We interrupt this program to bring you the latest news from our family to yours. The news is: we love GeeART! I know you guys probably already think GeeART is cool (those of you who have taken the free lesson they offer on their website, that is). Maybe you thought you couldn't afford it before. If you think that, keep READING below!

I was already a fan of GeeART before we did our lesson today (after trying out their freebie with the kids a while back)... but I am even more fired up about them now. I WAS BLOWN AWAY by today's AWESOME lesson on "The Language of Art". I was nearly clapping at the computer and laughing at the ingenuity of the animators.

The lesson included:

1. Art History - AND NOT THE DRY KIND YOU GOT AT PUBLIC SCHOOL.
2. The Language of Art (great animated movie)
3. Character training - learning to "take risks"! Because risks help us learn in Art.
4. BONUS TUTORIALS on how to use Corel Painter Essentials for the kids!!!
5. Teacher PDF lesson plans for projects relating to our lessons
6. Quizzes to help you remember the information.
7. License to Corel Painter Essentials so you can download it for free!!!
8. Artist cards with pictures of the artist and their paintings - on a period timeline!



I am sooooo loving this program! Watch out... I might just start sounding like a crazy advertisement (oh, wait... too late, eh?!). We are going to have so much fun with this program this summer. I'm tricking the kids into doing some school - even if we are off - by keeping our Art up. Yeah, so maybe we'll still do a math sheet every other day, too... but now I'll have the incentive to get them to work for me on other (less interesting) subjects! "If you get your math sheet done, I'll let you do a GeeArt lesson!" This so works for me.



Our first try at Corel Painter Essentials produced some rather bland backgroundish type artwork... but we are just beginning on our adventure! My daughter nearly had to be PRIED off of my keyboard after we did our lessons. I bribed her with the promise that she could do more digital painting after we went to eat with Daddy. I told her she could use her free time to do more art (she got excited at this prospect - and I just saw it as a much better alternative than video games!). As soon as we got home this afternoon, she went to her room and spent over an hour "painting". She's used many of the "brushes" and textures. It is great to see them taking off with this program and really enjoying it. It thrills this art-loving mom. My son was standing over my shoulder while I began this post waiting to use MY computer (to do more art in Corel Painter Essentials, of course). Daddy had to offer to build a Star Wars Lego set with him to give me a moment to write this out. They are both really digging digital art.

It is amazing how the tools on Painter are so like the actual real-life brushes and paints that we have. Even the bristles and smearing and the blending of colors. No detail is spared. I would be a serious art junkie if I had some professional training in digital design and artwork. I guess it is a good thing I am a beginner... or I might be blind by now from staying up all night every night to "paint" and draw.



You already know that you can get a discount through my blog on this program, right? I keep a button on the sidebar for it as well. Clicking from here will tell them I sent you. To answer your question: no, they aren't paying me anything - just letting me use their awesome program for my kids. They are starting a new promotion for June, too! They are going to be offering homeschool product licenses for only $27.98 each (they are regular over 69$)! That is a steal if you ask me. My husband was home today when we did the lessons and he had his mouth hanging open saying, "These guys really are professionals!" What else would you expect from ex-Disney animators? GeeART is as entertaining and fun as it is educational. It really is the coolest art program for kids that I have ever seen... HANDS DOWN.

So go create something! Check out their free lesson or better yet - sign up and see what I'm talking about! For less than thirty bucks you have nothing to loose.


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Koi are wonderful. I am not big on goldfish, but the slender Japanese Koi are graceful additions to any pond. I looked up a koi color chart for them this morning and my favorites are the Hikari (silvery white), the Gin Matsuba (metallic red), Orenji Ogon (metallic orange), Platinum Ogon (silver), and the lovely Yamabuki Ogon (golden yellow). I would love to have a pond like this one in my yard some day. There are quite a few koi and goldfish paintings that I really like. Carol Sims, Todd Misk and Kendahl Jan Jubb have some excellent work of koi. Tsekoi has a ton of great artwork to browse on koi. I also discovered an interesting modern twist on koi in my painting search: koi kites! Last but certainly not least: Who could not love Matisse's 'Goldfish'? If you can't afford a pond of your own, get yourself a serene painting of these lovely creatures to gaze upon - or better yet, paint one yourself! I bet it will decrease your stress level just looking at it every day.


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STEP 1 - THE TEST

Well, the test is taken and passed... and now we are just sitting here holding our breath. Kev had another interview this morning on the phone with the same guy in Texas. This guy let Kevin know that he had a bunch of qualified candidates... some who were already managers that might loose their job if he chose to not hire them. He let him know that he would be sticking his neck out and taking a risk if he chose Kevin for the job. He told him that he would call back today or tomorrow and let him know what his final decision was.

