Online Resources: Scholaric

One of the most popular posts on my blog is an old one. . . a review I wrote of an online homeschool grade book and lesson planning program called Homeschool SkedTrack. You may be surprised to know that I no longer use that website, although I still think it is quite good. I took a year off to go back to good old pencil-and-paper, but have since hunted around for other online resources to make my planning more routine and easier to manage.

My late-night internet wanderings paid off with the discovery of Scholaric - the website that promises "Homeschool Planning Made Easy".

Due to an insanely busy summer, I didn't start my research until the week I was beginning school with the kids. (I know, I know. Not. Smart. Once again bursting the "she's-a-perfect-homeschooler" illusion.) I quickly found that I was stuck! Several of the websites I looked at required a ton of up front work; one was still in development, and basically useless. But Scholaric's promise of "easy"? Now THAT I could work with!

And you know what? "Easy" was absolutely accurate. I was up and running on Scholaric in - no joke - 15 minutes. Here's what I mean:

1. Add a student: See the button at the bottom of the screen? Click it. You get the new student field. Type the name, you're done. 60 seconds, tops.

2. Add a course:

Seriously, that's it. Type in "Math" and then "2nd Grade Math". Done. Another 60 seconds. Tops.

3. Plan a lesson: Here's a screen shot of the planning lesson for Amy's subject, "Grammar 2"

Under "Description", I just typed in what I wanted Amy to see; "Lesson 62". (There are ways to type in the lessons so that they will sequence automatically - honestly, I just don't fool with it. Probably next year!) Next I had to decide if the lesson repeats.

Again, easy! Just select the repetition tab, check the dates you want the lesson to occur, and for how long. Done.

Last step: is this lesson shared with anyone?

This feature is especially helpful for our history and science lessons, when I've got girls working together. And my new secret weapon? I created my own set of lessons! That way, when one of my kids needs me to work a lesson with them, I "share" it with myself. Then Scholaric prints up a daily list for me, and I know who needs what kind of help that day. Sweet!

 That. Is. It.

Simple. Easy. To the point. Repeat for as many subjects as you have, and then print lessons by the day or by the week.

Now Scholaric can do a whole bunch of other things, but no so many that it becomes unwieldy or difficult to use. You can print report cards, track hours or other goals instead of grades, and print your gradebook. Mark a whole day's work as complete, or allow your children to log in and check off assignments as they are completed. Move lessons ahead or back with a simple click. Easy, easy, easy!

If you're thinking about using Scholaric, here are a few more considerations:

• Scholaric does indeed have weighted grading! You can read about it at Scholaric's blog. . .which is exactly what I'll be doing this afternoon.
• Help using Scholaric is accessed on the main page, usually reading through a set of blog posts by the developer. For those of you who like a video tutorial, at this point you won't find one. But really? Y'all. Did I mention it was easy??!!!

And the last consideration:

I was given a free, 6-month trial in exchange for my review. It ended 2 weeks ago. And I happily - happily I tell you - paid the paltry $5 per month (through Amazon payments) to keep using Scholaric for my homeschool planning.

And that, dear readers, it what we call. . . .  a keeper.

If you try Scholaric, let me know what you think!

Making My School Unique: Blog Hop and Giveaway

Congratulations to the Caywoods!  They won a 1-year subscription to Home Educating Family magazine! Thanks for commenting and joining this month's Blog Hop. Remember, you can read all the ways the Home Educating Family bloggers make their school unique by visiting the blog hop here:

This week's topic: Making My School Unique. Which of course, because I am my father's daughter, leads me to this gem of a joke:

How do you catch a Unique Homeschooler?
You 'neak up on him!

(Cue laughter. From at least one of you.)

Enough comedy. Or enough semi-comedy. Or enough "trying-to-be-funny-but-not-really" comedy.

How do I make my homeschool unique? Easy. I look at these faces. . . . . . .

and remember wise words a friend told me when I first started homeschooling.

