Carnival of Homeschool: 9 Month Journey Edition

Welcome to the February 10, 2009 edition of carnival of homeschooling - the '9 Month Journey' episode in honor of human development in the womb. If you are a frequent visitor to my blog, you might know that I'm nearing the end of this journey (currently week 33 give or take a few...) and expecting another little 'bee' to join our hive soon. [Hopefully you aren't following my complaining on Twitter - because there's been PLENTY of it lately.] I thought I would share some development info with you all as a refresher as you make your way patiently (hopefully more patiently than I am waiting on my little one) through the carnival posts below!

But first....

Just what is a Carnival? A carnival is just a blog post - but it has the fingerprints of many bloggers... links to the best posts of all those who choose to participate, in fact. Anyone who has something to add to the homeschool community - whether informative, uplifting, humorous, or crafty... anyone who has something to say about educating kids in a homeschool friendly way can join in and be a voice in the Carnival of Homeschooling. Each of us is individual and unique, just like a tiny newborn baby. We all have something wonderfully varied and interesting to add to the homeschool blogosphere. So if you are a babe to the carnival scene, browse through these posts and read what other homeschoolers have to say... then check out the bottom of this post to see how you can join in (maybe next time?).

The 'development' of a carnival/baby...

Only 21 days after a baby is concieved, his teeny little heart has begun to beat and the foundations of his brain, spinal cord and nervous system are already established. By the end of the first four weeks, his muscles, arms, legs, eyes, and ears are showing as they develop. In the second month, teeth, taste buds, and the jaw forms. Some babies have been observed hiccuping as early as 6 weeks, and their tiny stomachs are already producing digestive juices as they begin to swallow amniotic fluid. By 8 weeks the 'embryo' looks like a miniature full-term baby's form even though he's not much larger than a gummy bear.

Concerning Kids
Tips And Idea To Help Child Proof Your Home
Good reminders for those of us adding infants and toddlers to the homeschool class.

Barbara Frank Online
Make Sewing Part of Homeschooling
Barbara says: "Learning to sew can be part of your homeschool, but it's easier if Mom learns to sew first."

The Homeschool Post
One Newbie Revealed! Blog Makeover Give-away!
The daily group blog (which also hosts the Homeschool Blog Awards), The Homeschool Post, has some new authors. Darcy of Life with My 3 Boybarians introduces herself as one of the newbies and offers a Valentines Blog Giveaway!

Cricket's Corner
Homeschool Midway Blues
How to fight off those pre-spring homeschool doldrums.

Teaching Your Children
Learning Parts of Speech
Games to play with the parts of speech.

Once Upon a Family
You're homeschooled?!
We know what questions adults ask about homeschooling, but what do traditionally schooled kids want to know about homeschoolers?

At 10 weeks, not only have babies eyelids and ears formed, but you can see fully formed tiny fingers and toes. Still attached to the yolk sack, the baby can already move - jerking and flexing his arms and legs.

MatchACollege.com
100+ Rankings to Pick Your School, City, Career, and More
Tons of links for those who are nearing college and career time.

Rational Jenn
Homeschool Legislation Round Up
Her warning: "This is a longish round up of legislation affecting homeschoolers (and in one case, students in school, too) in Georgia and across the nation."

Home School Dad
What would you ask or tell the President
Dave says, "My kids sent letters and pictures to Preident Obama last week. It got me wondering what other people would ask or tell the President if they had a chance."

"Glue on her fingers, dirt on her toes, she makes laughter wherever she goes"
Valentine's Day Unit Study Helps
Lots of love-ly links for heart day! Games, crafts, recipes and more.

Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers
Step-by-Step: Making a Paper Mache Earth Model
Is it a blue Mrs. Pacman eating a dot? Come see how these weird homeschoolers created the earth in their own home!

Home Spun Juggling
All Things Avian
Cristina's homeschool nature class studies birds!

By 12 weeks the baby can already suck his thumb or ball his little fists. Baby's face is being sculpted and his eyes have closed - not to open again until he is in to the seventh month of gestation.

Delighting in His Richness
PE Inside
Tips on staying fit when outdoor activity is not an option.

The Reluctant Homeschooler
Creative Writing: Winter
"The best way to learn to write is practice, practice, practice. And every Friday, I have my teens practice by writing on some topic I assign. I always enjoy reading the results."

