Homeschooling Adventures

November 2008

November was, once again, filled with activities and fun things to do. We continued our regular activities of Earth Scouts, yoga and music this month, though there was some shifting around of the schedule.

SALT (Smithsburg Area Learning Time Co-op) continued to meet, and despite always having a challenging time getting there by 10am, we continued to attend. We really enjoy the people and activities at the co-op, but I’m strongly considering taking a break over the winter to just free up some time and spend more time at home. We’ll see.

Our creative journaling club met again this month on the 14th. We played some word games and created a collaborate poem, which elicited tons of giggles from the all girl group. I’m really enjoying this group, though. Since writing is one of those things I enjoy, but rarely make time for, organizing this group gives me a chance to be creative, which is nice.

On the 22nd, we continued a semi-tradition of going down to Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary in Poolesville, Maryland, for their annual “Thanksgiving with the Turkeys” celebration potluck. This is our fourth year to attend. The weather always plays a big part in the experience. This year, it was freezing, and Zofia, being only one year-old, was all bundled up, but still it was too difficult to keep her warm for long. So, we whizzed in, visited with the turkeys for a bit, warmed up by a bonfire, then headed to the potluck tables to fill our “to go” containers. Then we sat in the car and enjoyed the scrumptious vegan goodies. Since we were halfway to DC already, we decided to head down to DC for a trip to Whole Foods and Barnes and Nobles, which are two places we frequent only occasionally, due to our propensity for spending a lot of money in both!

A couple days later, we headed up to the Capitol Theatre in Chambersburg, PA, where my mom had gotten tickets for a little production called “Babes in Toyland.” It was a holiday play, geared towards younger kids, and Flo, Joe and Zofia all sat still, thoroughly engrossed for an hour or so.

We rounded out the month by heading to our friend Sheila’s house on the 30th, to get into the holiday spirit and join in for a cookie exchange social evening. Flo came along with me to help with Zofia, but ended up playing with Sheila’s daughter, Rowan, most of the evening. Nonetheless, Zofia was quite good and I enjoyed chatting with fellow homeschooling moms and having a “girls night out.” We brought along some gluten-free vegan cookies to exchange, but opted not to bring any home, as the discernment of what is vegan and allergy-free is generally just too daunting of a task… and besides, who needs the temptation of dozens of cookies sitting on the counter!

So, all in all, a great month, filled with lots of fun activities and opportunities for learning. Now we’re into the holiday season!

October 2008

October went by in an over-scheduled blur. In fact, it is now November, and I’m reflecting back on October, wondering where the time went.

Academically, we’re pretty much on the same path as usual. Flo does lots of independent reading, and we also read together a lot. Flo is one of those people that likes to have three or four books going at once, so she has books all over the place; in the car, in her backpack, next to her bed… Come to think of it, that sounds just like me! I have stacks of books everywhere and tend to read in spurts.

Joe had a dentist appointment this month to fill his little cavity that we’ve been taking good care of for the past two years, because every dentist appointment up until recently ended in a complete meltdown on his part. Thankfully, some maturity seems to have come to Joe as he rounds out his fifth year, and this appointment was remarkably quick and painless. They didn’t even have to numb him. They just got in there, quickly got out the “sugar monster” and were done. Yeah!

We continued with our Smithsburg Area Learning Time Co-op this month. It’s the first and third Fridays of the month, and though I’m always glad to be there once we get there, it’s so hard getting going with three kids, that I often question the benefits of the whole experience. Nonetheless, we try to contribute what we can, and Flo really loves the social aspect. Joe is pretty much only interested in sports and games, but is a lot easier to manage than he was even just last year. Now Zofia has stepped up to fill his shoes, and keeps me busy chasing her around and getting into stuff.

We had our second Creative Journaling Club meeting this month. It was all girls this time, which was fun. I spent a couple hours doing a journaling collage project with them, while listening in on their giggly conversations. I’m enjoying the group, and it’s inspiring me to dust off my journal as well!

On the 12th, we headed to Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary in Poolesville, Maryland. We’ve gone to their annual open house fundraiser every year for a few years now, and since it was great weather, it seemed like a good way to spend the day. We walked around a bit, visiting with the pigs, sampled some free vegan food and drinks, and then decided to head down to DC, since we were so close. Flo and I did some walking, while Joe and Darren went down to the monuments for a bit. Then, we rendezvoused at the Georgetown Whole Foods for a snack before heading home. All in all, a nice day.

The next day, Flo’s friend, Kate, celebrated her 9th birthday at the Lions Park in Smithsburg, so we headed out for a few hours. The weather was nice and the kids all enjoyed themselves. I opted to leave Joe home that day, so I could relax a bit, because he always gets carried away with the older boys, and I have to spend most of my time telling him to stay out of the woods at this particular park. So, we had a little girl time out… fun!

