Weekly Wrap UP -- Camps and more

Both kids have been camps this week.  Firedrake has been attending a free camp at the city library on movie making.

This week they learned how to write a script, film and edit on iMovie and produced a short 3 minute film in a week.

I snuck a picture as the kids decided on their script

Watching their movie which got lots of laughs.  Each child brought home a DVD of their movie.  Next week the kids are working on animation film.

MarioFan attended a summer camp locally where he swam, did art-n-crafts, sports drama and other things every day. He came home exhausted every day.  No picture of his actual camp just this one of one very exhausted child in the car on the ride home:)


You would think with both kids were in camp I would have accomplished so much this week but I didn't.  Both camps started and ended at different times and were in complete opposite directions so I spent most of my day in the car driving to and from both camps with just a short break in-between to get a little housework done:(.


We have gotten out of the practice of letting Firedrake fix dinner weekly due to our busy schedules.  So I ask her to plan at least one meal a week choosing new recipes from the many cookbooks I have on the shelf.

She choose to make Chicken Manicotti

It was very good! and everyone wants to add this recipe to our regular menu plan.

This year I intend to get MarioFan in the kitchen and start showing him some of the family favorite meals.  So I should not have to be cooking 2 nights week!  Yay!   Although the downside for me is if the children cook I am responsible for doing the dishes that evening.  Do you have any idea how many dirty dishes my two children can create?  trust me it is way to many!  

Both the kids finished reading the book War Horse and we watched the movie over the weekend.  There were several free comprehension units that I found on the web for this book,  so I downloaded each child their appropriate grade level and had them complete the work in the car  as we drove to and from camps this week:)  There was only minimal complaining:)  Next week Firedrake will begin reading All quiet on the Western Front.

I am trying to save money by recovering my sofa cushions and got a great deal on fabric at Hancocks which is going out of business in our area

But alas no sooner then I got started when not one but both of my sewing machines began to give me trouble:(  I am in the process of finding someone to fix them.  So far the quotes I have gotten are between $79 to $120 to look at them.  At that price I can almost buy a new machine.  So in the end it may cost me more to recover these cushions than buying replacements pillow after all, sigh:( This project has been put on hold until I decide what to do about my sewing machines. Sometimes it feel like nothing is ever easy doesn't it!

Weekly wrap Up 7/22/16

This week I thought I would show you what we are doing for our history lessons since I create my own.  I have not found any history book that met our needs, since I prefer to teach history looking at all sides of an issue not just the white christian view that most books publish.

We like to start by watching Crash Course videos series and for WWI there are 3 short videos that give an over view.

https://youtu.be/Cd2ch4XV84s

We are also watching a WWI we found on Hulu in the evenings.  IN addition we are looking at several books and other resources to round out our WWI experience.

I really like the book World War I by DK as well as the book The War to End all Wars.

Both kids will be reading War horse and completing a book study on it.  Firedrake will be reading All is Quiet on the Western Front and doing another book study.  However MarioFan will not read that book instead reading the book Trenches and the Usbourne book First World War.  The kids will be watching the movies after each book and looking at the comparisons.

I took MarioFan and a friend to see the movie "The Secret Life of Pets"and afterwards the boys played all afternoon together.  I swear when they get together it is like listening to a alien language when they start discussing video games and characters.  I just smiled and nod most of the time;) My son also introduced his friend to the game Pokemon Go which is the craze at the moment

The boys found this one right after the movie

Of course throughout the week we have taken several walks to locate even more pokemon

and the kids even talked us into driving them around town to find even more Pokemon this week!

My husband and I had a date night and went to a "new to us" movie theater  that serves dinner while you watch the movie!  it had plush reclining seats and even served alcohol!

The lush reclining seating area and the best thing about this showing it was adults only no kids allowed!   Sorry after the last two weeks of seeing the movie Dory and Secret life of pets I needed a no kids allowed movie:)

The menu wasn't too bad although a bit expensive.

We saw the movie the State of Jones and it was excellent I highly recommend it, I learned quite a bit and have been researching the accuracy ever since we watched it.  I think it would be a great movie for high school kids learning about the civil war and reconstruction!

Weekly Wrap up 7/15/16--A buddy for Marie

Our newest family member, Marie(guinea pig) is settling very nicely and is quite the little talker, squeaking constantly.  The kids and I have been reading all about guinea pigs and learned that they are herd animals and tend to do better with a buddy.  To be honest I wasn't sure how this was going to go over with my husband but he surprised me and was all for getting another guinea pig in order to keep Marie happy.  So we found another female guinea pig (as we do not want any babies) and are slowing accumulating them to each other.

Firedrake named this one Camilla and she is not nearly as chatty as Marie but still very sweet and calm.

It is recommend that we have them in separate bins but get them out in their play pen a couple times a day and monitor how they behave towards each other.  So far they seem to do fine together as we haven't seen any aggressive behavior.  

after about a week of bonding with each other and us not seeing any aggressive behaviors we put together a new cage for them and now they are living together.  It does appear that Marie is going to be the dominate female as she is quite the bossy little thing, so far Camilla seems to just go along with Marie's bossiness :)

My son has met up with his friend from coop and we went to Sky Zone, the trampoline place that recently opened near us.  Both both were exhausted after just an hour of jumping.

