First off, thank you once again to Free Homeschool Deals for the link that is the launching point on this blog entry. I am so thankful I started following you on Facebook and email…

What response do we get when we mention we are THINKING of homeschooling or ARE homeschooling? Well I don’t know about the rest of you out there but the responses have been… mixed… There is the almost instant consistent concern about SOCIALIZATION (cuz we all know homeschool kids are loners who definitely will NEVER fit in in the grand scheme of things…)… some people instantly assume you must be insanely fundamental Christians (thank you 19 Kids and Counting or whatever that show is for perpetuating the dresses and the insular girls growing up to be mothers stereotype for many people, I am sure that is not what they mean to do… but I have had the: oh you homeschool, like that huge family on tv, are you going to have that many kids?? asked)… of course you are not going to teach them but simply let them loose like some sort of weird group of wild dogs to run free and when it is time for them to join the workforce… well they won’t even be potty trained!! (ok maybe an exaggeration but sometimes it FEELS like that is what people think!!)

I honestly wondered if I was alone in all of this, that is until I read a wonderful blog post by Forever, For Always, No Matter What:Catholic Adoption & Home Education Blog. I think I will share some of the key parts that not only made me giggle but had me going YES YES YES! (and not in some weird herbal shampoo commercial way!) You can find the entire article HERE. It is titled: I Can’t Homeschool Because… My Kids Will Be Weird!

Every group has their stereotypes, and one of the stereotypes of homeschooling is that kids will be strange or weird.

Here’s the truth, my kids are weird.  Your kid is too.  The fact is that all kids at some point in time are weird.  Also, maybe it’s just me, but I went to public school and believe me there were plenty of kids there who were labeled “weird”.  Homeschool, public school, private school all has their weirdos.

I’m actually perfectly content having weird kids.  My kids are developing their own interests whether it’s trains, baseball, animals or coin collecting.  They aren’t feeling pressured to like what everyone else likes or do what every other kid is doing.

I don’t want to break any homeschool stereotypes but, my kids don’t particularly like to read.  They would rather be outside playing basketball, riding bikes or swinging with the neighborhood kids than sitting inside reading a book.  They would rather play Mind Craft on the computer than write an essay.  Uh, oh, does that sound too normal?

You know what? That last paragraph… wow does that sound familiar! Just because kids are homeschooled does not mean they are ALL fiendishly insistent learners (though there are days they have more stamina than I and I have to just chase after and keep on with the facts and the learning fun!)… Homeschooled kids are first and foremost… well, KIDS! And what kid always wants to learn when there is that amazing tree out there to conquer or puddle to splash in???

Attend a homeschool convention these days and you will see all types of families.  Long gone are the days when all the moms are wearing their hair in buns and jean skirts.  There are actually some pretty fashionable ladies homeschooling their kids these days!

It always makes me laugh, this urge to paint us all with the same brush… if all homeschool parents are hippies and extremes does that mean all public school parents are suzy homemakers and working drones? If there can be parents of children in schools from all walks of life why would that not follow same in homeschooling circles?

Now the final paragraph cracks me up, not because it is funny but because I have found the same thing true!!!

Psst here’s another secret, my kids actually can carry on a conversation with a friend their age or with an adult.  Imagine that.  I guess homeschooling isn’t making them too weird after all!

Just last weekend I watched my 9 year old son sit down with an adult who he is getting to know now that we have moved here to Minnesota and hold a lengthy conversation with him that I was later told was enjoyable! AMAZING! This is the same child that later that day ran wild with his cousins and chatted up a storm with them!

So just how weird ARE my homeschooled children? We may not follow the school system and over the summer I DO teach them (half days, with flexibility… can’t miss out on those chances to hang with cousins and friends and and and), we are Christian though long skirts are not the norm (though if I could find some that did not make me look totally SHORT…), we are definitely developing our own interests with a paleontologist and a budding artist topping the list. So if this is weird… I think it is something I may have embraced without even realizing it! And that is perfectly ok with me.