That same week, our friends Jen, and her son, Conner, came back down from New Jersey, to stay a few days. While they were here, I hosted a Mom’s Night Out here, so Jen could visit with some of her old friends. It was a nice evening, but everyone was tired by 10pm or so, so it wasn’t a late night. I guess motherhood really takes a toll on your energy at times!

On the 23rd, Flo and Joe were invited to Jayme and Alicia’s birthday surprise party at Marty Snook Park. We were a little late to get in on the surprise part, but we made it and the kids all had a great time. Jayme and Alicia actually came over for the evening after the party to visit, after please from Flo and Joe to have their friends over. We made spaghetti, played outside and watch some Scooby.

The following day, Flo had another social outing when she went to her friend, Callie’s, house for the afternoon. They went to see the new “High School Musical 3” movie, so Flo was very excited about that.

We rounded out the month with Halloween festivities. On the 30th, our homeschooling group (PHLiC) had a Halloween party at the Williamsport library. It was a beautiful day out, too, so the kids got to run around outside, as well as, enjoy the festivities inside. Flo went as a medieval princess, and Joe as some sort of Star Wars character.

They continued their costumed fun the next evening for Trick-or-Treating. Jayme and Alicia came over, and we all made the rounds in our neighborhood for the second year in a row. Eric and Jessica visited with us for awhile after trick-or-treating, and the kids enjoyed watching some Halloween specials and checking out all their candy. So, it was a nice evening, and a good memory.

That pretty much wraps up October. As we head into the Fall, I’m still trying to find that balance in our schedule, so that we’re home enough to have time to relax and spend quality time together, but so that we have enough activities to keep the kids stimulated and offer social opportunities. I think this will forever be the challenge, but one must keep trying!

September 2008

Well, the new “school year” was officially underway this month. We continued many of our regular activities, including Flo’s guitar and piano lessons, Earth Scouts and yoga. The month started with our annual “Not Back to School Picnic.” For the past couple years, we’ve met at a local part in Smithsburg to celebrate the onset of the new “school” year. Once again, we had a nice afternoon, eating and visiting with friends.

This month, Flo, Joe and I all went to see a new dentist. Joe has had a tiny cavity for over two years, but the last time we took him to the dentist, it did not go well at all. We barely got his mouth open long enough to confirm that it was indeed a cavity. I dragged him out of the office kicking and screaming. Not fun. Recently, I’ve seen some signs of maturity which led me to believe he could now handle, without such drama, a trip to the dentist. And, in fact, his initial check-up and then return visit for his filling, all went wonderfully. So, that was a relief.

SALT (Smithsburg Area Learning Time Co-op) started up again this month, with some fun new classes. Flo’s doing a historical arts class, a reading circle, and a kitchen chemistry class. Joe still just hangs out and mostly plays with Legos and does the sports activities, but he’s well-behaved, and not quite the handful he was last year. Of course, now Zofia is stepping up to fill that roll. I opted not to volunteer for much this semester, as I knew I would be generally preoccupied with keeping track of her right now. Nonetheless, besides the having to get up early part, we really enjoy the group and look forward to the Fall semester.

On the 7th, we hosted a vegan potluck at our house. We had a nice turnout of about ten people, and lots of good food. I’m persistent with keeping this group going because I think it’s important for my kids to see a positive representation of vegetarianism. Of course, being vegetarian or vegan isn’t a requirement for a good friendship, but it’s just nice to have some friends with whom we share that same interest and can share a good meal.

On the 10th, the new Martin’s grocery store opened down the street from us. Normally, we wouldn’t be so excited about a grocery store, but being that it’s a fifteen minute walk, it gives us a destination on our regular outings, as well as, makes grocery shopping more convenient. Even though we get most of our groceries through our natural foods buying club co-op, there are inevitably things we need now and then, and it’s nice to be able to run down the street instead of across town. The store has these fancy new hand-held scanners you can use to scan your groceries as you shop, so when you get to the check-out, you just scan a barcode, pay and off you go. The kids really like those, and, of course, fight over who is going to scan what.

This month I decided to start a “Creative Journaling Club” for our homeschooling group. Journaling is always something I’ve been interested in, and I figured it would be as beneficial to me as it is for the kids. Our first meeting went great. We discussed the different types of journaling, and that a journal is not just a “diary,” but can be a place to express all types of creativity. We’re going to have a monthly theme or prompt, and I look forward to seeing what the kids come up with. As an adjunct to this group, we’re also going to work on a homeschooling newsletter, so that should be fun, too!