God has uniquely gifted me with these children, these specific children, with all their hopes and dreams and gifts and challenges. More than that, He has equipped me to be the best mother for them.  And when it comes to homeschooling? I'm the expert. This doesn't mean I teach them everything, nor does it mean I never ask for help when needed. But this does mean that no one, absolutely no one, knows my children better.

And even more importantly? I have access to a loving heavenly Father who can grant insight and wisdom into their lives, and enables me to pray specifically for them and for strategies to meet their unique needs.

Sounds great. But what does it look like in real life?

• When one of the crowd reads at 7 instead of 5, I don't compare them to the others. We work on rhyming, I read aloud to this one, and take the pressure off. One day, this child starts reading up a storm. And hasn't stopped since!

• When our son became involved and found his passion in Boy Scouts, not football (that's an Alabama reference for those of you who live where football is NOT an idol), we supported him and tweaked his high school plan to take advantage of those opportunities. P.E. credit for canoeing and backpacking? Works for him!

• When our eldest needed another year to be ready for college, we allowed her to intern in a children's ministry program at church. She gained valuable outside-the-home-experience, and the extra year for our late-birthday girl gave her the time she needed to have a successful college launch.

• One of ours loves to talk about math. So we talk! And talk and talk and talk - and she has terrific scores on her math work.

Get the picture? If I spent my days comparing my kids to other kids, or my family to other families, I'd be sunk. I've already written about the dangers of comparison, but one danger I didn't mention? Missing out on the unique qualities of your family.

Enjoy the unique way that God has created your family! Celebrate it and use it for His glory!

Ready for a giveaway? This week, the folks at Home Educating Family are providing a fabulous wall calendar for one reader of my blog! It's got huge writing space for a uniquely busy family - like mine!

Want one? Leave a comment, and you're automatically entered! Tell us how you make your school unique, tell us your favorite terrible joke, or just say, "I want that calendar!" I'll choose a winner next Thursday using random.org. (Note: make sure I have a way to reach you in your comment!)

I'm also supposed to say the following (read in monotone announcer's voice): Due to international sweepstakes laws, this giveaway is for US entrants only. This giveaway is not tied to any social media site. All prizes must be claimed within 8 weeks.

See you next week for "Outside the (Curriculum) Box!"

My Homeschool Story: Blog Hop and Giveaway!

This week, the First Homeschool Guinea Pig turns 20. And let me tell you. . . .  it's really throwing me for a loop.

Either that, or it's the drugs I'm on for my bronchitis.

Let's just stick with the first scenario, shall we?

I've spent some time this past week thinking about the past 20 years and all the changes we've been through.  And like I do every September, I've also started reflecting on not only my parenting journey, but our family's homeschooling journey and what got us started down this crazy road.  To that end, I'm joining a great team of writers from Home Educating Family and participating in my first ever "Blog Hop"!  So stay tuned, enjoy my story, and read on to the end to join the Blog Hop and enter to win a fantastic giveaway!

How did we get from this . . . .

to this????

I'm from a family of public school teachers, trained to be a teacher, and married a teacher.  When our oldest was was born, I was teaching music in an elementary school in Connecticut.  It never occurred to me that she wouldn't join the ranks of Kindergarteners some day.  But even as early as our first year of parenting, I can see the Lord's hand in preparing our hearts for our homeschool journey.

•  When Kathryn was a mere 7 weeks old, my husband and I began attending a Bible study at the home of a family who homeschooled their children, all teens.  Honestly, I didn't know what to make of these kids.  They were polite, interesting, spoke to us intelligently, and were a general pleasure to be around.  (At the time, I thought they were strange. Little did I know I'd be raising the same kind of teens in a very few years!)

•  As I taught school, I loved those little kindergarteners. They came in every year, bright-eyed and eager.  But as the year went on, I noticed a change. They got. . . . . hard. Jaded. I didn't like the changes I saw in those kids. And didn't want to see the same changes in my kids.

