind to wrap around. I found a great vid for cementing the turning of the row in my mind.

The new piece… dolly blanket?

We are still working our way through the registration process… it is very frustrating that we had to wait until last week Thursday to receive the information packet from the district we HAVE TO register in. In fact the packet only just sent us to a website. Not overly helpful yet. I am still attempting to figure out things like the age to the grade, the immunization records we have to submit and of course how much information we are LEGALLY required to send in to the district. I have asked on Facebook and lucked out with a lady who has a friend who is registered and homeschooling here in the state so I am hoping with her help, our research and hopefully talking to the lady who has the position here as liaison we can get all our ducks in a line in the shortest time possible!!

Reading with Zander

Today was one of those best laid plans going askew sort of days… Our morning actually was PACKED with stuff done! I was surprised at the get up and go. It helps that everyone was excited about having another set of letters to respond to! Jimmie’s Gammie is a TERRIFIC pen pal. Each of the kids got a letter and they all were more than willing to respond! Emanuel even included one of the completed Perler bead creations (an Emanuel original tiny snake) in his letter! And of course we had to send out two of our Moo cards! 

Zander working on his response

Sadly we were not able to take our nature walk as Echo went for nap over the span of time Ken had his phone interview (which went VERY well, he just needs to do his test code for them and then do the tour and then… second interview we hope!). So we couldn’t leave her in case Echo woke up while he was on the phone. So we are hoping to go once Ken finishes his code as a family. We did have ANOTHER completion of the review books… EMANUEL!!

Completion!

Sneaking in a pre-interview moment with Daddy

I think we are starting to find a rhythm… varying what we do is helping as is keeping track of what IS easy to accomplish and what we struggle with. And now, two nights in a row one of the twins has read their story over the IM on our iPad to Karyn! I love them including someone ELSE in their learning and progress!

Echo chatting with Aunty Karyn and visiting with her kitties

Gavin reading to Emanuel

With our new year begun and Ken’s job hunt progressing, well we are settling in and able to say that we are putting down some new roots this week. AND I am going to look into the Magic Tree House series for the boys. Apparently there are resource guides and fact books. Something new to think about! And on that note… back to my solo evening. 

I HAVE TO share this one… Gavin spent an hour or more outside with nothing but sticks… he made this table type thing!!!

Creative huh!!!