STEP 2 - THE WAITING

So here we sit... on the edge of our seat... not knowing where we will be next. We are in the hands of God. Waiting is not always easy, but we have done it before. I keep thinking of what Gideon's face must have looked like when God told him that his "army was too big" and he needed to "thin it out" before he went up against the mighty Midionites (who were too numerous to count - like sand on the sea shore). He went in and won the day (though he hardly did anything at all because it was God who fought for him) with only 300 men. Sure, Kevin may be the underdog. He may be a risk: although I know he's a great employee and an honest and upright man who is a hard worker... this other guy doesn't know that yet. Yet my God is bigger than the "Midionite" army (and He can bring about the victory for Kevin just like He did for Gideon). I think that God's purpose in letting Kevin hear about these other applicants is to let him know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was HIM who pulled the strings to make this happen... not any man or Kevin's own skills that got him the job. On the other hand, if God shuts this door, at least he used this man to give the management test to Kevin. That alone can open countless doors in the future. There are many more jobs opening up all over Texas that require this test and now Kevin will have that on his resume. This really is a win-win situation... even though we would like for the job at hand to be a quick resolution to the 'going home' problem. It isn't always the FIRST answer that is the right one. That is why it pays to have someone upstairs calling the shots. I want to be where He wants us to be... and to know that it was Him who did it. Kev has prayed this same prayer... and now we are waiting for the answer.

STEP 3 - THE PRAYERS

My prayer is that:

1. If this job and move are God's will for us... that God would make the hiring manager for this job is favorably disposed towards Kevin and willing to take a risk to hire him.
2. That the job offer would include allows for relocation expenses for our family.
3. That if this particular job isn't God's will, that He would help us not be too disappointed, and that He would provide another - better - job quickly! We would love to be home this summer.

SCHOOL THOUGHTS

So that is what has been on my mind for the last few days... and on my heart. I've been a bit preoccupied with family matters. We hardly got any school done yesterday because Kev was taking the test he had to pass (which he did pass - amazingly - with little preparation and despite his doubts after taking it that he would). We have our yeast for making bread ready and are going to try and get a full school day done today. Hopefully we'll know something soon about the fate of our summer break (whether it will be coming sooner or later). I would love to throw the rest of school in a box and return to it in August. I'm sure our family would enjoy that, too. We haven't seen them since Christmas.

THANK YOUS

Thanks a lot for your well wishes, thoughts and prayers during this exciting time for us. I appreciate it a lot. May the Lord bless you for your kindness and return it tenfold.

FLAVOR FIESTA

Oh... and I cooked a "re-created" Chipotle meal at home last night that wasn't all bad! I made knock-off/copy-cat recipes for their:

1. marinated chicken
2. corn salsa
3. black beans
4. guacamole
5. cilantro-lime rice

We had burritos for a celebration dinner for Kevin passing the test. All of us were stuffed. I'll be posting the recipes eventually (at Gathering Manna). It was all good... but of course, not as good (or as cheap) as having a burrito at Chipotle itself! I have an appreciation for their hard work in putting it all together like never before. I was in the kitchen for four straight hours (not to mention the early prep for the meat the night before or the beans yesterday morning)! If I do get back to Texas soon... you'll be able to find me at Chipotle! Come on in and say 'Howdy' over a 'burrito bol'!



Hope you have a great day... and remember us in your prayers if you think of it. Stop back in tomorrow to see if I have any news.


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Buzz Words: inspiration, God, waiting, interview, life, homeschool, personal, moving, job, Jesus, Chipotle, dinner, Texas, prayer, prayer request, homesick, hope, rambling, trust, Bible, anticipation, cooking, Mexican Food

I wonder if some modern scientists understand what a "limiting factor" is. Picture this... You go down to the bottom of the sea and bring up coins from a shipwreck. You are trying to date the shipwreck and discover when the sinking took place. You sort through the coins to see what dates are on them. Your YOUNGEST coin would tell you that the ship could NOT HAVE SUNK before that date. Right?



This fish is a limiting factor. It was alive just days ago... in May of 2007. Yes, folks... an "ancient fish" as the papers claim (that really isn't ancient at all). Because it was alive last week (and has been seen off the coast of Africa and now near Indonesia) it could be in ANY ROCK LAYER OF THE ENTIRE GEOLOGIC COLUMN. No longer can we date the rocks by the fossils... no sir (nor could we ever).

This means that the coelacanth is NOT extinct and the geologic column is a joke. Too bad it wasn't found on April 1st. I would have gotten an even bigger laugh. I would LOVE to speak to that guy holding the fish. I wonder if he is snickering at the journalists and westerners because he's caught one just like it before... and maybe has eaten it for dinner?

Nah! Couldn't have, right?! It is so rare and ancient (insert sarcasm here)!

According to the article:

Coelacanths are known from the fossil records dating back more than 360 million years, according to the Australian Museum Fish Web site.

Before 1938 they were believed to have become extinct approximately 80 million years ago, when they disappeared from the fossil record, it said.