•  The most important factor, however, was that I recommitted myself to my faith, and my dear husband became a Christian. We desired more than anything else to teach our children the truths we held to be so important.

So when I first became a full-time stay-at-home mom, when Nathaniel was born (yes, the cute guy in the pictures above!), I prepared to send Kathryn to preschool. After all, she was 4, right? And she needed a break from me, right? With baby brother in tow, I dropped her off at the local Christian preschool 2 mornings a week.

Imagine my surprise when she came home, about 3 weeks later, saying, "Pow Pow! You're DEAD, Mommy!" and shooting me with her imaginary gun.  Um.  Really?

When I went in for her Parent Conference, the teacher explained that they had three goals.  First, to help the children recognize their letters.  Second, to help the children separate from their parents.  And third, to help the children follow directions from another adult.   

"OK," thinks a much younger version of myself, "She's already reading. She's fine with being away from me. And she follows directions.  What am I spending $90 a month on?"  With that, hubby and I decided to homeschool her.  JUST for preschool.  Then we'd see what happened. . . .

The rest, as they say, is history.

Somewhere in those early years, we found that homeschooling was a wonderful blessing to our family.  We loved learning together, being together for the "A-Ha!" moments, and getting to know each other.  We loved watching our kids develop close relationships with each other.  And we loved being able to spend intense time with them, mentoring them and teaching them about Jesus.

Our journey became about what we were heading TOWARD, not what we were running FROM.

Just had to add another picture of my kids.  Cuz they're awesome.  That's all.

So how about you?  What got YOU started on your homeschool journey?  Do tell! 

You've read through my ramblings. . .are you ready for a GIVEAWAY?  It's a good one, too!

Since we're celebrating "Not-Back-to-School", the good folks at Home Educating Family have provided a full year subscription to their terrific magazine!

All you have to do is leave a comment, and you're automatically entered!  (And trust me - it's KILLING me that I can't enter this one.  Boo.)  I'll choose a winner next Thursday using random.org.  And this spiffy magazine will be on its way to YOUR mailbox!  (Note:  make sure I have a way to reach you in your comment!)

I'm also supposed to say the following (read in monotone announcer's voice):
Due to international sweepstakes laws, this giveaway is for US entrants only. (Sorry to my Nigerian readers) This giveaway is not tied to any social media site.

And while you're at it, head on over to the Home Educating Blog Hop for more great posts on "My Homeschool Story".  See you next time, when I'll be blogging about "What Makes My Homeschool Unique"!

Friday Freebie: Math Drills Made Motivating!

I think I'm in an alliterating mood :)

But let's get back to all-things-homeschooling, shall we?  (I never really, REALLY feel like we've started school until September. . . .it's the Yankee in me, I suppose.)

Here is the part where I confess my shortcomings as a teacher.  I have realized this year, that my students (who shall remain nameless) are exhibiting a weakness in math - fact recall.  They memorized the cute skip-counting songs, and can figure out the facts given enough time, but we need instant, memorize recall here, folks.

And I missed the boat. 

So.

Deciding it was time to remedy that glaring weakness, I went to my favorite homeschool resource and asked for recommendations.  One stood out:  Xtra Math.

Basically, Xtra Math is math flashcards online.  But more!  Your student races a timer, and gets their own progress report on how they are doing. . . and it's HIGHLY motivating for my girls to try to turn the "square green" (aka - answer the question in less than 3 seconds) and to get a "smiley face" on their chart.

I can also run reports for me.  . . . .and just as a sneak peek, they look like this:

So here I can see what problems Amy knows (the smiley faces), which ones she could answer in less than three seconds (the green checks), which ones she got wrong (and what she put for an answer!), and which ones she ran out of time when answering.  Pretty neat, eh?

