We have already been busy this school year since we aren't on a calendar like the public schools. We are year round unschoolers. The learning doesn't stop just because it's summer time. Lately, we have been enjoying doing math on khanacademy.org and watching the videos done by Vi Hart. She makes math exciting for a 12 year old! His favorite ones...
http://www.khanacademy.org/math/vi-hart/v/doodling-in-math--spirals--fibonacci--and-being-a-plant--1-of-3
http://www.khanacademy.org/math/vi-hart/v/how-to-snakes
http://www.khanacademy.org/math/vi-hart/v/open-letter-to-nickelodeon--re--spongebob-s-pineapple-under-the-sea
We've also been exploring the similarities of different wars and the causes of them. Noodle is interested in WW1, the Civil War, the Revolutionary War, and the current war going on today. Also, keeping him captivated these days is the recent landing of the Mars rover Curiosity. That started his search for answers as to why we are so obsessed with Mars. He is one of these people and has recently begun watching "Ancient Aliens".
All this talk about space led into what caused the dinosaurs to go into extinction. Dinosaurs have been a source of fascination for him since he was a toddler. We are now talking about finding a dinosaur dig in Florida to check out.
Another topic Noodle is obsessed with- Atlantis! He loves to read all about and watch everything he can find on the subject.
We have also been utilizing our Grossology books to learn interesting things about the human body.
Livvy has been busy learning like a two year old should by exploring outdoors, coloring, having lots of books read to her, painting, her favorite shows, watching her siblings, and her new favorite things: markers(washable, of course) and play-doh. We also recently joined a group for the kids to have some extra opportunities to do extra activities, such as her creative movement class, which she loves since dance is her obsession at the moment. She also loves to make up stories and act things out.
I can't wait to see what this school year will bring!
The joys of moving halfway across the country
I having posted in quite some time because we were in the process of moving back home to South Carolina. I was quite nervous about the effect this would have on our unschooling. I researched like crazy and found that it's actually much better for my TS son since SC homeschool laws give you an option that doesn't require yearly state testing. Hooray for us! My son can not sit still for testing because of his tics, anxiety, and his ADHD. One of the reasons we decided to homeschool to begin with was his lack of ability to focus on school work. We have chosen NOT to medicate. Being home, he is free to learn without feeling self conscious. At the present moment, his passions are Astronomy, Mythology, Cartoon Art, and Science Fiction.
My kids are also excited about being close to the beach again. One of the favorite things to do is to hunt for shark teeth.
Living in this mess we call our life
Isn't it amazing how so much time can be spent cleaning just to have it destroyed again in five minutes by your children? I am trying so hard to change my way of thinking. I don't want my kids to grow up and think the only thing I did for them was clean the house. I just hope one of these days one of them will wake up and decide to help out without me having to coax it out of them.
The aftermath of a compulsive reader
I download free books for my kids and myself from Amazon every day. Lately, there have been quite a few vampire books and I know my daughter loves that genre, so I always get them. Yesterday, while going to the car, my daughter(17 yrs old) informs me it's good that it isn't dark yet because she wouldn't be going to the store with me if it was. All the vampire stories have left her a little afraid of the dark. I think maybe she should lay off for a few days.
Self motivation
So far this month, my son has learned about ratios, fractions, myths from all over the world, and dinosaurs. We installed an astronomy program because that is his passion right now. It's called Stellarium and is an awesome program that you can set it to a different time in the past or future and put in where you live so it is the night sky above you. He's already been on the hunt for a telescope for his birthday.
Christmas
My 2 year old has an obsession with everything Christmas. Still. She sings "Jingle Bells" everyday and loves to watch "Elf" over and over. She has this little dress that is red with white fluff on it. It's her Santa dress and she loves to wear it a few days a week. I think it would be more if I didn't hide it. Maybe by Easter, it will die down.
Moving
We are moving back to SC in about two weeks. It has been pretty stressful for the last month! My son keeps unpacking his things every time we get a box packed. Two year old daughter is enjoying that we already got rid of some furniture and she has room to move. Today, my daughter and I worked on cleaning makeup and nail polish out of the carpet in the bedroom of my teenage girls. Gotta love 'em.
Fun with Plaintains
First, we sliced the plantain. Next, we sprayed the pan with butter flavored cooking spray. When it was warm, we added the plantains. We mixed the water, brown sugar, cloves, and cinnamon together in a bowl and added it to the pan to make a syrup for the plantains. When it thickened and the plantains were soft, we removed them from the heat and ate them.
goodwill
I was so excited to find out today that there is a new Goodwill near where I live! Of course I had to go as soon as I heard so I could check it out. I ended up getting 7 educational books ranging from elementary to high school level today. I also got 4 games for us to play. I saw so many more books I am going to go back to get soon to add to our unschooling library!
cleaning schedule
I have had quite a few people ask about my cleaning schedule because I am so ocd about my house and, with five kids, people want to know how I keep it up.