Principled Discovery
Homeschooling not just for earth mamas and religious cults anymore
In case you care that some New York (I didn't say Yankee) magazine thinks all homeschoolers are "earth mamas teaching hippie spawn"...

Our Curious Home
Sometimes the Story of the World is Too Exciting
Having fun with a history lesson despite her headache.

Practice Makes Perfect
Learning Phonics With Music - Orble

Veronica Boulden
Helping Our Students Create a Realistic Frame of Reference
She shares, "Based on a brief passage from the book A Well Trained Mind, this post uses funny, sarcastic and finally, serious tones, to explore how students need to have a realistic "frame of reference" to succeed once they are grown. All educators, home and professional alike, may tend to censure their students' exposure to certain information or methods of instruction in an effort to shelter or influence them one way or another, but this may risk helping students create a false sense of reality, making them unable to rightly judge how their experiences and ideas measure up to any that differ."

The baby is about 6 inches long by the time he's 16 weeks. The gender of the baby is able to be detected. Mom begins to have a hard time zipping her jeans. [Wanna see my 15 week ultrasound?]

Epi Kardia Home Education
The Big Transition: Homeschool to College
Dana says, "With the trepidation so many have about homeschooling high school, it is reassuring to read current research findings regarding homeschoolers' transition into college..."

The Bit Maelstrom
Homeschooling and Subversion
Excellent post for the homeschool parent who prides themselves on being able to think freely. A quote, "The answer is, yes, you are teaching subversion. There is no way around this, and there's really no political angle to it either: Conservative or liberal, if you are homeschooling you are saying that the state-run school is not adequate to the task it sets for itself."

SharpBrains
Learning about Learning: an Interview with Joshua Waitzkin
Alvaro shares... "a human brain in full display."

The Thinking Mother
Love the Homeschooling Lifestyle Not Necessarily the Lessons
"Christine of The Thinking Mother shares why her kids say they love homeschooling but not always the academic lessons (and why she thinks that is okay)."

Homeschooling High School
Teach Your Teens Real Life Money Skills
Sue admonishes us to "teach kids real life money management skills"

Make It From Scratch
Firsts on the First - Making a Map Cake
"The most delicious map ever" and a great way to mix two subjects in to one: home-ec and geography!

At 24 weeks, our little man has fully developed eyes and is forming fingerprints and footprints all his own. One of the earliest babies to survive was just 22 weeks old and not much longer than a ball-point pen. The baby can hear starting in weeks 17-22, has a startle reflex, and can make many different facial expressions. Studies have shown that fetal heart rate slows in response to mom's voice and that babies actually remember music they hear before birth. When my son was born twelve years ago, my husband had read Dr. Seuss to my belly before bed at night when he was most active. On the delivery table, he was wailing and my husband began to talk soothingly to him. Instantly, he stopped crying, opened his eyes, and looked around to find the familiar voice. I truly believe that talking, reading, and singing to babies in utero is the way to go!

A Guide to Raising Great Kids
Leadership - Key Competences
Because academics are only academic. Character is king. What are your goals for your children? Do you want them to be leaders? This article has some great points and offers lots of food for thought.

Kim's Play Place
What Are You Going to be When You Grow Up?
Kim shares about "why pestering kids with that question is so great".

Kids Love Learning
Teaching Your Child to Read: Our Favorite Curriculum
Hey, I used some of those curriculum and books with my own kids! Check out this thoughtful review of some fantastic products.

Sometimes I'm Actually Coherent
Eureka!!! Um, I Mean, Ewwwww...
Tim says, "Our tendency to write, speak, and think in euphemisms--especially when contemplating squeamish topics, like the human digestive system--hinders our ability to educate our children."

The Life Without School Community Blog
Peace Through Breakfast
Laureen shares, "It never occurred to me that breakfast itself is a learning opportunity... the meal we begin a day with might bring us closer to understanding people..."

At 26 through 28 weeks the baby's brain is in a state of rapid growth. He can open and shut his eyes, and his lungs are beginning to develop rapidly. As the seventh month mark approaches, baby is running out of elbow room. His kicks begin to turn to squirms and rolls across the inside of mom's belly.

Walking Randomly
Quadraflakes, Pentaflakes, Hexaflakes and more
Mike shares his first submission to the Homeschool Carnival. He says, "The post considers a particular type of Fractal that is constructed in an easy to reproduce manner. It could be used to demonstrate the ideas of recursion and self-similarity in math lessons. Alternatively it could just be used to demonstrate to children that mathematics isn't JUST about numbers and equations."