Joe started up a Learn to Play hockey class this month. He went last season a few times, and really enjoyed it. He’s definitely a competitive kid. We work on continually telling him the old cliché of “it’s not who wins, but how you play the game that matters.” But, it’s great exercise and he really is a good sport. He listens well to the coach, too. I think Darren enjoys taking him, too. It’s kind of their thing. I will try to go a few times this season to cheer him on and take some pictures. He’s growing so fast. It’s hard to believe his sixth birthday is just around the corner.

The highlight of this month was a visit from our niece, Samantha. She’s the daughter of Darren’s brother’s first wife. The last time we saw her she was thirteen or so. She’s now twenty-one and wanted to venture down to the States from Ontario for a visit. She spent a couple weeks tagging along with us to our regular activities, and we took a couple day trips to Gettysburg and DC.

On the 20th, we all went along to Flo’s friend, Emma’s, birthday party at Adventure Park USA. Flo enjoyed herself, and she and Samantha had a great time riding the go karts. Joe rode along with Darren in one, too. However, Joseph didn’t do so well with all the stimulation and when it was time to leave, he had to be carried out, mad because he didn’t have enough tickets from playing the games to trade in for the “prize” he wanted. I think we’re all adventured out for awhile!

On the 22nd, our geography club met for a monthly potluck luncheon. This month the country was France. Once again, Samantha tagged along. Flo shared a little bit about France that she had looked up, and we brought Potage au Potiron (French Pumpkin Soup) which we veganized. It was very tasty!

During Samantha’s visit, our friend Jen and her son, Conner, also were in the area and were going to just stay over one night. However, their car broke down, and they ended up here for three nights. Their usual guest suite in the basement was being occupied by Samantha, so we cleared out the kids’ rooms for a couple nights for them. Surprisingly, even having multiple guests, it wasn’t too disconcerting. Everyone seemed to enjoy visiting.

On the 25th, while Jen and Conner were still at our house, hoping their car would be done (which it wasn’t), Samantha, Flo, Zofia and I headed down to DC for the day to show Samantha the sights. Joe stayed home for the day with Grandma. I think Samantha was more interested in all the vegetarian food options, than the historical sites. We enjoyed trying a couple places and going to Whole Foods Market. We walked around downtown and saw a few monuments, and headed to the Smithsonian later in the afternoon, just in time to arrive when they were closing! Oh well! Samantha didn’t wear comfortable shoes, so by the time we rode the metro back to our car, her feet were blistered and we were wet and tired. But, we stopped for dinner at Whole Foods in Rockville on the way home, and then the drive home wasn’t too bad. But, overall, it was an enjoyable day.

Samantha left on the 29th, and that pretty much wrapped up our month. Reflecting on the month, I felt a little too busy and overscheduled, and would like to focus on spending more relaxing time at home. Sometimes it’s hard to weigh the benefit of a class or activity for the kids against the effort expended to get there and disrupt the flow of the day. We generally get more accomplished academically, and just in general, when we have a stretch of a couple days that we’re home and not running around somewhere. So, again, we’ll continue to strive towards that balance!

August 2008

We started out the month celebrating Flo’s 9th birthday! On the first, we had a little party for her at home. She invited all her friends over to watch the movie “Spiderwick.” We made movie tickets, had popcorn and drinks, and I made her flower shaped cake. We asked that if anyone wanted to bring a gift that it be something homemade, repurposed or recycled, and her friends brought her a bunch of fun and creative gifts that she really enjoyed. She had a great day, and I found it to be the easiest party I ever planned; nothing complicated or expensive, just friends and a little food. The next day, on her actual birthday, we had a quiet day at home. We bought Flo a fancy laptop bag, and gave her our five year old laptop computer for her to play around with, along with a little bag of goodies consisting of some gum, books, and such. Then we made her requested birthday dinner of spaghetti. Grandma came down in the afternoon to enjoy some leftover birthday cake and deliver her gift of an American Girl doll, which Flo was hoping for. So, all in all, a festive couple days.

On the 5th, we had a planning meeting at the park for the Fall semester of the Smithsburg Area Learning Time Co-op (SALT). The moms discussed ideas for classes while the kids played. We brainstormed some good ideas and I think it will be a positive experience again, especially for Flo, who really enjoys the social time. It will be a little more challenging for me this year, toting Zofia, who is into everything. I refrained from volunteering for too much because I know I’ll have my hands full with her.

That same day, while at the park, Jodi, our Earth Scouts organizer, put together a solar bead project for the kids in the group. Earth Scouts has been a little slow during the summer, but we’re looking forward to the upcoming “school year” and some fun activities. I really like the philosophy of the group.