We are really enjoying Xtra Math.  I thought it would be too much for Amy (1st grade), but she's gotten the hang of it now.  We're incorporating it as a part of our morning routine. . . and I'm looking forward to seeing how our math facts improve!

The Last Deep Breath Before the Plunge

Sorry - my blog's been a little, well, quiet.

As a matter of fact, I can't believe it's almost September!  How did that happen????

But I'm sitting here tonight and thought I'd throw a little something up for my loyal readers (all 2 of you!)

(ok, ok - I SHOULD be quilting, but I'm just too mentally frazzled and will probably make a mistake like I did last night - you know, the one where I forgot to put down the walking foot, and stitched about a mile of invisible thread into loops on the back of the quilt???  Yeah, that mistake.  Not so interested in repeating that one.)

This weekend, it all begins in earnest.

Kathryn is in her "Connections" weekend at Samford.  Lots of chances to meet new friends, new classes - even attend a 90s party.  (A 90s party???  What does THAT involve?  I was too busy being pregnant in the 90s to remember much . . . . . . . . except Barney.  And Magic School Bus.  And diapers.)  It's thrilling - and humbling and a smidge scary - to sit back and coach from the sidelines as she enters this new phase of life.

Today's quote, College Student Version:

Me:  "Kathryn, I'm just not so sure I'm good at this being the mother of a college student thing.  I don't know when to offer advice, and when to stay out of it and let you handle it on your own.:
Kathryn:  "Don't worry, Mom.  I'm used to being the guinea pig."

Next week is The Insanity.  I'm always fooled into this false lull in August - you know, the "Hey!  This isn't so bad!  Maybe our schedule will work after all. . . . . . ." false lull.  Anyone else have that???  But next week starts ballet, piano, and my own (itty-bitty) piano studio.

So between homeschooling the kiddos, teaching science at 2 co-ops, piano students, and general driving around, don't look for too much on the blog!  Although, you never know when the muse will hit me. . . . . .

Like this gem.

Today's quote, Six-Year-Old Version:

Amy:  :tears:
"Mom!  Hyenas are NOT in the dog family!  I can't put them in my Dog Times newsletter!"
:insert more tears, sad eyes, and general crushed state of despair:

Me:  "It's ok honey,"  (tries desperately NOT to look at the other children downstairs, who are all smirking and about to blow my cover), "We'll give the hyenas their very own newsletter soon."

I'm so glad I have them at each end of the spectrum, and everywhere in between.

Wishing you all great Joy in your Journey, especially for my fellow homeschooling moms who are starting their new years!

Eh, don't worry.  I'm not going anywhere.  Give me a few weeks to finish Kathryn's quilt, and I'll be back. . . . . . .

Love at First. . . . . . Bookstore?

I'm as corny as Kansas in August,
High as a flag on the Fourth of July,
If you'll excuse an expression I use,
I'm in love with a wonderful. . . . . . . 

 Bookstore!!!

Yes, it's true.  I have found me a new gem right here in my own backyard!

Armed with a stack of books I no longer needed/wanted, a list of literature selections and editions needed for next year's studies, and a hefty dose of caffeine, I set out to conquer the world!

Or at least the fiction section of 2nd and Charles. 

And I'm proud to report. . . .VICTORY!

Let me give you the run down: 


First,  I dropped off a stack of books for them to look at.  Now, they didn't take everything, but I got about $25 total in store credit for the books they did want.  (They also offered me about $11 in cash.  Yup.  Took the store credit.  Obviously.)

Next, I hunted for Emily & Nathaniel's  literature selections for middle and high school.  Here are some of the deals I found. . . . . . 


The Little Prince - list online at $8.65 - 2nd and Charles price. . . . $3.00
Lilies of the Field - online $5.75 - 2nd and Charles price. . . . . $2.10
The Crucible - online $11.45 - 2nd and Charles price. . . . . . $5.40
The Cherry Orchard - online $10.08 - 2nd and Charles price. . . .$0.70

Most of these are current editions, in almost new shape.  We're not talking beat up and musty books here!