Never dawns on the brainwashed media to doubt the 'museum fish website'. Go figure. You know what I think? I think most of the "fossil record" was created in the Flood... and the reason why you don't find whole coelacanths today in the "fossil record" is because other animals eat them and they decay and fall apart before they can be buried in sediment. Takes a lot longer to form fossils without catastrophic events. Fish decay pretty quickly. Mystery solved.

Click over to read the article about the most recent sighting of a live coelacanth and see which way you think the media slants.


Photo and original story credit to Reuters and Yahoo News.


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SPRING CLEANING
I've got a mountain of junk waiting to post in here that keeps growing. So I have been dumping it in this post for the last day or so when I come across it. I've been on "Spring Clean Up" mode lately with a pending move (hopefully) coming up. After church today the children and I did a lot of house cleaning and organizing. I have the familiar pile of laundry awaiting my tender loving care, but the house is sparkling and smells like cherries and vanilla (jar candles). I did a deep clean in the kitchen today and got rid of our drip coffee maker (we no longer use it) and freed up some counter space. I cleaned out the fridge and stocked it with groceries, too.

FOODIE FROLIC
We had Greek Lentil and Orzo Salad for dinner tonight. Yumm. I'm working on this week's menu tonight after I get the bills paid and the checkbook done. Maybe I'll have time to post a few recipes and my week's menu on my food blog? Yesterday the kids played in the pool with buddies and baked cookies for our "bread" unit. WHAT?! Cookies aren't bread? Well... they are made with wheat flour, right?! Good enough for me. They share enough ingredients to be related in my book.

PRAYER FOR A HOMESICK TEXAN
Tuesday my husband is taking a test to see if he can get a particular job he wants in Texas. This is a big deal for our family. REAL BIG. As BIG as the Lone Star State itself. So if you don't mind whispering a prayer for him to PASS THE TEST and GET THE JOB, I would sooooooooooooooooooooooo appreciate it.



So without further ado, here below is the junk pile:

EVILUTION (oops, did I misspell that?! My bad.)
I found the funniest 'Evolution of Man' graphics (can't post some due to the "nakedness" of the dudes in the photo... but if you wanted to click over and see them - go right ahead: 1, 2, 3).

COMING REVIEWS
I have a ton of reviews in the works in different stages of books and products ...included in those are: "God's Ultimate Passion." (book), DaysAgo gadget, "60 Ways to Make Fast Cash" and "119 Ideas to Save You Money Now" (e-books), 2 CDs on baby health, and "Queen of the Castle" (book).

MANDATORY MILITARY SERVICE FOR BOTH SEXES FROM 18-42 (Got Communism?)
I've been saving some snide remarks about H.R. 393, but it seemed like forever ago that I was tipped off to this bill. Does anyone know what happened to this bill?

INSPIRATIONAL STORIES
I have a plethora of inspirational stories (the kind that you get emailed whether you need inspiring or not). The ones I have saved are a few of my traveling favorites. I seem to get a copy of them once every year or two. I thought I would link them in here so you could check them out in your spare time (rather than spamming them) - so please resist the urge to forward them to every soul in your email box. Trust me - most of us get so many emails that it should be illegal to spam... or is it?

Here's the list of great inspirational stories you shouldn't miss:

• NAIL IN THE FENCE (a favorite of mine)
  
• And YOU thought YOU had problems... (must see video)
  
• The Coal Basket Bible (really good one, too)
  
• Refiner and purifier of silver (probably my favorite of this group)
  
• LIFE IS THE COFFEE
  
• Each Day A Life (poem)
  
• Bumper Snickers (get ready to laugh - some of them are really funny)

BLOGGING BIJOUX
I have a few widgets to share with you. One is a neat little link to boast about how many states you have been to in the US. I've already blogged about my U.S. travels, so I will spare you the color graphic. If you want to play along... by all means GO! The other widget-ish item is from fellow blogger LJC. She posted a very cool looking tool from Google that I need to check out further. It lists your "current"s... such as current book, current thoughts, current favorite thing, etc.

HOMESCHOOLING LINKAGE

• Link to children's book and children's book author podcasts
  
• Link to interesting article on praising children
  
• I have an article I would love to share with you about "KONOS Wrap-Ups and Kick-Offs", but I can't seem to get in touch with the original author... (we'll see how long that takes...
  
• Want to see some KONOS in action? Check here for the online co-op teaser.
  
• DON'T MESS WITH MOM (not necessarily for homeschoolers)

GATHERING MANNA
I know I've been neglecting it lately, but my foodie blog is close to my heart. I made an excellent cookie recipe with the kids yesterday from one of their library books that tasted BETTER than Snickerdoodles (hubby's favorite cookie) with half or less of the FAT. I am going to post that recipe soon along with a pile of others that are creeping up the side of my desk. I also have the following health advice tips on the way: The 'Buzz' on Caffeine, The Endless List of WD-40 Uses, Why Bananas are So Good for You, and TOXIC Sweeteners. If I ever get around to reviewing it, I'll also have an Oatmeal Cake and Frosting recipe up eventually. We are studying Bread, Grain and Yeast - so I'm sure to be adding to my "TO-BLOG" pile for that blog as well. Anyone have a NEW free digital camera with removable lenses they want to donate for the project? Didn't think so.