Later that week, we stopped over to our friends, Eric and Jessica’s, house to pick veggies and socialize a bit. They undertook a huge gardening venture this year and grew some great veggies. They’ve been generous to share their surplus upon occasion, and we’ve enjoyed seeing the “fruits” of their labor.
On the 15th, we headed down towards DC, to Alexandria, VA, to check out the exhibits at the Animal Rights Conference. It was at the Hilton Hotel down there, and we just walked around the exhibit area for an hour or so, checking out all the great vegan products and trying some yummy food samples. After that, we headed over to Whole Foods Market, which is one of our favorite places. On the way out of town, we stopped at Iwo Jima Memorial Park and walked around for awhile. The kids enjoyed stretching their legs after being in the car for a couple hours, and facing another hour and a half or so trip home.

The following day, Saturday the 16th, Darren and Flo participated in a monthly gathering with the Queen of Heaven Circle earth-centered spirituality group at our church. Flo and Darren tend to go a lot by themselves, as Joe and Zofia tend to be too disruptive to the calm atmosphere. However, we try to keep up to date on their activities and participate as a family when we can. They’re a really nice bunch of people.

This month’s “Geo Lunch” was at Jessica’s house on the 18th. The country of focus was the Dominican Republic. We made “arroz con leche” using coconut milk, and brought along “lentejas,” which is Spanish for “lentils.” Flo wrote up a little blurb of information she found and shared it with the group, and then the kids enjoyed just playing for an hour or so after lunch.

Of course, another highlight of the month was Zofia turning one! It’s hard to believe she’s been with us a year already! It’s the old cliché, but it really seems like she’s always been here. It’s so fun watching her grow and watching Florence and Joseph be older siblings. Darren and I are loving the experience, despite the intermittent parental stress involved! We enjoyed a relaxing day, and then in the evening, Darren and Joe went to their first major league baseball game in Baltimore. They watched the Baltimore Oriels play the Boston Red Sox. They both had a great time, and I’m glad I didn’t go, because they got really cheap seats (free tickets the kids got from finishing the reading program at the library), and I would have been a nervous wreck up there, as I’m not a big fan of heights, and Joe is a bit of a daredevil at times. So, next time, if we decide to tag along when Zofia’s a bit older, we’ll splurge for the good seats!

Towards the end of the month, on the 26th, I hosted a PHLiC Organizational Meeting at our house. We had a great turnout and a lot of great ideas were generated. I’m so impressed with the growth of the group and really love being a part of such a great homeschooling community. I feel lucky to have been a catalyst in the formation of the group, and inspired by how it has grown into such a diverse community with so many great activities available to all our kids (and parents).

We rounded out the month by decorating some simple Mead composition books for journals for a journaling club I decided to start in September. Journaling is something that has always inspired me, but that I’ve never been consistent with. I thought by stepping out of my box a bit and starting a group, it might generate some creativity and fun for the kids, as well as, some inspiration for myself!

That’s basically our month in a nutshell. Flo continued guitar lessons, but her piano teacher left and a replacement hasn’t come in yet, so she’s had a couple weeks without piano lessons before they fill the slot. But, we plan to continue her with both music lessons, whether she’s driven to do so or not. I always wish someone had pushed me a little more with music, and I don’t want her to miss that window of opportunity in youth to learn, so we’ll continue to prioritize that in the budget!

So, we had a well-rounded summer, and are looking forward to the upcoming “school year,” which will be filled with quite an array of activities and social opportunities.

July 2008

July began with my mom’s (Grandma) birthday on the 2nd. The American Girl movie came out that day, and Flo really wanted my mom to come. So, we went to see that, then to a local Japanese hibachi restaurant for dinner. It was a nice day.

Then on the 4th of July, our community had its annual “Mile Long Yard Sale.” We dragged out some clutter from our basement closet and put it out. Everything went, aside from one little box that we took to Good Will. Flo and Joe had a small lemonade stand, which of course, hardly turned a profit, considering we used organic lemonade and charged $50 per cup. Nonetheless, the kids made a few bucks to split and had a good time.

The next day, my mom took Flo to the annual fireworks and symphony at Antietam battlefield. Flo accompanied my mom, Tom and a couple friends for an afternoon picnic and evening of fireworks. I think she enjoyed herself, but was quite tired at the end of the day.

A few days later, our friend Jen, came down from New Jersey with her son, Conner. They used to live here, but moved away awhile back for a new job. They visit every now and then, and participate in an occasional activity with our homeschooling group. Flo always enjoys seeing her buddy Conner. Conner was diagnosed with type one diabetes shortly before they moved away, and Flo always seems intrigued to learn more about the workings of Conner’s insulin pump and his daily routine.

We had a week or two lull in July, with a little more relaxed schedule. Flo continued with her guitar and piano lessons, and with yoga on Tuesday afternoons, but otherwise, we had a little more time to do some organizing around the house, and work on some basic school stuff, like handwriting, math on ALEKS.com and just lots of reading for the summer reading program. Joe finished up his reading chart for the library program, and got free tickets to the Oriels vs. the Red Sox game in August. Flo’s lagging behind him a bit, because she’s now reading longer chapter books, whereas Joe had us read him lots of longer picture books. Maybe it’s not set up so fairly, but nonetheless, Flo is almost done, too.