Also this week my husband and I spent a little one on one time with a child., which we try to do every quarter.

My husband and son chose to go to Cracker Barrel for breakfast

My son wanted to see the movie Dory so they went to one theater while my daughter and I went to another theater since both kids wanted to see the same movie

My daughter and I went out to breakfast as well and went to see the movie Dory but at a different theater.   At breakfast it is nice to be able to talk to my daughter and find out what is going on in that teenage head.:)

My husband and I enjoy taking one child at a time to do an activity so we can talk to a child one on one.  As homeschoolers we do so much as a family that I feel that the kids and us as parents need to have some one on one time to just connect and see each other as individuals not just a family unit. 

Weekly Wrap up 7/8/16--A new family member

We have begun the slow reentry into schooling for the kids and it has been a smoother transition then I thought it would be, whew.  You just never know when you take a longish school break around here:).

This week I wanted to start relatively slow so Firedrake (9th grader) just started to work on Biology, Spanish, piano, art and Psychology.  In addition Firedrake continues to volunteer at the World Bird Sanctuary weekly.

MarioFan is working on Spanish, Math (beginning new Life of Fred book), Kid coder computer, and Minecraft Periodic table (finishing it up),

Next week I will be adding in History beginning WWI as I have gathered all my resources. Geography workbook looking at longitude, latitude and using an Atlas and reading a WWI novel with a book study included

Around the house I finally got my new stain glass piece hung up this week.

This is now hanging in my living room window!  I am still deciding on my next project 

We also got a new family member this week.  We lost our little hedge hog, Soncie a couple of weeks ago and while I knew we didn't want another one as they require a lot of work I did want to get something little to hold so I just happen to be at the pet store buying food for our other pets when I noticed a little guinea pig all alone that someone returned to the pet store.  I managed to talk the store into lowering the price and brought her home.  My kids are very excited, my husband not so very much, but he has since come around.  So we are introducing a new family member.....

MarioFan decided to call her Marie

Introducing Marie to our Dog who is a little put out about the newest family member

My husband while not thrilled about have a new pet soon came around and loves holding her.

The kids and I have been doing lots of research on how to properly care for a guinea pig.  We have learned quite a bit.  We are hoping to give this little girl a great life!

For 4th of July Firedrake made a yummy Blackberry cobbler.

we used the Pioneer Women's recipe

It didn't last long once it came out of the oven.

That is our week in a nutshell:)

weekly wrap up 7/1/16 Clearwater Vacation

We just got back from spending a week in Clear water Florida for our family vacation.  We packed a lot of field trips as well as a few days just sitting/swimming by the beach or the pool.

Our hotel was very near Pier 60 which has lots of artisans and nightly entertainment 

We spent an evening watching the sun set over the pier 

My husband swears he saw the green light right as the sun set below the horizon.  The kids and I didn't see it

We spent two days just at the beach swimming and playing on the beach toys.  Firedrake was very disappointed with the snorkeling here as there were no colorful fish to see.  

the kids loved riding the jet ski with Dad and wanted to do many times but for those prices once was all they got.

First time the tried the banana boat ride and they loved it

the hotel served drink on the beach and on a super hot day a strawberry daiquiri was wonderful!

We also visited Clearwater Marina where Winter lives.

staff getting ready to release a turtle 

There is Winter without her tail and her friend Hope (whose story is told in the second movie which the kids and I haven't seen yet)

We also spent most evenings after running around at the hotel pool just so we could cool down.  MarioFan was disappointed that this pool did not have a big slide (actually it didn't have any slide which was a big disappointment for him)

Lots of new restaurants to check out and the kids getting along:) 

We feed baby alligators

Played mini golf Mariofan's favorite 

Had lots of fun picture opportunities 

Visited the aquarium to see Florida marine life 

Moray eel

green moray eel 

Visited a WWII Merchant Marine ship called the Victory which is a similar vessel to the one my husband father worked on during the war

Lots of entertainment was found--this group did a reggae version of Purple rain that was very good.

Took a boat ride to see dolphins and get in more snorkeling.  

Saw dolphins but the snorkeling was a big disappointment for  us.  We got the feeling that this area in Florida is not a great place to see colorful fish:(

Tried cuban food at a restaurant that was excellent

Visited the Salvador Dali museum where there is the largest collection of his works are exhibited.

My daughter was particularly thrilled with this exhibit.  We bought back several poster that we hope to framed and hang up.

Visited the Chihuly glass collection -- I was thrilled to be able to use this blog as proof that I was a home educator and we were able to get in for only $5 a piece which was a $60 savings, YAY!!!

It was a small exhibit...

But I really love his glass work.

Visited the Hot shop and watched a glass blowing demonstration.

Whenever we go away on holiday My husband and I always buy just one thing that will remind us of our trip.  It often takes us until the very last day to find that something special that we will bring home to display.

We found this at the hot shop studio.  

Next week we will be back to our normal routine and schedule and beginning our summer school (light load).