So. . . . . here's the final rundown. . . . . 

After store credit, I spent a grand total of about $25.61 on ALL my kids books for literature next year!

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

I. Heart. 2nd and Charles!

(The downside.  Don't go with kids.  They will find books they HAVE to have.  Also, the organization leaves a little bit to be desired, so if you're in a rush, you'll be frustrated.)

If they had a coffee shop, I'd never leave.

I mean, I'd learn to drink coffee, just for 2nd and Charles.
That's how much I love it.  Seriously.

(The other downside:  There are only 2 locations in the country.  One here.  Come and visit.  Bring your books.  We'll party.)

 

 

Tapestry of Grace: Part One - The Convention

What do you get when you take one terrific curriculum. . . . . . . 

Two encouraging, energetic booth hostesses. . . . . .

A steady stream of curious, sometimes overwhelmed, always receptive homeschool moms. . . .

 And a crazy cast of supporting characters????

 (Well, the first thing you get is laryngitis.  But I digress. . . . . . )

You get three days of fun, exhaustion, and rewarding times at 

the CHEF of Alabama Homeschool Convention!!!

My longtime friends know that I have an - ahem - weakness for homeschool conventions.  Soft spot, yeah, let's call it a soft spot, that's the ticket!  I've attended them for about 14 years off and on (more on than off) and worked at them a few times as well.

So.

When I heard that the folks at Tapestry were looking for folks to host a booth at their local convention, how could I refuse?  It really is a joy to meet other moms on the same journey, to really listen to them, and offer encouragement.  I was thrilled to have the chance!

Let's examine the ingredients one-by-one, shall we?

(OK, I know, I know. . . these are the same pictures!  Sorry. . . . I was too busy talking to moms to get more than a handful of good shots!)

Ingredient #1: The Curriculum

We had on display everything you would use in one week's worth of Tapestry.

What more can I say?  Well, I guess I could give you my "elevator speech":

"Tapestry of Grace is a humanities-based curriculum that enables me to teach my kids on many different levels, using the same topics. It's a combination of Classical Education and Unit Studies, using real literature to make history come alive.   Would you like to learn more?" 

I gave a variation of that speech about - oh - a few dozen times over two days.  Tapestry of Grace has been a huge blessing in our lives . . . and I was so glad to share about it.  My next blog post, I'm actually intending to do a thorough overview of it, but for now, you'll just have to settle for my convention stories!

Ingredient #2:  Two Booth Hostesses

Here we are - The Dream Team!!  (Ha, only kidding!  Sort of. . . .)  Actually, we were a really good team.  I didn't actually know that Tamieka was coming until the morning of the set-up day (Wednesday), but boy-oh-boy (!) am I glad she was my partner!  Her kids are 8, 7, and 3, and she brought them home from school to use Tapestry last year.  She was full of great ideas and tips, and could really related to the younger moms (which does NOT imply that I'm an older mom, thankyouverymuch) who visited our booth in droves.  We had a ball. . . . . .  and I made a new friend!

Ingredient #3:  Homeschool Moms

 They came alone and in twos, homeschool moms in all ages and stages.  On Thursday, we had LOTS of moms whose oldest child wasn't even 7 yet.  It was so neat to meet all of them, and talk with them, hear their needs, their struggles, what they're looking for.  One of the blessings of being a booth hostess is that we were under no sales quota, or pitch, or anything.  Tamieka and I were simply free to share information and minister as the Lord led.

And minister we did!  I think I'm safe in saying that Tamieka's favorite moms were the ones with younger kids - she took great joy in showing them the simple yet effective way that she uses Tapestry, and how it can look when all your children are in the lower levels of the program.  My favorite moms were the ones with the large age spread in their families - you know, those of us who have emotional exhaustion from teenagers, combined with physical exhaustion from preschoolers!  I loved being able to say, "You know, you can meet the academic needs of your high schoolers AND still have fun and enjoy learning with your little ones!"

