Going where no man has gone before...

We are starting our science unit on the Solar System this week. Brandon has been waiting for this section all year. It is his favorite! I'm also pretty excited because we are doing a more focused study on planets this year and I have some good non-text book activities to work on.

Over a year ago, I bought a solar system puzzle with planet-shaped pieces. The kids are working on that this week and next. I LOVE puzzles, so it is taking all my self control to not work on it too!

I also am excited to take them to the Columbia Space Center - we've never been there before and I think they might have some cool things for us to take a look at!

But, to kick things off, Sophia BEGGED to re-do the OREO lunar models that they did in 3rd grade. So, we tested their memory on the moon...

It was definitely more about the OREOs than the moon, but it was fun and yummy!

Frog Dissection (Warning: Photos Included!)

So, we have good news/bad news. First the bad news, did you hear that one of our fire-bellied toads died? It was an accident, I swear! We moved them into a container for their cricket feeding and one never made it back out alive. It was sad. (And gross!) I think he choked on a cricket...

In any case, Brandon's idea (not mine!) - let's dissect it! So, since everyone was ok with the idea of dissecting the frog, we froze him and set the plan in motion for a day that I WAS NOT GOING TO BE HOME! Oh yes, I can do a lot of things, but dissect a frog is not one of them.

Fernando and the kids did a great job learning about how to properly dissect a frog. He was much smaller than a normal frog you would dissect, but they were able to identify many parts. (I'll spare you the gross cut-open photos!)

Can you guess from the photos who loved it and who didn't? Sophia may be a budding surgeon for all the dissecting she did. She was so fascinated, that she asked Santa for a model of a dog's anatomy for Christmas! (Seeing Santa's face trying to register what the h*ll she was asking for was priceless! HAHA!) 

Brandon, on the other hand, peeked at the process a few times, but spent most of the project shielding the other frog's view so he wouldn't have to see what was happening to his friend. That's our sensitive soul!

And yes, I was the sucker who felt bad for the lonely toad and bought him a new friend last week. If another one dies, I'll be putting on a neighborhood dissection so everyone can come check it out!

1st world problems

As Fernando would say, I have first world problems: I have educational funds to spend and I don't know how to spend them!

Each year, our kids are given an educational fund account that I can use to buy books/materials for them. I use most of it for music lessons, since I can't teach that.

The school emailed me this last week to let me know that I have to spend the remaining amount of money before February 27th! All of my 4th grade money by then! So, in an effort to not repeat what happened last year (ordered in July, received in October!), I'd like to order my 5th grade materials now. This presents a whole host of questions that need to be answered:

• Will we homeschool next year?
• What materials that we used last year do we like and want to continue with?
• What new materials do we want to try?
• How much will all the 5th grade curriculum cost?
• How much will be left over once I buy all the 5th grade stuff?
• What do I spend that money on now? (It's a use it or lose it kinda thing)
• Should I order office supplies? Where is the cheapest approved vendor that has the stuff I want? What stuff do I even need? Is my current organizational system sufficient for 2nd year homeschooling? Is there anything that I want to do different?
• What cool science kits can I order to help us through the rest of the year? What are we even studying in science for the rest of the year?
• Are there any classes that I should use the money for? More piano classes? Horseback riding? Performing Arts - can I make Sophia's performing arts place a homeschool vendor?

So, you can see that my head is exploding! I am moving forward with the thought that we are homeschooling next year, but I have tasked Fernando with talking to each of the kids individually about the option. Their opinions will help determine our decision. I'm worried that they would not want to hurt my feelings and be honest if they do have any negative feelings, so I'll put the task on him. They may feel more comfortable talking to him, but I think we're a go! We'll keep you updated...

Art Lessons: The Renaissance Part 1

We are now half way through a multi-week art lessons about the Renaissance. I really wanted Brandon & Sophia to learn and know about the Renaissance. When I was going to art school at CCS, the Renaissance was by far my favorite art history topic. And when Dea & I discussed about teaching the kids about that time frame and the amazing artists of that era, a bolt of lighting hit me…we will study and learn about the 4 great masters of the Renaissance: Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo…also known as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This blew the kid’s minds! They have learned about Contrapposto,

Sfumato,

and Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man.

In the next few weeks we will be moving on to Raphael & Michelangelo, stand by for Part 2.

So... How do you like it?

That's pretty much the first question I get when my kids answer the awkward question: "What school do you go to?" They answer, "Uh..." and then the questions ensue: "How's it going so far? Do you like homeschooling? Are you going to continue?"

These days, I think that homeschooling is not all peaches and roses (as my FB pictures may suggest). Don't get me wrong, we are having a great time: long road trips, tons of field trips, etc. BUT, at least once a week, someone is in tears and I need a drink!

I get it - it's hard to be a homeschool student. There is nowhere to hide! No desk mate to copy off of, no place to get lost when you don't know the answer, no other students to blend into when the teacher has to move the class along. Every answer is corrected, every question analyzed, every test grade picked over, every piece of work made to be YOUR BEST work. It's good in the long run, but hard in the short term.

So, when people ask, "How's it going?", I'm trying to keep it real. This is hard - on all of us - and exciting, fun, rewarding, challenging... I just hope the benefits outweigh the hardships. And I think I know the answer.

Cell Blobs

On of things I was really excited about starting was the science of the human body. So, the first thing I did was have a conversation with my kids. It went something like this...

"I think you are mature enough to learn about the human body."

See how I pumped them up first! HAHA! Then, I threatened them!

"If you can't be mature about it, then we won't continue learning about this."

And so yesterday, we started human anatomy. There were a few giggles, but no fart and poop jokes YET...

The first section was on cells and how we all start out as a single cell and how we divide and there are many types of cells, etc. Well, low and behold, guess what I have?!?!

Most of you know about our struggles to get pregnant. Brandon and Sophia were second round IVF babies after almost 2 years of failed other procedures. And, because I'm a keeper (in so many ways!), I kept the original image that the Doctor gave us for the 2nd round of IVF that showed us which 2 embryos she was going to implant. They were blobs of 8-24 cells at the time (ok, not blobs, they were Blastocysts).

And so now, here are the first pictures of Brandon and Sophia that most moms don't even have! (They are the 2 circled blobs on the top left and top right corners. And no, I don't know which one is which!) Pretty cool full-circle science homeschool day!

Brandon and Sophia as cell blobs.

Sophia and Brandon with their baby books, each with a cell blob photo.

Music UPGRADE

One of the main things that I wanted to add to our "schooling" this year was MORE music education. I've always wanted the kids to learn an instrument (Fernando and I know nothing about music, besides how to recognize RAD 90s music in a few notes!), and we never really had time to pursue anything beyond the occasional week-long camp.

So, one of the first things when planning out homeschooling was find a local piano teacher. We specifically chose a public charter school to homeschool with because they provide instructional funds for each child for us to choose how to use. A lot of our money goes to buy curriculum (math books, grammar, science, etc.), but a lot of it goes to semi-private piano lessons every week.

The kids go on Friday, review what they've been practicing, learn new materials, get their assignments for the week and we head home to practice! Well, our practice just got a SIGNIFICANT UPGRADE this week!

On loan to us through a friend, a BEAUTIFUL white baby grand piano was delivered and has been added to our living room. The kids were doing well before on their piano lessons are are now EVEN MORE EAGER to practice! (You see, before the keyboard would only play one key at a time, which was hard when you are trying to play 2-handed chords with your melodies! HAHA!)

So, thank you to our friends for helping us provide an even more RAD educational experience for our kids (and helping my ears). Here's to listening to beautiful Christmas music in a few weeks!