Tools:
Lots of cleaning rags(paper towels, if you prefer)
Your preferred cleaning supplies. I like to use mainly natural.
A bucket to carry your things room to room
A large scrub brush and a few small ones to be able to scrub cracks and corners(I have one small one for the sinks and one for toilets)
A bathtub scrubber, a toilet scrubber, trash bags
A broom, a mop, a vacuum
Weekly:
Kitchen first-always start high to low. Wipe out cabinets if needed. Wipe out refrigerator of anything visible. Clear each counter you are working on of any appliances or items that may be sitting there. I wipe the counter down, then wipe each thing before returning it. Wipe the table and chairs down. Do any dishes that are in the sink. Wipe out the microwave. Wipe down the stove top and front, then the hood. Clean the sink out, using the scrub brush to get around the faucet and outside of the sink, if needed. Pull rugs to be washed. Sweep the floor thoroughly.
If you have a laundry room, do this next. Wipe down the washer/dryer. Put things away. Sweep.
Next move to bathrooms. I always start with the mirrors and the sink. Remove items from the sink. Wipe down counter, sink, and faucet. Use your brush if needed around the faucet and in any corners you can't reach. Spray the tub with your cleaner and use a sponge to scrub it out. I like the kind that comes on a wand so I don't have to bend over. Spray your toilet, working from the tank, the lid, the seat, the underneath of the seat, the the bowl, then the area behind the seat. I use multiple rags in this process because I am try to get rid of as many germs as possible. Use a scrub brush to get into the cracks and areas the rags won't go. Scrub out the inside of the bowl, then flush. Pull rugs and shower curtains to be washed. Sweep out your bathroom.
Move on to the living room, family room, office. Whatever you have. Start by dusting from top to bottom. Check baseboards, light switches, walls, outlets, a/c intake to see if they need cleaned. Move onto cleaning windows and glass in the room(s). Remove any trash or anything that is unwanted from the room. I usually have a basket and pile things in it as I go around the room so I can get done quicker and put them away as I go. If you have a tile or hard wood floor, sweep.
I do bedrooms last. I always start by pulling the sheets and pillow cases to be washed. Next, I clear off dressers/nightstands of things that need to be put away. Put away anything out of place. Then dust. Clean any mirrors and windows.Remake the bed with fresh sheets.
I then vacuum the entire house, then mop all rooms. If needed, I scrub the grout on tile floors with my large brush. In the bathrooms, I usually use the scrub brush and rags instead of a mop.
After washing rugs and shower curtains, place them back in their appropriate spot.
Daily:
When I get up in the morning, I usually have to access the damage done the night before after I go to bed. My kids are late-nighters and like to leave me something to do in the morning. I usually start in the kitchen as I am waiting for my husband to make coffee. I unload the dishwasher from the previous night, then reload, if needed. I wipe down the counters, then sweep the floor. In the living room, I straighten up anything that may have been left out-fold blankets, put pillows in their place, put toys away. I make my bed every morning. It makes me feel like my room is clean. I grab a basket for any stray toys and do a quick sweep of the room. I check the bathrooms and bedroom for daily laundry and get the first load going. I then vacuum. I am a daily vacuumer, although I know not everyone is. I usually do a sweep for toys a few times a day, then before my husband gets home, I do a final sweep so the house will look nice when he comes in. Also, I am a clean-as-you-go kinda person while cooking.
Monthly:
Wash comforters, curtains, throw blankets, and throw pillows if needed. Clean refrigerator thoroughly. Clean oven out. Check ceiling fans for dust. Check ceilings for cobwebs.
I know not everyone has the same method of cleaning, but hopefully, this will help some of you to manage your time better when cleaning house.
Tools:
Lots of cleaning rags(paper towels, if you prefer)
Your preferred cleaning supplies. I like to use mainly natural.
A bucket to carry your things room to room
A large scrub brush and a few small ones to be able to scrub cracks and corners(I have one small one for the sinks and one for toilets)
A bathtub scrubber, a toilet scrubber, trash bags
A broom, a mop, a vacuum
Weekly:
Kitchen first-always start high to low. Wipe out cabinets if needed. Wipe out refrigerator of anything visible. Clear each counter you are working on of any appliances or items that may be sitting there. I wipe the counter down, then wipe each thing before returning it. Wipe the table and chairs down. Do any dishes that are in the sink. Wipe out the microwave. Wipe down the stove top and front, then the hood. Clean the sink out, using the scrub brush to get around the faucet and outside of the sink, if needed. Pull rugs to be washed. Sweep the floor thoroughly.
If you have a laundry room, do this next. Wipe down the washer/dryer. Put things away. Sweep.