Even better:  when I watched the information video that Marcia Somerville (Tapestry's author) put together for us hostesses, she really stressed that we were there to minister.  That really freed me to steer moms in another direction - which, I must say, I occasionally did. (I also joked with the dads that we were the safest booth in the convention, since we couldn't take any of their money!)  Time and time again, we had moms of younger kids come and just ask for general homeschool advice, which was when I broke out, "The Cookie Speech".

Interlude:  The Cookie Speech

 (intended audience: moms with Kindergarten and younger students)

Bake cookies with them.  Take them to parks, museums, and the library.

Love them.  Read to them.  Love your husband.  Let them play.

Enjoy them.  They're only young once.

Not that I would have taken that advice when Kathryn was five. . . but hey!  I can only hope some of these moms have more sense than I did. . . . . . 

Ingredient #4:  Crazy Cast of Supporting Characters

From L to R:  Nikki and David Caywood, Dana Caywood

 Does it get any better than to have the staff of Bookshelf Central next door!!!!!????  Seriously, they were wonderful.  For the uninitiated, Dana Caywood has been instrumental in the writing of many parts of Tapestry of Grace, and her company (Bookshelf Central) carries all the books needed for Tapestry's curriculum.  Their web interface is outstanding, the books are beautiful. . . .and they are such fun!  The running joke was that I knew everyone at the convention (which was only about 75% true).  Oh, and did I mention that they're having 10% off in July???  Bliss!!!  (Editor's Correction:  Thanks to handy-dandy David, I am reminded they have sale promotions All. The. Time, not just in July!  Be still my beating heart!  Thanks, David!!  Go read his comment for more details.  Better yet, visit their website!)

Note to the folks at the office:  if at all possible, put the Bookshelf people next to the Tapestry booth.  It was SO easy to just send moms next door to look at what books they might use with Tapestry!

Epitaph:  The Banner Support Stand

Here we see Tamieka with our beleaguered banner stand.  I think I used an entire roll of duct tape trying to get that thing to stand. . . . . and by about 2 p.m. on Friday, it had quit. It was pining for the fjords, pushing up the daisies. . . . It was an ex-banner stand.  You get the picture.

But it did hold the really cool Map of the Humanities. . . . . once.  For a limited time.

In Conclusion:

A big shout-out to Juli at Lampstand Press (Tapestry's actual company) - she really made the convention an easy undertaking (well, except for the blinkety-blink blank banner. . .but I'm not bitter.  Really.)  Tamieka and I had everything we needed for a successful booth, and we got lots of positive feedback.

It was a wonderful experience, and Tamieka and I already agreed that we want to work together next year!  A hearty thanks to Marcia, Juli, Dana, and all the good folks at Lampstand for supporting local homeschool conventions and making it all possible!

Celebrating President's Day at American Village

Do you all know about American Village?  If you don't, you should!

While I admit it's not as high-falutin' as - say - Plymouth Plantation or Colonial Williamsburg, it is really a well done history resource, right in our own backyard.  I especially like the way they emphasize the sacrifices made by the founders of our country - and then turn around and ask the children who are hearing the program to do the same.  Very inspiring.

Today was President's Day, and American Village was celebrating.  We celebrated, too, and I decided to channel my inner "I-used-to-be-a-fun-mom" and pack up the three younger girls for a field trip.

 

Aren't they cute?  Of course, there was a discount for arriving in costume. . . and I'm only NOW realizing I never got a picture of them standing up, all together.  Sigh.

At any rate, "someone-who-shall-remain-nameless" was feeling a little awkward in said costume, and also a little sad that both the friends we invited couldn't come.  So imagine our surprise when THESE wonderful people came walking through the door of Washington Hall!

Yes, the Pritchetts!!!  They saved the day!!! (Or at least made it a LOT more fun!)

