This is how we celebrate the second day of Kindergarten at our house. :-)
Friday, September 9, 2011
Blackout!
Yesterday about 3:30 pm all our power went out. That's not uncommon where we live because we are about a mile from a casino, and people drive so fast to get there to lose their money that they crash on our windy two land road. Or they're so distracted from losing all their money that they crash on the way down. If it rains...forget about it.
Talked to Steve who works about forty-five minutes away and he told me the power was out all over San Diego County. Turns out it was from Arizona to Mexico to Orange County, CA, which included all of San Diego County. We busily started finding our alternate lighting sources like flashlights, lanterns, and candles. Found all the matches, lighters, batteries, and radios.
We had an advantage since it was late afternoon and it wasn't nighttime already. It was blazing hot here though but quickly cooled off on our patio where we spent the evening once the sun went down.
We didn't know how long the power would be out so I would only let the kids use the bread for peanut butter sandwiches. If they wanted a ham sandwich had to be on a bun. Who wants a pb bun sandwich? I even allowed us to devour our lunch items like the little chip packs, cookies, applesauce.
We sat out on the patio and listened to radio reports. Cut the watermelon and we all stood on the edge of the patio so we our watermelon drippings would drip into the dirt and not on the patio where it would have to be washed off. I finished my book about Harriett Tubman and the kids had fun playing in the dark. We transferred cold foods around to keep them good, we have a generator in our toy hauler so before we went to bed Steve hooked up our garage freezer and fridge to the toy hauler generator.
I was thankful that we have four acres to live on. We have a water storage tank that holds 10,000 gallons (I think), the only problem is our well is on electricity so that was all the water we had, but we did have water. Our toilet tanks have to be manually filled with water when the power goes out, we have about three flushes or so per toilet.
All of our kids were home so we didn't have to worry about them. Once Steve got home we stayed put. The traffic lights weren't working so the roads were a mess. Everyone left work at once so that put a bottleneck on all the roads.
Our power came back on about 12:30 am. Our hall light came on to tell us that all was well again. I think a lot of people were a little sad that they got their power back because while it was out they talked to their neighbors, played with the kids, and enjoyed the night time sky. Things we should be doing everyday but we don't.
Talked to Steve who works about forty-five minutes away and he told me the power was out all over San Diego County. Turns out it was from Arizona to Mexico to Orange County, CA, which included all of San Diego County. We busily started finding our alternate lighting sources like flashlights, lanterns, and candles. Found all the matches, lighters, batteries, and radios.
We had an advantage since it was late afternoon and it wasn't nighttime already. It was blazing hot here though but quickly cooled off on our patio where we spent the evening once the sun went down.
We didn't know how long the power would be out so I would only let the kids use the bread for peanut butter sandwiches. If they wanted a ham sandwich had to be on a bun. Who wants a pb bun sandwich? I even allowed us to devour our lunch items like the little chip packs, cookies, applesauce.
We sat out on the patio and listened to radio reports. Cut the watermelon and we all stood on the edge of the patio so we our watermelon drippings would drip into the dirt and not on the patio where it would have to be washed off. I finished my book about Harriett Tubman and the kids had fun playing in the dark. We transferred cold foods around to keep them good, we have a generator in our toy hauler so before we went to bed Steve hooked up our garage freezer and fridge to the toy hauler generator.
I was thankful that we have four acres to live on. We have a water storage tank that holds 10,000 gallons (I think), the only problem is our well is on electricity so that was all the water we had, but we did have water. Our toilet tanks have to be manually filled with water when the power goes out, we have about three flushes or so per toilet.
All of our kids were home so we didn't have to worry about them. Once Steve got home we stayed put. The traffic lights weren't working so the roads were a mess. Everyone left work at once so that put a bottleneck on all the roads.
Our power came back on about 12:30 am. Our hall light came on to tell us that all was well again. I think a lot of people were a little sad that they got their power back because while it was out they talked to their neighbors, played with the kids, and enjoyed the night time sky. Things we should be doing everyday but we don't.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Another school year
Yesterday marked the start of my 23rd year of homeschooling. It didn't go as smoothly as it could have, but we did okay. Anna & Adah started Kindergarten and we're using My Father's World. I usually use A Beka for phonics and math but I'm mixing it up and trying something different. Our first lesson was on Creation: Day 1 and the letters A & B.
For the older kids 3rd grade & up (academically) we're using Teaching Textbooks for math. They love it, I love it. It takes the stress off me needing to sit and teach four different students math. Abi Mulu is using Horizons Math which is new to us too. Teaching Textbooks is a software program that they use on the computer and it teaches the lesson, gives them practice using what they've learned, grades it for them, and shows them how to do it correctly if asked. Can't beat that! I did have a problem with the 5th grade because we borrowed it and the activation code wasn't working. Apparently each program is alloted so much usage and when that is used up the user needs to call and get a new code. Because it's an older program I wasn't able to set the program up on one computer for two users. One has to use the laptop and one uses the main house computer. The number was busy all morning which put us behind, but the boys each did two lessons and love it. Yay!!!