Now I'm going to delete all those "To Blog" items. There's another check-mark on the list for today. I'll check in tomorrow after our first day of week 2 in our 'Bread, Grain & Yeast Unit'. We are probably going to REALLY BAKE BREAD tomorrow. I need to run and get some yeast at the store in the morning. We'll see how that goes. It will be a first for me (without the bread machine). I was barely able to boil water when I got married and now I'm a really good cook (it has taken nearly 15 years, so please - if you have children - TEACH THEM TO COOK)... but baking bread has never been something I have tried. Maybe I should request prayers for that too? We'll see.


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Once again I'm back to my Field Trip Foto Friday series and hopefully I can stick with it for at least another few months until I can get all of the field trips I have photos from in 2004-5 reviewed for you here. This week's review is of our fun and educational trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas... nicknamed the "American Spa". Hot Springs is the oldest National Park in America. It was made into a National Park 40 years before Yellow Stone. Included are some of our favorite photos from the trip. This was a day trip we took with one other family in our homeschool co-op and it was done in January while we studied about Geology and Rocks with our KONOS Curriculum. The kids were ages 7 and 9. We really enjoyed this trip. I am not sure what I was imagining the springs to be like, but I somehow was not as impressed as I expected to be. I think I imagined vast outdoor pools of heated water that you could get in (hot-tub style), but today, that is not the case. Most of the springs are entirely enclosed by buildings and behind glass for viewing (aside from those that trickle out of hills and the heated water that rises in fountains and water spigots).



We walked down Bathhouse Row (pictured in model scale in the top photo in front of my kids) and toured the historic Fordyce Bathhouse (pictured directly above). Although the bath house had seen better days, you could tell that it was probably a sight to behold in the golden age of Hot Springs. In some rooms there were elaborate stained glass windows and we enjoyed seeing the grand piano and polished wooden gym. You could almost imagine the bustle and steamy humidity as visitors flocked in to be cured or to relax with their rich friends. It was certainly interesting to hear about how people were drawn in from all over the country by claims that they could be healed by the springs.

John Cyrus Hale (early bathhouse promoter and operator) wrote in an 1847 advertisement:

Let each come here, for here alone,
Exists the power to save;
Here tottering forms, but skin and bone,
Are rescued from the grave.

The Park System offered informative historical movies, artifact exhibits from Native Indian tribes that lived in the area, and an awesome Park Ranger tour guide that helped explain things to the kids as we went along. If you are anywhere close to the area, this is certainly a field trip worth taking in my opinion. The fewer people you do it with, the better (one of the blessings of homeschooling... off-season field trips at non-peak hours are a blast!). That way you can learn as much as possible from the ranger and see things without distraction.



The naturally sterile and thermal water is amazing (note the steam in the fountain photo above and the steam over the water photo below). They have water fountains and decorative fountains lining the street along 'Bathhouse Row' where you can fill a cup and drink. The mineral water tastes great and it is so fascinating (especially to the kids) that it is hot as it trickles out of the ground. It has to be cooled before you can drink it because it surfaces at an average of 143° F. They sell the water in bottles in their gift shop as well (in case you wanted to bring home a sample for your friends). According to the park ranger, there are 47 natural springs that are located in the general area.



Our park ranger had a mysterious bag of rocks (see photo below) that he was toting around. We stopped on our walk around the area and let the kids sit down and pass them around as he explained what each of them was. One of the most intriguing parts of this discussion was his explanation of the carbonates in the area (the rocks that form from mineral build-up by the springs). There was a HUGE chunk of carbonate that had fallen off of the cliff and they labeled it and put up a plaque for visitors to read. It was the size of a small car. I added a photo of my son looking at one of these carbonate rocks that was scraped out of the piping there in another post I did on our Rock Unit. Be sure to check out the links at the bottom of the post if you want to see my other Field Trip Foto Fridays or browse this topic more.





Other Quick Links:
Sprittibee's Homeschool Series (Links for field trip lists, book lists, other years...)
KONOS Rock Unit Fun
Wikipedia article on Hot Springs, Arkansas (has a few photos and history of the town)
Memories from our KONOS Rock Unit (additional photos and info on this field trip)
Hot Springs National Park (website has good teaching material)
Arkansas: The Natural State (nice review and aerial photo of the park)



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'Shool is Fun'
2004-5 School Year; Gel Pen on 3M Post-It® 3 x 3 in; Morgan (age 5 or 6)

Makes it all worthwhile, doesn't it?

