Category Archives: homeschool

Homeschool Art and Talent Night 2009

homeschool, speech 2 Comments
OK so there is something wrong with me or the camera. And we never remember to fix it until the moment of something we need to take pictures of something that is happening…so I probably shouldnt even blog these pics. I am sure that it is a setting on the camera.  At least I have my friends Staceys pics for the scrapbooks.:)
Camyes class performed with their Recorder class. Lynn Grabiak was very brave this past semester and taught a Recorder class for the 2nd – 3rd graders. She also sang a weather song to go along with their Weather class that Christine Bridge taught last semester. Thanks Lynne and Christine!!

Chloe is working on Advanced Speech for Lads to Leaders. She gave a How to Speech last night. I thought this would really help with her self confidence in public speaking. This was her first speech of 18 (6 different speeches). She has 2 speeches in May, 2 in June, 3 in July and 3 in August. That is all we have planned for now. I couldnt believe the difference in her self confidence this time. She did great!! Way to go Chloe!!! I do hope to get each of my kids to participate at least one time in this event. Of course and it all counts for school!!!!! :):)

Thanksgiving Thursday!!!

co-op, homeschool, Lads to Leaders, MOPS, puppets, washington 3 Comments

Here it is….
1. I am thankful for Apple Cider Vinegar, Alcohol and Peroxide that just washed off the black sharpy off of Pauls face, legs, arms and fingers.
2. I am thankful for my hubby and kiddos. They complete me. Yes I know I stole that from a movie but its true.
3. I am thankful for the L2L convention and the Ladies Renewal. They both have renewed me. I love it when that happens.
4. I am thankful for my Chronological bible that my Kennys mom got me for Christmas and I have just now been delving into it.
5.  I am thankful for my kids excitement to work on Lads to Leaders projects. Of course we are done with school books for the year other than Math. We still have to do school until May 8th to get our 180 days in. And I told them come up with something or I will pull out next years books. Chloe and Blake have started their websites for Mass Media. Chloe, Blake and Camye have all started their Faith Is The Victory speech. Chloe has decided to do Advanced Speech and has started 1 of 6 of her speeches she has to perform. We are also doing several other events but these are the ones they have started and all count as school. I really like the ones we do at home. Too many kids performing at the same time became an issue for us at the last L2L convention. Oh back to Thanksgiving Thursday….
6. I am thankful for MOPS and our grape slushie group. We are meeting today at Sonic for Happy Hour…1/2 price drinks and slushes.!!
7. I am thankful for Homeschooling, I know I say this every week. But I am.
8. I am thankful for my van…its old but it runs and is paid off!!! I think I may drive it forever.
9.  I am thankful for Robin McClowsky who does all the organizing of our Homeschool Co-op in Washington. She is great!!
10. I am thankful for the 2 little hamsters that have made my kids millienum. They are sooo thrilled with their little pets and are showing real responsibilty. Could be that mom said…if she ends up taking them..they are out the door..LOL!!

Thanksgiving Thursday

4H, homeschool, hubby, Kids, thursday 1 Comment

I am thankful for:
1. My kids- this has been an emotional week for me. But my kids are so wonderful.
2. My lovable, snuggable hubby.
3. that Friday is only a day away.
4. That Saturday has nothing…I mean nothing written on the calander. We rarely have days like that. My husband is thrilled. A couple things have come up but I have said no to them because Soccer starts next week and that means every Saturday will taken with Blakes soccer games, which we love.
5. For 4H- today is our “Heart and Home” 4H Club meeting. We do have the most awesomist club. My older three kids are taking candy making. Their teacher is great.
6. My new purse- I just got my first Vera Bradley purse and I love it.
7.  Jon and Kate Plus 8 and 18 Kids and Counting—-because they actually give us a G Rated television show that we can all watch together in the evenings. I am not sure there is another show on in the evenings that my kids can watch.
8. Chloe’s speech- she gave her Lads to Leaders Speech last night to our Ladies class at church. She was nervous but did great. In PA to get a accredited high school diploma, she must give a speech every year. There are other places that our homeschoolers give speeches. But Lads to Leaders at our church has the most awesome teachers!!!! So I dont have to teach her…I love it when thinks count double.
9. Rain- we needed rain so bad. The ground was cracking. Of course now it will probably rain every other day till June..but I will take it:):)
10. DVR- it is really nice to be able tape good wholesome shows:):)

Natural Lifestyle…whats next?

chickens, homeschool, honey bees, Kenny, maple syrup 3 Comments
As most of you know, we live a fairly natural lifestyle. We do eat natural food. We homeschool our wonderful kiddos.We have a huge organic garden every year.

  To name a few…

But my hubby has been enjoying our 12 acres and getting into the country living. He started with bees..yes Honey Bees. We have enjoyed a little honey from that.

Then we ordered hens..yes they were delivered in a box..baby chics. We did hatch 12 of them with our 4H group. We will do that again this year. As cute as can be. We now get about 40 eggs per day. And we sell ALOT of eggs…
But now onto our next endeavour ….Maple Sugaring. Last night after church someone loaned Kenny 6 Maple Taps….so at 10 pm last night..guess what Kenny was doing!!! Tapping a few maple trees and sure enough by today we had the maple syrupy water in our jugs. It takes 40 gallons to make 1 gallon of syrup. I think this will be alot of fun!!



Looking very cute by his maple syrup tap…anyway thought you might enjoy seeing what he was up to now. Hmm…wonder what it will be next? I have an idea…stay tuned.

Valentine’s Parties and ramblings…

homeschool, valentines, World War 2 1 Comment


Today was our co-op Valentines Parties. Lots of fun!!! ONLY..I didnt get to see many of them because I was screening a movie all morning.:(..Not much fun…but someone had to do it. Camye and Blake made Valentines sugar cookies for their class. Blake’s with red sprinkles and Camye’s with pink sprinkles….they said they had lots of fun. The only pics for them was the preparing for the party at home yesterday:)

I didnt get to be in Paul’s preschool class at all today…because I was busy with the movie. So I when I picked him up from class, He was very upset. I said,  “What is wrong?” He said,  “someone gave me a rabbit that I made but it isnt mine.” So I went to find his teacher and find out about his little rabbit made out of construction paper that just had him so distraught. She said, “She didnt know what was wrong, that was his rabbit and his name is on it.” He turned it over and said, “those are not the letters for my name.” The teacher or a helper had written Paul in a hurry and only the “P” and “L” looked like “his” letter. He pointed to the the “P” and the “L” and said, “Those are in my letters but the two in the middle are scribbles and they dont go in my name.!!!” LOL!! I apologized and took the rabbit.

As soon as we got in the car I asked him did you have a nice Valentines Day party? He replie, “No.” I said,  “why?” He replied, “I didnt want to have a nice time because they wanted me to give away my Valentines and they were all mine and had my name on them.!!!!!” He is really into the letters of his name…:):) Okay…….I think I will attend the next few parties with him until he gets the hang of it..LOL!!


This is a picture of part ofmy 6th-8th grade class. We are studying World War 2. They were told for extra credit on their test to bring in a Patriotic Snack to share with the class. This was one of my 6th grade boys snack, a rice krispie snack iced, I was pretty impressed as it even had 50 stars.
Today we studied the attack on Pearl Harbor, 2 weeks ago during class we watched a movie on the Nazi Concentration Camps and had one child snoring. I was proud to say that today these kids were so upset by what had happened at Pearl Harbor and were excited to learn about what was next in the war.

And yes by looking at some of these kids,  it does appear we even have homeboys in the homeschool world.!!!!