Petticoat Government
Narration Trepidation
Catherine says, "Narration appears to be a very promising method to help younger children understand material and develop critical thinking and expression skills, but one mother is concerned about when and how to begin using it formally in her homeschool."

Homeschool & Education News
Children: Recess Found to Improve Behavior
Love this quote: " If the kids are squirrely... out they go! If they are spacey... out they go! If they are completely lost and frustrated... out they go! They return refreshed and ready to learn (MOST of the time)."

Universities and Colleges
Walden, and 99 other Free Online Books
A long list of free online books that "Every Student of Humanity Should Read".

Practical Homeschooling
Is a Public School Education Even Worth It?
A video worth watching... just what are we filling our kids brains with?

Beverly’s Homeschooling Blog (About.com)
Homeschool friendly Doodle 4 Google Contest
Homeschooled students are invited to participate in the annual Doodle 4 Google contest.

Amazingly, even in utero, at 30-32 weeks gestation, a baby has already begun to practice breathing movements. His little body has begun to take over many bodily functions such as nervous system control and body temperature. Baby is packing on the 'love handles' as his growth focuses on body weight now that most of his internal systems are fully functioning. Soon his nails will reach the end of his finger tips and all the fine protective hair on his skin will begin to vanish, leaving him 'smooth' and soft for delivery. Technically in the medical field, a doctor will consider the baby full-term at 37 weeks, but most doctors will not induce until week 39. After 34 weeks, most physicians feel confident that the baby can live with minimal support and sometimes without any assistance at all.

The Informed Parent
Homeschool IRS Changes Proposed by Vitter (Again)
Mary is as informed as ever!

Inspiration for Mothers
The Secret to Effective Discipline in 3 Simple Steps
Quote: "the best way to win a conflict is to prevent it before it starts." Some great steps for keeping the peace at home.

Life Of Kristen
Choosing a Summer Camp for Your Child
Kristen says, "Summer camp can be a memory that lasts for a lifetime, good or bad, for a child. Hopefully this article can help make it a good memory!"

No Fighting, No Biting!
Piece of Cake
Their 6th baby arrives in a few weeks, and while they may be old pros at parenting and infant care, mama is still worried about fitting baby in to the school routine.

Wired For Noise
Another Reason I'm Glad I Homeschool: Bullies On The Bus
Summer shares about finding out a bullied child and how it gave her more comfort in not sending the kids to to public school.

As baby's lungs fully develop and he gains his pudgy figure, mom impatiently endures the last lingering weeks of pregnancy. She anxiously awaits the day she will meet her tiny progeny and frets over her expectations and fears of the coming labor and delivery. After baby has entered the world and parents have finally seen their child, his first arduous breaths seal his heart's atria and this miraculous little person begins to function completely independent of mom's watery womb. The tired, wrinkled, little sweetheart rests on mother's chest and peeks at his new family with squinting, shiny eyes. How precious to be part of this miracle of life.

Camping Tips
Traditional vs. Rustic Camp Sites
Gary says that "an increasing number of campgrounds are offering visitors the choice of both traditional and rustic campsites."

Life Nurturing Education
The Great Backyard Bird Count
"One bird, two bird, red bird, blue bird."

Learning at Home
Would you like mercury with that?
People worry about mercury in vaccines and in fish….but did you know it has been found in common convenience foods too? You might want to put down that Coca Cola before you read this!

The waiting is over. Now the education begins. When you think about it, ALL parenting is 'homeschooling'. Have fun marveling over the continuing growth and development of your homeschool 'babies'. Enjoy every moment you have with them until they spread their wings and fly.

Quick Links from Why Homeschool about the Carnival:

Submissions for CoH

CoH Archive

CoH Schedule

CREDITS:
Graphics courtesy of Healthline.com

Gestational data courtesy of the following...
www.healthline.com, ADAM Health Illustrated Encyclopedia
A Chronology of Life in the Womb by Human Life Alliance
A Child is Born by Lennart Nilsson (The Completely New Edition) copyright 1990
What to Expect When You are Expecting - Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg & Sandee Hathaway, B.S.N. (Third Edition first printing) copyright 2002
...and my very own OBGYN who will be delivering my little 'bee' soon!


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