About that little spelling error... hey - most kids at age 5 and 6 can barely get their name on the paper. That's a complete sentence with correct punctuation. So what if she misspelled school. Don't you be talkin' smack.

smack n 1. offensive speech about another person. ("I hear you've been talking smack about me.") - Berkeley Online Slang Dictionary

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Well, yesterday was our first day of Patience: Bread, Grain and Yeast. You already saw what our schedule was supposed to be (via looking at my planner calendar page from yesterday's post). However... I ended up not getting to everything on the list. Here's why:

I got up early and we got our chores done... CHECK
The house was clean and I had my menu planner done... CHECK
We had eaten breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen... CHECK
Kids had some free time with Daddy before he had to leave after lunch... CHECK

Then Morgan's ailments began. Seems I have a little hypochondriac on my hands. Her fall on the bicycle Sunday suddenly flared up into a "sprained neck", "broken leg" and "burning elbow". Granted, she really did have a nasty fall and her leg has been bothering her anyway since she landed on her ankle wrong a while back (and then she hurt the same foot on the bike fall). Her main issue was the stinging scrape on her elbow and her neck yesterday, though. She told me she was "falling apart". So what does a good mom do when her baby is whining and crying? If you answered - "cave in", you are right in this case. I don't always do it, but it was obvious that whatever the reason for the tears yesterday, they were real. I patched her neck up with one of those adhesive Bengay strips, laid her on the bed with a heating pad under her neck, and gave her time to take a nap to escape the pain.

There went the first half of the school day. So much for the big plans.

After she woke up, we managed to get some of our work done. They worked pretty hard to stay on track. I kept getting interrupted by phone calls (which were much welcomed interruptions because of who was calling!). Kev called to say that he was scheduled to test for a job in Texas next week. I also had a couple of calls from buddies in Texas and my lovely mama paid me a call as well. Another welcome interruption to planned lessons was the discovery of one of our missing baby robins in the tree outside. We got to see him fly and watch his parent birdie feed him. How sweet!

So here below is what got done of my plans for day 1 of "Bread, Grain and Yeast":



I guess we will double up on KONOS fun today and skip some book work. I'm hoping school might be interrupted by a move in a few weeks as well... so if you want someone to pray for in your spare time, add us to your list! "Bread, Grain and Yeast" may be our last school unit until August if this job thing works out.



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Someone asked me how I do my KONOS planning and what I put on my KONOS planner when I fill it out. So, I thought I would share with you what I emailed to her for a more detailed look at my methods in planning unit studies:



THE BENEFITS OF PLANNING THIS WAY

Although a lot of the planning for KONOS is already laid out in the book, I just like to write it out on paper because when I WRITE notes, I remember them better. If you don't like writing, you can buy the KONOS book and make notes in your margins in pencil (or make photocopies and mark them all up in pen and check things off as you do them). You could make photo copies of the KONOS Volume and cut them and put them on baseball card holding pages also - and pull out each individual cut assignment and throw it away as you do them. Or you could use my planner or one of the many other great planners out there. Cindy Pilling has a great planner, I hear. I just haven't ever been able to afford to buy a planner, so I made my own after seeing what a few other KONOS moms did.

I tend to get distracted and have a hard time with follow through. That is why I have struggled so long (I'm about to embark on my 6th year of homeschooling) to come up with a method of planning that helps me get the job done (I struggle with hyperfocusing and rabbit trails if I don't really plan well). My method of planning helps me in these three ways:

1. Reading, writing and re-typing or re-writing helps me more readily remember what I'm supposed to get done.
2. Having things on a calendar helps me to have a better grip on the time frame of the unit so we don't get as far behind schedule (especially if there is a "wrap-up" planned).
3. When I plan this way, I have an overall "bigger picture" of what we are learning so I can keep focused on the goal and tie our everyday life into the process.

PENCIL TO THE PAPER

Here's what I do when I plan:

1. I Read through the unit I want to do. As I read, I use my Planner to write down the books, examples, bible verses, activities and other items that I plan on doing. I usually do this on scratch paper first and then re-copy or type it onto my planner. Keep in mind that it is IMPOSSIBLE to do every activity, so you have to let some go - even if they seem fun (be realistic and try to stick to a doable time frame).