I have also learned that, while I'm channeling my inner "I-used-to-be-a-fun-mom", I am NOT doing so good at channeling my inner "I-used-to-scrapbook-and-take-a-bazillion-pictures" mom.  So with that in mind, here are a few shots from the day. . . wish I had more.

Hannah hoop-rolling on the green

Another Colonial Game - trap ball, I think.  Pretty fun!

 My favorite part today was the Oval Office - yes, they have a replica of THE Oval Office!  It was quite awe-inspiring when I first saw it.  . . . .of course, I don't have a good picture, but this one was pretty cute.

Tired toddler on Daddy's lap.  In the Oval Office, no less!

Hope you all celebrated President's Day in fine fashion - and here are to the remarkable men who have filled that office.  May we never forget to pray for them.

Kids Can Learn Chemistry! Teaching Atomic Bonding

One of these days, I'm going to upgrade this blog and get spiffy tabs like the other uber-cool bloggers have.  But that would require time that I don't have, so for now I'm going to just throw everything in all together!

Therefore, I am now presenting. . . . . . . .

Khemistry for Kids 

(That's to annoy my brother, who has a profound hatred for signs with forced alliteration. . . .think 'Kountry Kitchen', and you're in the right ballpark!)

Do you remember your high school Chemistry class?  You know, the one that gave you cold sweats when you had to *gasp* balance equations?

Yeah.  Me too.  Actually, I liked my chemistry class - except for the part when my teacher told me I was "wasting my mind" by going into education (I was headed to college to be a music major).  Which is highly ironic since, the person uttering that statement was, after all, a teacher.  (Are you still out there, Mrs. Lipeles?)  It would be fairly interesting to hear what she would have to say now. . . . 

But I digress.  Anywho.

I am currently "wasting my mind" teaching science to a group of 14 homeschooled kids on Friday mornings.  They're such a fun bunch! Right now, we're working through a series entitled God's Design for Chemistry & Ecology - and we've hit the lesson on ionic and covalent bonding.  The basic lesson presented was good, but I decided to hunt around and see what else I could find.

Wow.  I love the internet.  Who knew there were such good lesson plans there?  The activities I'm about to explain came mainly from this site - but since they were geared for middle schoolers, I just adapted them a bit for my class.

First up - Ionic Bonding.  Here are Mr. Chlorine and Mr. Sodium!  

 It's a little hard to see from the picture, but they're wearing headbands (Ok, I bribed them with candy to wear them) with ping-pong ball "electrons" on them.  Mr. Sodium (Na) has 1 electron (valence electrons, for you science junkies out there) and Mr. Chlorine (Cl) has 7 electrons. 

Prior to this point, we had discussed valence electrons, and the tendency of the atoms to want a complete shell of electrons - in this case, Mr. Cl wants 8, and Mr. Na wants to get rid of his 1 lonely electron.  After this picture was taken, Mr. Na took off his electron and gave it to Mr. Cl.  Lots of hysterical laughter ensued. . . . but they got the point.  Electrons transferred?  Ionic bonding.  Ta-dah!

Next up - well, I knew I had to choose two girls for this one.  You'll see why in a minute.  (And yes, they were also bribed with candy.)

Here we have the incredibly cute Hydrogen sisters.  They started out with one electron each.  Their headbands only have 2 curly pipe cleaners on them so they each want to add an electron.

How do they solve their problem?  They share!  (Insert class, laughing hysterically here)  You can't see it quite so well, but yes, the girls are joined at the headbands with their electrons (each ping pong ball has two holes in it for just this purpose!)

Sharing electrons?  Covalent bonding.  Ta dah!

 See, now, that wasn't so painful, was it?

To further illustrate the concept, we turned to that ever so popular motivator of children.

C-A-N-D-Y.


Here is our friendly sodium atom.  Note the one valence electron - an orange skittle.