I did get a little frazzled when teaching phonics and my 14 year old son said, "Mom, are there __ digits in 20,000,000,000? I look at him like he has a third eyeball because really?! Like I know that off the top of my head?! I had to write it down and then count. One of the hardest things for me with homeschooling is switching my brain from Kindergarten or First grade work to Jr. High or High School and do it in such a way as to make it believable. I'm getting older and my brain just isn't that quick, never was and never will be. I know my limitations and accept them, so I look at my older kids as though they're weird when they ask me such questions when teaching Kindergarten.
We're trying Lifepacs for Language Arts this year, but unfortunately one was in tears on the first day so not sure how long this will last. I really wish there were a language arts program like there is for math with Teaching Textbooks. Abi's first Lifepac was backordered and is on it's way, but it's not here so we had to improvise and do something else. Her first math book wasn't here either, but it came in the mail later in the day.
After all that was done we got together and learned some Bible and Science with My Father's World Countries & Cultures curriculum. For Bible it had us look at the book Windows on the World and talk about prayer. Science we used a great book called Properties of Ecosystems from Answers In Genesis. Great book from a Christian perspective. Since we live on four acres we have lots of ecosystems. It will be good for me too as I'm very non-scientific and I look forward to learning with them.
James my high schooler is using Apologia's Physical Science, Teaching Textbooks, A Beka Geography and Themes in Literarture and Easy Grammar Plus. He's taking Physical Science Lab with our co-op, Biblical Manhood, Geography, and Volleyball. My other high schooler goes to our local public high school (gasp!). He does well but doesn't recommend it for his brothers or sisters.
On co-op days I'm teaching Geography and Christian Missionaries and Heroes. My students will be 7th & 8th graders with some 9th graders sprinkled in there. This week for geography we'll learn about Maps and how they work. Missionaries & Heroes finds us learning about Harriett Tubman. We have 18 class days for each class day and there are two so I'm teaching every week but repeating the second week what I taught the first week. I'll post what we're doing each week and the resources we used.
Some of the classes the other kids are taking are chess, cooking, scrapbooking, Boys Adventure, PE, and Nutrition.
For the older kids 3rd grade & up (academically) we're using Teaching Textbooks for math. They love it, I love it. It takes the stress off me needing to sit and teach four different students math. Abi Mulu is using Horizons Math which is new to us too. Teaching Textbooks is a software program that they use on the computer and it teaches the lesson, gives them practice using what they've learned, grades it for them, and shows them how to do it correctly if asked. Can't beat that! I did have a problem with the 5th grade because we borrowed it and the activation code wasn't working. Apparently each program is alloted so much usage and when that is used up the user needs to call and get a new code. Because it's an older program I wasn't able to set the program up on one computer for two users. One has to use the laptop and one uses the main house computer. The number was busy all morning which put us behind, but the boys each did two lessons and love it. Yay!!!
I did get a little frazzled when teaching phonics and my 14 year old son said, "Mom, are there __ digits in 20,000,000,000? I look at him like he has a third eyeball because really?! Like I know that off the top of my head?! I had to write it down and then count. One of the hardest things for me with homeschooling is switching my brain from Kindergarten or First grade work to Jr. High or High School and do it in such a way as to make it believable. I'm getting older and my brain just isn't that quick, never was and never will be. I know my limitations and accept them, so I look at my older kids as though they're weird when they ask me such questions when teaching Kindergarten.
We're trying Lifepacs for Language Arts this year, but unfortunately one was in tears on the first day so not sure how long this will last. I really wish there were a language arts program like there is for math with Teaching Textbooks. Abi's first Lifepac was backordered and is on it's way, but it's not here so we had to improvise and do something else. Her first math book wasn't here either, but it came in the mail later in the day.
After all that was done we got together and learned some Bible and Science with My Father's World Countries & Cultures curriculum. For Bible it had us look at the book Windows on the World and talk about prayer. Science we used a great book called Properties of Ecosystems from Answers In Genesis. Great book from a Christian perspective. Since we live on four acres we have lots of ecosystems. It will be good for me too as I'm very non-scientific and I look forward to learning with them.
James my high schooler is using Apologia's Physical Science, Teaching Textbooks, A Beka Geography and Themes in Literarture and Easy Grammar Plus. He's taking Physical Science Lab with our co-op, Biblical Manhood, Geography, and Volleyball. My other high schooler goes to our local public high school (gasp!). He does well but doesn't recommend it for his brothers or sisters.
On co-op days I'm teaching Geography and Christian Missionaries and Heroes. My students will be 7th & 8th graders with some 9th graders sprinkled in there. This week for geography we'll learn about Maps and how they work. Missionaries & Heroes finds us learning about Harriett Tubman. We have 18 class days for each class day and there are two so I'm teaching every week but repeating the second week what I taught the first week. I'll post what we're doing each week and the resources we used.
Some of the classes the other kids are taking are chess, cooking, scrapbooking, Boys Adventure, PE, and Nutrition.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Grandbabies!
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