2. When I write the activities down, I Re-NUMBER or Re-LETTER them on my Lesson Planner page. This may seem odd, but it works for me. In other words... in the book, the activity may be "p. 279 activity bbb" and the activity description may be "plant a seed in a cup and watch it grow over the next 10 days while you record changes in a journal". This is completely a bogus and hypothetical activity, but just for explanation purposes, please humor me. That is a lot to write down! Instead of writing all of that, I usually just write something like this: "plant seed in cup, journal for 10 days" on my scratch paper. I don't need to go back to look that up again since it is cut and dry. I only have to refer back to the KONOS Volume book if the activity is a long and detailed assignment. So, with a list of items that may or may not need explaining and looking up, I find it easier to just re-number them. Therefore the "p. 279 activity bbb - plant a seed in a cup and watch it grow over the next 10 days while you record changes in a journal" becomes "A. plant seed in cup, journal for 10 days". Much easier, right? Here's the catch: If you have a long and detailed assignment or discussion and you KNOW you'll need to look at the KONOS book again to complete it, just add the actual page and letter as a note in parentheses at the end. You won't have to do it on all of them, so re-numbering or re-lettering will save you time. Then you can easily add ONLY YOUR NEW NUMBER OR LETTER ("A" in this case) to the calendar page on your planner for the day that you hope to accomplish the assignment. [It makes much more sense if you look below at the actual calendar box.] Therefore, your Day 1 box might have your regular schedule and a brief run-down of KONOS assignments by letter or number. See the example below for my scheduled day for tomorrow:



3. Now that my unit is planned out, I use the checklist to remind myself of the things I need to get done, make notes as I need to as I plan wrap-ups or field trips, and I use the book list to check the books out at the library instead of taking my KONOS Volume with me (too heavy). Of course, if I do take my KONOS Volume to the library, I only take a tiny section of the book (since I had the binding cut off and had it 3-hole drilled at Kinkos for less than 5$) so that I could take ONLY THE SECTION I'M WORKING ON with me. If I don't find the books I need at the library, I don't put a check mark by it on my planner and I usually gather whatever else is there on the shelf that pertains to the Unit. Sometimes I request ideas for favorite activities and books from other KONOS moms who have already done the unit, too. It is a good idea to search the archives and database for book suggestions and activity ideas on the KONOS e-list as well. Sometimes moms come up with additional things that are not in the KONOS book which sound really fun... and I have found many extra library books through word-of-mouth or email suggestions. Family Fun Magazine is another good idea if you are really crafty and want to add extra crafts in.

4. Each week as I prepare to do the week's assignments, I write detailed plans (page numbers of Math sheets and other books, devotional page numbers, etc.) on my Teacher's lesson planner. I also make daily lists for the kids to check off as they complete each assignment. They get allowance if they complete their chores and get their school work done. These daily lists (usually printed on the computer, hole punched, and kept in their assignment binders) are for them and help them stay on track.

5. As we accomplish our planned and assigned work, I cross out or highlight the items I do while adding them to my teacher planner as completed items. That way, my teacher planner (lesson planner) has the completed items I've done as records for the children should they ever need them (my blog also has a record for my kids - a virtual portfolio of sorts... but if it should ever go down, I have a hard copy of the lists I post here as well). The teacher planner is what I use to create my final lists of what we did for my blog. I have one for each year we have done school and continue to keep a book list that has all of the names of every book we have ever read at home. The reason I write the activities we do down as we go through our day (even though I had plans for the day written already and it seems like EXTRA work) is because PLANS CHANGE. Sometimes we do well over the amount we planned. Sometimes we end up on a rabbit trail and learn something I had no idea we would study about. Sometimes we get interrupted by friends and other life circumstances and end up going somewhere or doing something that I had not listed. Sometimes the kids come up with additional activities on their own (such as last week when my son built a submarine out of Legos for our ship unit - completely of his own accord during his free time... and I consider that an educational and creative activity worthy of recording). If I don't get things accomplished on my plans for the day, I can either cross them off or move them to the next day. Using different colored highlighters for the days you do things can also help you not to have to re-write your plans. For example: If you know that all the yellow marked items were done Monday, you can know that Tuesday you will need to mark off the rest of Monday's uncompleted items in your Tuesday Pink Highlighter.

STORING YOUR PAST RECORDS

If you can't tell, I like to make lists and keep records. I don't think I'll ever have any trouble if we end up moving to a place where records are necessary. I also keep boxes of paperwork from each year that we do school... so most of their work is available if I need to go back and look at it. One summer after we move to another house, I plan to let the kids help me make ACTUAL "Portfolios" from each year and get rid of the things they don't care about anymore. Then I'll have binders on a shelf instead of boxes in a closet! Oh, how nice and orderly that will be! A girl can dream big.


Other Quick Links:
Sprittibee's Homeschool Series (Links for our field trip lists, book lists, other school years...)
KONOS Planning for Dummies
Sprittibee's KONOS Unit Planner (Please leave a tip if you use my planners! No tip too small!)
Homeschool Planner Setup (or as my kids call it: "mommy's Brain")
Back to School Interview with Sprittibee (scratch the Picture This curriculum - we never got it)
Rainbow Days (My Weekly Schedule)


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Buzz Words: schedule, planning, school, learning, unit study, homeschool, homeschooling, education, lesson plans, parenting, organization, plans, teacher, curriculum, lessons, unit study, character, KONOS, elementary

I haven't done a meme in a long while. I am feeling kind of random tonight (and very tired after our loooong, fun and busy day)... so I thought I would pull something easy out of my "To Blog" folder... and this was it. Aren't you so lucky?! Now you can sleep well tonight after reading these extremely IMPORTANT things about someone you have probably never met.