Next move to bathrooms. I always start with the mirrors and the sink. Remove items from the sink. Wipe down counter, sink, and faucet. Use your brush if needed around the faucet and in any corners you can't reach. Spray the tub with your cleaner and use a sponge to scrub it out. I like the kind that comes on a wand so I don't have to bend over. Spray your toilet, working from the tank, the lid, the seat, the underneath of the seat, the the bowl, then the area behind the seat. I use multiple rags in this process because I am try to get rid of as many germs as possible. Use a scrub brush to get into the cracks and areas the rags won't go. Scrub out the inside of the bowl, then flush. Pull rugs and shower curtains to be washed. Sweep out your bathroom.
Move on to the living room, family room, office. Whatever you have. Start by dusting from top to bottom. Check baseboards, light switches, walls, outlets, a/c intake to see if they need cleaned. Move onto cleaning windows and glass in the room(s). Remove any trash or anything that is unwanted from the room. I usually have a basket and pile things in it as I go around the room so I can get done quicker and put them away as I go. If you have a tile or hard wood floor, sweep.
I do bedrooms last. I always start by pulling the sheets and pillow cases to be washed. Next, I clear off dressers/nightstands of things that need to be put away. Put away anything out of place. Then dust. Clean any mirrors and windows.Remake the bed with fresh sheets.
I then vacuum the entire house, then mop all rooms. If needed, I scrub the grout on tile floors with my large brush. In the bathrooms, I usually use the scrub brush and rags instead of a mop.
After washing rugs and shower curtains, place them back in their appropriate spot.
Daily:
When I get up in the morning, I usually have to access the damage done the night before after I go to bed. My kids are late-nighters and like to leave me something to do in the morning. I usually start in the kitchen as I am waiting for my husband to make coffee. I unload the dishwasher from the previous night, then reload, if needed. I wipe down the counters, then sweep the floor. In the living room, I straighten up anything that may have been left out-fold blankets, put pillows in their place, put toys away. I make my bed every morning. It makes me feel like my room is clean. I grab a basket for any stray toys and do a quick sweep of the room. I check the bathrooms and bedroom for daily laundry and get the first load going. I then vacuum. I am a daily vacuumer, although I know not everyone is. I usually do a sweep for toys a few times a day, then before my husband gets home, I do a final sweep so the house will look nice when he comes in. Also, I am a clean-as-you-go kinda person while cooking.
Monthly:
Wash comforters, curtains, throw blankets, and throw pillows if needed. Clean refrigerator thoroughly. Clean oven out. Check ceiling fans for dust. Check ceilings for cobwebs.
I know not everyone has the same method of cleaning, but hopefully, this will help some of you to manage your time better when cleaning house.
Art project
In our house, there is always someone doing an art project of some sort. Lately, the craze has been origami, watercolor, and acrylics. Here's a watercolor I did in about three hours. It's not great, but a big improvement on my water color abilities. The color isn't great on here because I took the picture with my cell. The other is of a garden rock my teenager did on another project. It's a shark. Very creative.
living natural
I would have to say I have no friends that lead a "natural" lifestyle the way I do. I get called a tree hugger because we recycle, cloth diaper,buy natural, homeschool, nurse(child led weaning, of course), bed share, having a large family...the list goes on. I am so thankful for the endless resources on the internet. Groups on facebook and cafemom having been the saving grace for my sanity. Especially when family and friends have so many negative things to say about our lifestyle.
games, games
Lately, we have been playing games on fun brain a lot. I don't think Noodle even realizes he's learning from these games. A few days ago we played Yahtzee. The kids caught on quick and loved playing. I made them count their own scores up, of course.
toddler and thoughts of another baby
It's no secret we have an already large blended family. The Lord had blessed us with five amazing children. It has always been my dream to have a large family. The thing is, we have an enormous gap between our two youngest, almost ten years. I have been wrestling with the idea of trying to have just one more so Liv can have a sibling to grow up with. She is potty learning now. She refuses to wear diapers except to bed at night and is staying dry most nights. Her 2nd birthday is coming up very soon. Hmmm, maybe we'll start trying in a few months.
natural parenting and the tempermental ten year old
I have a confession to make. I have very little patience when it comes to temper tantrums. This is something I'm working on. I read parenting books, blogs, and even facebook pages constantly. My son has TS and one of the bad things about it is he often has trouble controlling his emotions and temper. We are working on this. We made a pack(a pinky promise) to try to not get upset with each other. I think we have made major steps forward, although today he had a big meltdown. He did come find me about twenty minutes later and apologize, saying that hunger makes him cranky. I love my son!
homeschooling/unschooling...trying to find our way
So I have been reading everything I can get my hands on lately about unschooling. I have completely decided it is definitely for us. Noodle has had so much trouble trying to sit still with a structured, expensive curriculum. He has Tourette Syndrome and melts down under pressure. I love the idea of being able to let the child learn what they are interested in. My teenager loves the idea, too. She reads constantly, day and night. Every weekly trip to the library brings at least 20 new books into her life. The book "The Unschooling Handbook" is the best book I've found for information and resources for unschooling your child.
Plants vs Zombie hacks
sorry but i't had been deleted by the creators of the game
Papa's Pizzeria swf https://archive.org/details/papaspizzeria_v2
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