Next up, the Chlorine atom.  Note the 7 valence electrons.   Note also that I color coordinated them for the picture.  I'm good like that.

 Ready for some ionic bonding?  Here we go!

 As you can see, sodium has given its electron to chlorine.  Everybody's happy.

Including my students.  When I explained to them that this subject was difficult, and if they told their mothers about it, their mothers would say it was too hard to learn, I was met with disbelief. 

One of my more observant students quipped:  "That's because they didn't have Skittles when they were in high school!" 

Take that, Mrs. Lipeles.  Wasting my mind, indeed. 

14 Down, 12 To Go

. . . . first days of school, that is!  Yes, I am officially past the half-way point. . .this is our 14th "First Day of School", and as Amy is starting Kindergarten, I've got 12 left.

You can start praying for me now.  Thank you.

*Warning!  This is a picture-heavy, grandparent-friendly post.  If seeing pictures of my kids drives you crazy, read no further.  You've been given advance notice. **

We usually have a special breakfast each year, and this year I took Amy to our new Dunkin' Donuts.  (Yes, I'm still a Yankee at heart.  I prefer Dunkin' to Krispy.  There you have it.)  She thought the donut balloons were cute, and got her own chocolate donut in a bag.  Happiness.

My big Kindergartener!  Emily made her own school box. . .  it's purple, there in the picture.  She's got her favorite bug, and is ready to go.

Each year, I make the kids fill out a "First Day of School Questionnaire".  Yep, I still have the one Kathryn did when she was 4!  This is Nathaniel measuring Amy, to see how tall she was for her to write down on her paper.

And now. . . the Cast of Characters!

Amy, Kindergarten.  Ready to go!  I can't believe how big she is. . . . sniff. . . . .

Hannah, 4th grade, age 9.  She's going to be my big science helper this year - she'll be helping Amy by teaching her Sonlight Science K each week, with my supervision.  Should be fun!

Emily, 6th grade, age 11.  Why do they grow up so fast?  (And. . . would you believe she's excited about learning Latin?  Yay, Emily!!)

Speaking of growing up . . . .this boy will be 14 in two days.  Entering high school.  Wow.  He's embracing his new work load - I'm so proud of him.  He wanted to move his desk back downstairs, said it was too lonely & quiet up in his bedroom.

Excuse me while I get a tissue.

*tears up*

Kathryn.  Her last year.  I'm having a moment. 

She was actually pretty funny about this picture.  She wouldn't let me in until she had it arranged - and she piled ALL her school stuff, plus her laptop, on her desk.  Check out this picture:

(play I-Spy.  See the driver's license/learner's permit in the picture above the camera?  And the knitting?  She'll be busy, I tell you!)

The whole gang, posed on our front steps:

And a funny picture, because they wanted to:

Couple more random pictures/happenings:

The look on her face says it all.  She's Pretty. Excited. about school starting!

This is Amy.  While I was helping the older girls with their math lessons, she snuck into her book basket, pulled out Go Dog Go, and read it.  Unfortunately, that book was planned for her to read in, oh, March.

I guess we can skip that part of the reading curriculum, eh?

Finally:  If you've read this far, I've got a story for you.

During lessons this morning, Amy spent a LOT of time drawing on the white board.  (Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of it.  Boo.)  She kept saying she was drawing her "paper city", and insisted I make it with her today.  I had NO idea what she was talking about.  At all.  But kept placating her to get lessons done.

Finally, it was the hour of decision.  Amy became almost frantic, because no one seemed to understand what the paper city was.  Enter Emily.  Somehow she listened, understood, and helped her little sister make this creation:

It's an almost exact replica of a city scene from our Wii game, entitled, "I Spy".  THAT is what Amy had drawn, and then dear sweet Emily replicated it.

I could kiss her.

And that moment, that "my-big-sister-understood-me-and-made-a-paper-city-for-me" moment, is reason #2,396 that I homeschool.

Onwards and upward to Day Two. . . . .