The photo here is of my two kids and I back in 2003. I was playing around with my photo program and got that really cool yellow-sepia effect and can not for the life of me figure out how to do it again. I have tried with numerous other photos to no avail. I like this photo of Kaden and me. I just wish that Morgan had her eyes open! We were at Pappadeaux on the patio, eating dinner with Pop and Nana. I miss all those wonderful Texas restaurants we don't have here in Arkansas!


8 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT SPRITTIBEE:

Random thing #1: I used to read the thesaurus as a junior high and high school kid... and I wrote poetry like crazy. Most of it is dark and I would not share it with anyone today. What a waste of talent. I STILL keep my trusty Roget's College Thesaurus on my desk next to my computer tower. I still like to use it (but have gotten lazy since the internet is so much easier).

Random thing #2: My grandma and grandpa had a friendly white cow named Casper on their land when I was little. They used to let me ride on her when I visited. I also crawled under a bull at the age of 2 and everyone thought I would be killed. ...and I have been chased by a bull and caught my leg on a barbed wire fence trying to escape at the age of 12.

Random thing #3: One night, Blondie's "Rapture" came on the intercom in my room (our house had an intercom when I was about 6 that my mom played radio on) and scared me half to death. I hated that song until I got to be a teenager.

Random thing #4: When I was 13 or so, my bus driver was going down a hill and around a corner and saw a buck deer coming towards the road from the top of the hill. She stopped the bus in time and the door flew open and the deer ran INTO our bus... he took one look at her (within arm's length), looked at all of us kids staring at him with our mouths open, backed up and ran right back up the hill. It seemed like forever before any of us could talk.

Random thing #5: I loved the SpeeLunker Cave at Six Flags Over Texas. I mean, I really, really loved it. I still am holding a big grudge that they took it down. Seems like a lot of other people felt the same.

Random thing #6: I have been to 14 of 50 U.S. States (and I have been to the airports in three other states that I didn't include - since it was only for connecting flights). Oh, and I don't include Colorado because I slept through the whole trip when we drove through. Sorry if you are from Colorado - it wasn't personal!

Random thing #7: I have a serious fetish for Poppyseed. My favorite Poppyseed kolaches (more like tiny strudel nut rolls) were made by an old lady in Snook, Texas. I went to a family reunion there once and nearly ate a whole pan full of those wonderful pecan-crumb covered, sticky, sugary rolls. If you have to take a drug test at work - DO NOT eat a whole pan of Poppyseed kolaches. My husband's uncle has failed a drug test due to poppyseed kolaches!

Random thing #8: My first car was a 1978 Monte Carlo. It was light blue (built like a steel tank). I called it "Mr. Cloud". Amazingly, I never wrecked it... even though I did have a couple of fender benders in a later vehicle I owned in my 20's.


Thanks to Bunny Trails for tagging me. Sorry it took so long to get it up. I am supposed to tag someone else to play along, but I think I'll just let you decide if you want to join in. I don't want to add to anybody's stress level in the last few weeks of school! Lord knows that this next six weeks is going to be crazy for me! So if you decide to add your "8 Random Things" post to the hat... won't you please drop me a note in my comments section so I can go read it?!

Have a great week, y'all!


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Labels: family, fun, memes, personal, photos

Today is our last day of Ships and Floating and we are hoping to start Bread, Grain and Yeast next week (KONOS Unit Studies). I'll be gearing up for some fun in the kitchen with the kids. This time, I have a buddy or two who are going to "email" co-op with me and even a little in person. We are behind on our planned units for the year, so we gathered some support (accountability) and are going to cruise through the next six weeks and finish school at the end of June. I have been having fun planning out the next four units and tweaking my next-year's schedule. I enjoy the "planning" part of the coming school year. Now if I could only make myself sit and finish grading and getting report cards done. It is hard when it is sunny and 72 degrees outside!!! Maybe I'll bum some money from my mom and take the kids on a field trip tomorrow. It seems sinful to waste time indoors in this weather. I feel pity on them when they work at the table to finish their book-work and I catch them glancing out the windows. Poor things! A few of my friends quit school in March and take their summer break during gardening season (Spring)... so that they can make the best use of the loveliest weather of the year. They start their school back up in mid-July to make it possible to get it all done.

Here's the schedule if we aren't forced to move in the middle of it:

Week 1: May 21-26 (Bread and Grain)

Week 2: May 28-June 2 (Bread and Grain)

Week 3: June 4-9 (Illusion/Deception)

Week 4: June 11-16 (Flight/Airplanes)

Week 5: June 18-23 (Flight/Airplanes)

Week 6: June 25-30 (Plants & Gardening)…. Carried over into the first weeks of July without any other curriculum – just for fun.

There's still no word on a transfer for my husband, so we don't know when or where we will be in Texas... but we are trusting that God is working all the details out.