Then, on the 20th, Darren’s sister and her family came down from Kingston, Ontario for a few day visit. They had a baby two months after Zofia was born, so it was the first time the kids met their new cousin. It was cute to see the two babies together, too. The LeBlanc’s enjoyed their brief visit, squeezing in a trip to Westminster to see the Baltimore Ravens training camp, and to the local outlets for a quick shopping trip. Otherwise, we just hung out and visited.

The following weekend, we hosted another vegetarian potluck at our church. We had about six people show up, but it was a nice time. Flo and Joe both came along and behaved themselves playing around outside and watching some movies in the church classroom.

The next day, Flo had a playdate with her friend, Callie. I think she was happy to get out and socialize on her own for the day. She always has Joe tagging along, and he can be a pest sometimes. Not to mention, sibling rivalry is at its peak these days. They can really get into it. Our attempts at mediation are usually futile, so we generally let them work things out on their own; which they do. Nonetheless, it’s good for them to have individual activities now and then.

As for other activities, Flo continued guitar, piano & yoga this month, and she and I also tried out one yoga class at YMCA. It was quite relaxing, and I think we’ll probably start taking advantage of the multiple weekly classes there, as it’s much more cost effective. Flo and I have also been taking lots of walks together. A lot of evenings after 7pm, when the sun is not so hot, we’ve been talking some long walks to local places, and having Darren pick us up. It’s kind of an adventure, and it gives us time to spend alone and talk.

Summer is well underway, and we’re keeping quite busy. I’m already looking ahead to the new “school year,” trying to think of some interesting and fun things to do with the kids. They are definitely keeping me busy, but it’s a learning journey for us all!

June 2008

Summer is in full gear, and the kids are keeping us busy. We’ve continued a little “school stuff” into the summer, but mostly reading a lot, some penmanship practice and math.

We started out the month with Zofia’s 9 month check-up. Flo came along, and enjoyed watching Zofia get weighed. She weighed in at just a little over 13 pounds! She’s doing great and is a very agreeable baby.

Our Earth Scouts group is meeting in a low key fashion this summer, with a few projects and some park dates. We made solar ovens at our last meeting. The kids and I are yet to try to “cook” anything in it, as the most popular option is smores, and we haven’t found any vegetarian marshmallows locally yet.

Flo is continuing her music lessons through the summer. She getting used to her new teachers and their teaching styles. Her piano teach is Asian and has an accent, so it’s taken Flo a few lessons to understand her, but it seems to be going well. I still don’t push her to practice a lot, but gently suggest it daily. I told her she’s going whether she practices or not, so it’s up to her whether she wants to be prepared or not. Sometimes this approach is effective… sometimes not.

On the 7th, my mom’s neighborhood had a yard sale, so Flo went up to help out for the morning. She made a few bucks and was please with herself. Our neighborhood has a large “mile long” yard sale every July 4th, so we’ll have to start cleaning house for that and see if we can’t take the opportunity to declutter a bit and get organized!

On the 9th we went to our friend, Jessica’s, house for a playdate with her kids, Jayme and Alicia. Jayme is 9, but Joe really idolizes him and they play well together. Alicia is six, but she and Flo generally gravitate towards playing “girly” things together. Jessica also had a baby this year, so we have a new little buddy, Lincoln, who is four months younger than Zofia, and quite the cutie, as well. It’s fun watching them grow together.

On the 11th, one of the mom’s in our group facilitated a field trip to the local NBC station here. Flo was quite entranced with Ian, the meteorologist, and has ambitions to be a weather girl herself someday. She loves to check the weather and report to me every morning whether it’s going to rain or not. I told her if that is her true ambition, she’d better start loving math! I don’t think she sees the connection yet.

The county library’s summer reading program kicked off on the 13th, so we headed downtown to sign the kids up. They get a little game board and reading list chart to keep track of the books they read, and they get little prizes for reaching certain markers on the board. It’s been quite the motivator for Flo to read. She started the Spiderwick Chronicles books this month, and is looking forward to watching the movie when she finishes reading all five!

That same day, while we were downtown, we headed to the post office to apply for Zofia’s first passport. It arrived less than two weeks later. So, she’s now officially cleared for international travel. Unfortunately, we have to adventurous travel plans at the moment.

On the 14th, the local hospital sponsored a health fair. The kids enjoyed see the “colossal colon” display, which consisted of a couple giant tubes to run through, one of which was the healthy side, and one the not-so-healthy side. They also got fitted for free bike helmets and rode on the bicycle obstacle course.