May 31- June 1

I am a wee bit biased… June is my favourite month. Let’s see… my birthday, our anniversary, Father’s Day isn’t half bad… the boys were baptized in June… and the first day of summer… It is my first in the states and has given me a bundle of confusing emotions… homesick a wee bit I might add as there is another special moment to remember starting this June – my dear cousin Veronika is getting married!!!! I am dreadfully sad to have to miss it, but darn it… immigration moves slowly for those who are not willing to pay money into a lawyer.

Anyway first we need to END the month… so… Friday… Day one of the intrepid paleontologist Emanuel’s first dig. He has a box set up that we can store in the garage and it is all his show. He found the tip of a bone on the very first day! Everyone is rather jealous, but in the end this is something Emanuel is truly in love with, like Gavin and his art.

The clay block he begins with

Perfect chance for art in the sun… nature art!!

Working on the front steps

We have changed it up a bit with the reading now that our school program is over with Pizza Hut for the year… now the kids are reading for their younger siblings! Adorable and great practice telling stories to other people.

Did you know Batman is good at helping with workbooks???

Oh and after a long month+…. A COMPLETION!!! PENGUINS! I am beyond proud on this one… we learned so much and we did it together! We all learned something new and COOPERATED! Bask in the penguin glory! Oh, and enjoy the resources we share in the next blog.

We even topped the day with some rather impressive (and according to Ken who had to run out and cover the straw bale gardens painful!) hail.

What is a week without a weekend?? Let’s welcome in June with a Saturday… Time to spiffy up the twins with new buzzed haircuts thanks to Nana, Baba and Daddy! Not bad!!

All done

But even before that… HOME DEPOT! They made adorable wagon pencil holders… note that Trinity now has her apron too!

And then some shopping with the whole family… flip flops for the twins and a new swimsuit for Trinity… With the rest of the day freed up for play and relaxation… June has begun, lets hope the weather gets a little more consistent with some sunshine.

Fun in the sun!

This dinosaur was actually VERY timely for yours truly as apparently in one of it incarnations (the without feathers version) it was the inspiration for the famous Velociraptor on the movie Jurassic Park! (HERE) Which we watch the second half of the night before Emanuel covered the Deinonychus. This dinosaur, first found in 1964 walked on TWO legs and they figure worked in packs. It was definitely carnivorous and was lightly built and had long grasping claws (thus the name). And, amazingly enough – were alive during the… wait for it… Cretaceous period??? I know, Jurassic Park… but… well facts are facts! 

Our video was originally of a History channel show I think… and it shows, in rather great detail, a pack of these dinosaurs hunting. It is a little graphic though the kids were fine with it. 

What I found interesting is that it is because of THESE dinosaurs that Paleontolologists moved to consider dinosaurs as a possible link to birds (thus the feathers have been hypothesized). This carnivore seemed to be one of the most organized in its hunting techniques and actually used its limbs much more to fight, some sites have compared it to karate fighting with its long legs! Definitely NOT a friendly dinosaur! 

Now for our links… we had quite a few of course as there is LOTS of info out there! BUT here is what we narrowed it down to: Wiki has their fact heavy article HERE. We printed out THIS fact sheet from Dinosaurdays! EnchantedLearning comes through as usual (seriously I look forward to renewing this subscription come budget time) HERE. Emanuel especially liked the high kicking dinosaur picture HERE. And he was quick with the right answer on KidsDigDinos HERE. We chose the first of THESE colouring pages to colour (gotta love the feathers!). I loved the technique discussion on their fighting with the discovery link HERE. Emanuel loved the VERY birdlike look of the illustration on THIS site. There is a great illustration/chart on THIS site for size of the dinosaur (bigger than a human but smaller than an elephant!). And don’t forget a handy fact sheet HERE.

I am sure there are MANY more links about the Deinonychus dinosaur but we stopped at those links and video. I don’t think I will be showing Emanuel Jurassic Park quite yet… Oh and Emanuel’s favourite thing he learned about this dinosaur – that he fought using his claws and feet!!!! What a boy! 

With feathers and all