Now you know what I'm up to. I probably will skip out tomorrow unless I just can't stay away. I'm finally going to face down that stack of papers needing to be graded! Hope you have a great weekend. I'll see you in here Monday with updates from our first day of "Bread, Grain & Yeast".

Other Quick Links:
Sprittibee's Homeschool Series (Links for our field trip lists, book lists, other school years...)



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We found this little Robin's nest the other day and there were three little babies - all opening their tiny beaks... waiting on Mom and Dad to hurry home and stuff them full of slimy stuff. *yick!* The Robins are slaving away all day trying to keep their baby birdies fed. I have left them alone so that I could get another photo when they are a bit larger. Tomorrow we plan to go see how they are doing.

Watching those busy robins reminds me of homeschool moms and their kids... and how we scurry around trying to do the best we can in the short amount of time we are given. We know that one day they are going to step off of the branch and our job will be done. We try to find the best 'worms' (curriculum, opportunities, friends, activities, books, etc.) for our little ones. Sometimes we fail to see that for all our efforts, the Lord is the one who provides the gain and directs our flight.

I want to sing praises in the morning and spend time with the one who can give me energy and strength to keep flying. There is so much to do. Lord, help me not overlook what is truly important. I know that relying on my own strength to get it done will only make me fail (and stress out as well). Help me lean on You.

Isaiah 40:31 - but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

I pray He gives us what we need. I trust that He will. Rest in Him. It is good to know He loves your baby "birdies" as much as you do.


Buzz Words: children, devotional, parenting, life, faith, Christianity, strength, kids, SAHM, mother, Homeschool, Bible, Homeschooling, family, birds, babies, teaching, purpose, scripture

The Rock Unit was our favorite because of the really great field trips we were able to take for this unit. We got to climb a rocky mountain, see all the rocks at a rock shop, visit the Hot Springs bathhouses, take a Geology Tour of the Hot Springs with a park ranger, and dig for Crystals in NE Arkansas. We had also planned to go to a jeweler's and watch him use the lapidary, but we weren't able to get that done in our time-frame. I keep a running list of "leftover" field trips that we couldn't get to on each unit so that maybe one day we can get them done. I got a few of last year's "leftovers" done this year.



I usually have a whole lot of photos to share on these posts, but this time, I already had put a few in posts due to the fact that we were blogging WHILE I did this unit. My Rock Unit post from last year has plenty of interesting things on it... including my son's Volcano artwork. I plan to get that framed as soon as he gets his own room again. Hopefully that will be soon.




The Hot Springs Geology tour was great. This is just one of my favorite photos from the trip. Next Friday, I'll be starting up Field Trip Foto Friday again and I'm sure that the Hot Springs Geo Trip will be top on the list... and possibly be the first of the 2005-6 Field trips that get reviewed for the school year. Be sure to check back then for more fun photos from that trip. I've been saving them this whole time for a field trip review! Finally, I'm getting to blog about them!

Below are some photos that we included in our Rock Lapbook of Kaden's rocks and minerals. We actually took a box of rocks that belonged to our boy back to Texas to the storage unit last fall. Included were these rocks. He saw this photo today and pined over them. "OH, I miss that one! And that one!" he whined. The problem with Kaden is that he doesn't know when to stop when it comes to rocks. We were hurting the next morning after lifting the box of them twice from the apartment to the trailer and from the trailer to the storage unit. It took his daddy and I BOTH to lift the thing. It felt like we were carrying all of Pinnacle Mountain back to Texas. I'm sure we got better gas mileage on our way home - partially due to THAT BOX OF ROCKS not being in the back.










Probably the most fun of all of the field trips was the one my husband asked (when we got there), "So... um... why are we here again?" It was in the wilderness of NE Arkansas - North of Hot Springs... in a little place called Jessieville. We had to throw our shoes away because they were ruined after a day in the red clay. We came home with bags and bags of quartz crystals, though. It was really neat to see the kids getting excited (as if they had found diamonds instead). Speaking of diamonds... they have a Diamond dig here in Arkansas, too. Good luck finding something (it is rarer than they let on!): Crater of Diamonds State Park. I'd love to go there before we move away from here (it's on my "leftover list"). It is packed after school lets out. A friend of mine is going this weekend and they said that there were only 2 sites left at the camp when they called. We read the National Geographic article about the Diamond trade in Africa and the back of the magazine had a little article about a woman who found a $30,000 diamond here at the park (one of the largest ones). Not bad for a small digging fee, some sweat and a sunburn.

Of course, being a craft and art lover, I enjoyed the rock painting part of our unit also. The kids like to paint and draw. I did these two rocks. I have pictures of the rest of our "masterpiece collection" on flickr. Notice the license plate on my rock school-bus if you happen to go check them out.

Check back later for more photos from our Rock field trips in my future Field Trip Foto Friday series... (on Fridays, of course).


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