The next day was Father’s Day. Darren had been mentioning having a craving for pizza, and being that there’s no place locally to get good vegan pizza, the kids and I endeavored to make our own. The dough turned out great, but unfortunately, I was abandoned with the pizza-making efforts while the kids found more entertaining things to do. Actually, our friend Jessica stopped by with her kids, because Eric, her husband, ended up throwing out his back and having to go to the ER. Not a fun thing to do on Father’s Day! Nonetheless, we enjoyed a brief visit with them while he waited in the ER.

Flo continued yoga this month with Lata, a very nice instructor. Joe even did a “trial” class at the end of the month and managed to pay attention and not be too disruptive. I think I will sign him up for July, too, and see how it goes. I guess these are the markers of maturity, as just six months ago he would never have been able to participate without being a total pest. We’ll see how it goes!

On Saturday, the 21st, Flo and I got up unusually early to go check out a big “Kids Stuff” yard sale held in the packing lot of the Citicorp building nearby. It was all just kids clothes, toys and baby items. We got a few outfits, and Flo found a Cabbage Patch doll for a buck, but otherwise, we refrained from bringing home anymore unneeded clutter.

That night, Flo and Darren went to the Queen of Heaven Circle group at our church to celebrate the Summer Solstice. They had a nice time, but I opted out, as Joe is not quite attentive enough yet. We had been in Frederick all day shopping and having lunch, so Zofia was cranky and tired, and Joe had a lot of pent up energy from sitting in the car. Nonetheless, it was a nice day.

The proceeding Monday, our monthly geography group met for our “India Geo Luncheon.” Flo wrote a little blurb on the Taj Mahal, which she shared with the group, and we made a dish we called “Kind of a Curry,” using stuff we already had around the house. It turned out really yummy!

The last Sunday of the month, Darren and I had volunteered to teach the RE (religious education) class at our church. I planned to do nature journals with the kids, where we would spend the first half of class making them, then the second half going outside to find things to put in them. However, I sorely underestimated the work involved in punching a multitude of holes into cardstock paper for eight kids with only two hole punches, one of which broke after the first journal was done. Thus, we spent the whole class making the journals, then talking about things we see in nature and drawing a picture of that. Oh well… everything is a learning experience!

So, another fun month educating the Petite kids!

May 2008

We started the month by going to Shepherdstown, WV to check out the May Day Festivities. They have one of the few remaining Maypole Festivals in the country. It was nice watching the Morris dancers and seeing everyone dressed up in pretty costumes. Flo danced around the Maypole and Joe enjoyed just lounging around watching everyone. We ended the afternoon by having a meal at the Blue Moon Café. I can’t say I was overly impressed, as there were out of half the things we tried to order, which I think left us with beans and rice and a couple green salads. But, hey, the kids didn’t mind, and we got to sit down and chat for a bit.

We continued the May festivities with a Cinco de Mayo potluck with our homeschooling friends on the fifth of the month. We met at a park in Smithsburg, and the kids enjoyed an afternoon of potluck goodies and time with friends.

Our EarthScouts group is thriving. We met again this month to work on our natural journals, and the group plans to take a nature walk next month to find material for their journals. Unfortunately, we have an appointment that day, but we’ll spend some time looking around a park or locally, so Flo will have time to add to her journal, too.

Joe finished up his soccer class this week. I never did attend any of them, as Darren ended up taking him. But I got to see a few videos Flo and Darren took, and I can tell he definitely has a competitive spirit. We’re going to have to work on the “not being a sore loser” part. We keep reiterating that it’s not who wins, but how you play the game. Of course, it’s fun to win, too!

Flo switched to a new location this month for her music lessons. The “Music and Arts” store just relocated to a new shopping plaza just a couple miles from us. So, we decided to do both her lessons back to back on one day. The store is conveniently located by a Starbucks, so there’s somewhere to hang out while we wait.

On the 8th, Flo went to an art class in Smithsburg, where they studied impressionist artist, Vincent Van Gogh. For their medium this month they produced their own reproductions of his “Starry Night” painting in acrylics. Flo quite enjoyed that process.

The following day, the kids did a Mother’s Day craft project at a fellow-homeschooling mom’s house. She hosted a little craft workshop for the kids, while the mom’s chatted and had coffee. Aside from the fact that she lives on the main road, and Joe nearly gave me a heart attack jumping out of the car when we arrived and he saw all his friends, it was a nice time and the kids really enjoyed themselves. On the following Sunday, which was Mother’s Day, they were excited to give me their little crafts they did for me; a bracelet and a bookmark.

On the 17th, Darren took Flo, and her friend, Megan, to a Beltane celebration with the Queen of Heaven Circle group through our church. They had a great time dancing around the Maypole and visiting with friends.

This month’s geography club luncheon was on Egypt. We met on the 19th and shared some interesting cuisine and the kids wrapped themselves in toilet paper to be mummies. I thought Johni, our hostess, was very brave to offer that as an option. It looked like it was going to require some major cleanup. Flo shared some info she learned about the Nile River and had a great time. She didn’t want to leave.

Our homeschooling review was due this month, so on the 23rd, I facilitated a meeting at a park in Smithsburg, where we all met to sign our forms, so they can be sent out to The Excelsior Academy in time. I always marvel at what a simple process it is, and how lucky we are to not have to endure the stress of county reviews.

The following day, my friend, Jessica, hosted a Mom’s Night Out for our homeschooling group. The theme was salad and chocolate. I enjoyed a nice big salad and some good conversation, I only stayed a few hours, even though some people lingered into the wee hours of the morning. I had Zofia with me, and I was tuckered out by 9 or 10pm. Nonetheless, it’s always nice to get out and chat with other moms. Makes me feel like all is well in the world.

On the 25th, we hosted another vegetarian potluck. Once again, only a handful of people showed up; this time including my friend, Julie, and her husband, Dan. I’ve started posting more flyers and started a group on MeetUp.com, so I’m hopeful the group will grow. I keep at it, anyway. Flo and Joe enjoyed themselves this month, playing with the other couple kids there, and enjoying some good food.

Finally, we rounded out the month with a tour of a local firehouse in downtown Hagerstown on the 29th. The woman that did our tour was actually a former homeschooler herself, which was neat. Joe even was interested enough to pay attention. He was really fascinated with the pole the firemen slide down, but of course, due to liability reasons, they didn’t let the kids give that a try! The kids quite enjoyed their visit and, I think, learned a bit about fire safety, too!

April 2008

April began with our resident fool’s birthday on the 1st. Darren turned thirty-eight year’s old. During that week, we had our homeschooling buddy, Conner, and his mom, Jen, visiting from New Jersey. They came down for a field trip to our local grocery store and to visit for a couple days. They were also here the last week of the month, tagging along to a couple activities and visiting with friends. So, the kids enjoyed having houseguests this month.

Academics were sporadic, but well received this month. Flo started using an online math program called ALEKS. I really like it so far. It requires little direction on my part, and she seems to being moving forward, so that’s good. We’re hoping the “Teaching Textbooks” program is available for fourth grade next year, so we’re waiting eagerly to hear more about that. Other than that, we’ve continued with a couple workbooks on language arts and reading, and she’s now finishing up book five of the “Draw Write Now” series.

Joe is still just working on some basic concepts, and we’re waiting for the opportune time to introduce the Funnix reading program we used with Flo. Of course, we realize that every child is different, and this approach may not be a match for him. But, since we already have the program, we’ll probably give it a try over the summer, and see where his focus is.

Our first activity of the month was a trip planned through The Field Trip Factory, called Healthy Kids or something like that. We went to our local Martin’s grocery store and got a tour of all the departments and some samples. The kids loved that.

Other activities this month included the last two meetings of our Smithsburg Areal Learning Time Co-Op for the summer. We had a great first year, and decided to take the summer off. We’ll look forward to some fun activities in the Fall and utilizing all the talents and resources of our group.

On the 5th, we drove down to Frederick to check out a “Really Really Free” gathering that we saw advertised on one of our mailing lists. It turned out to be about ten college kids with blankets of free stuff laid out in the park. But, it was a nice day, so we chatted with them awhile, then Darren and Joe played in the park, while Flo and I walked around downtown Frederick. We topped off the day with lunch at the Common Market.

Our Earth Scouts group had its first meeting this month. We worked on our banner and decorated their journals. I think the Earth Scouts organization has a lot of potential, and I’m interested to see how the group goes.

On the 10th, Flo took her monthly art class at the Smithsburg Library, with Ms. Kari VanZante. They studied the artist Seurat and his pointillism technique by doing an acrylic painting.

Flo’s friend and neighbor, Caroline, turned eight this month, and had a sleepover for her birthday. Flo seemed to enjoy herself, but had a little disagreement with some of the girls over some missing candy, and came home a bit upset. It all seems to have blown over, as these things tend to do.
Both Flo and Joe went to the Lowe’s Workshops again this month. They built an ant house and a wind sail. I think the projects are cute, but they are starting to overtake our playroom, and their quality is questionable. I think we may have to selectively eliminate some, or start giving them as gifts.

After the Lowe’s workshop one Saturday, we went to a free concert at the Discovery Station museum downtown, featuring Jennie Avila and Stephen Wright. Flo enjoyed it, but it only held Joe’s attention for about ten minutes, due to the room’s proximity to the play stuff in the next room. Nonetheless, it was a nice afternoon.

On the 16th, one of the mom’s in our group organized a tour of the art museum downtown. So, Flo went on a little field trip with me, while Joe stayed home with Darren (who was working). The tour was interesting and I think the kids picked up a few interesting facts and tidbits.

For Earth Day, I organized an Earth Day Party. I got the county recycling coordinator, who coincidentally used to be a middle school science teacher, to come speak to our homeschooling group about recycling. His presentation was engaging and even the parents learned some about where our waste goes when we throw it away. It was enlightening, to say the least. We also had a great whole foods potluck, some crafts and just hung out and enjoyed the nice weather.

That same day, Joe started pee-wee soccer. Darren took him and said he seemed a little disappointed that they only did drills and didn’t actually get to play. But he agreed to go again, and seems to be enjoying himself. He got new cleats for the occasion, which he’s very excited about.

The 24th was Bring Your Kids to work Day, so we left Joe with my mom, since we weren’t up for the challenge of taking him to DC, and Flo, Zofia, Darren and I headed in at 6am. Despite our apparent early departure, we were still late. We were supposed to be there around 8, and due to traffic, we didn’t get there until closer to 9am. Still, Flo had a nice day visiting with some of the kids of Darren’s co-workers and getting a tour of the office. She’s been in a couple times before for similar events, so she knew the drill. I sat in a desk by Darren on and off with Zofia, and then we walked around the city for a couple hours and picked up lunch for Flo at Java Green, a vegetarian place we really like. On our way out of the city, we stopped at Whole Foods Market in Georgetown to grab a salad bar and a few snacks for the ride home, as seems to have become tradition.

Our geography club luncheon this month studied Greece. Flo shared a little info she learned about the Parthenon and the mom that hosted the activity planned some great “Olympic” games for the kids. We also had a eclectic spread of Greek-inspired food. We brought homemade hummus to add to the mix.

Flo had her last ice skating class for the Spring. Her teacher was sick and didn’t show up for the final testing week, so we’re not sure what’s up with that. But, I think we’re going to take a break from it for awhile, just to free up our schedule a bit. We’ll see how things are going in the Fall and where Flo’s interest level is. She’s been doing skating, on and off, for a couple years now, and really enjoys it, but there’s only so far one can go without lots of practice and private instruction, and I’m not sure that’s the direction we’re heading. I think it’s more of a fun physical activity. So, we’ll see.

Flo also wrapped up her piano lessons with her instructor out in West Virginia. She really enjoyed the year with her, and her home was conveniently located near our friends out there, so we could often visit after a lesson. But, for the sake of simplicity and minimizing driving, we opted to check out the music store about a mile away from us that offers both guitar and piano, so she can take them both in one place. So, we’ll see how that goes next month.

On the 29th, I hosted a quarterly organizational meeting for our homeschooling group (PHLiC – The Potomac Home Learning Circle). Eight or ten moms showed up to discuss some activity ideas and some of the minor administration tasks that need to be managed as we grow as a group. It’s inspiring to see all the creative ideas we come up with as a group and the resources we make available to one another.

So, we finished off the month by saying good-bye to our houseguests, who left early to go to a field trip in Baltimore. The kids and I relaxed a bit, then Flo and I headed out in the afternoon for her yoga class, then to return library books. We took a walk downtown for a little exercise before heading to get a few groceries and to the Home and School Connection store to look for a birthday gift for a friend.

It was another full month, and at moments I felt like we were completely overscheduled. Thus, I’ll be looking for ways to minimize that feeling as we round out the “school” year.

March 2008

March was a whirlwind month, full of visits from friends and family. Darren’s good friend, Alex, from Italy, arrived at the end of February and stayed for two weeks. He and Darren took a little trip to see a concert, and then showed Alex around our area. The kids really enjoyed having a visitor. We got to take day trips to Baltimore and DC, and Alex tagged along to several of our regular homeschool activities.

Early in the month, while Darren and Alex were in New Jersey for the concert, I took the kids to the community college for a free presentation by a gymnastics troupe called “Gymkana.” Flo really enjoyed it, and Joe was a bit of a challenge, as usual. Afterwards, Flo was jumping around doing “gymnastics” for the next two days. I think she was inspired!

We continued with regular activities, too, such as ice skating, piano and guitar lessons, and our homeschooling co-op. Darren brought Alex along to take Flo and Joe to Lowe’s for a kid’s building workshop. Lowe’s runs those twice a month, and it’s starting to be a little bit of a tradition for Darren to take the kids.

Mid-month, actually, right over my birthday, Darren’s brother and his family showed up to visit for a couple nights. We showed them around town and went out to Chinese food. It was a nice visit, and Flo and Joe enjoyed seeing their cousins.

I spent my birthday taking Flo to an event at the public library. The author of some of the American Girl books was there doing a presentation. Seventy tickets had been available, and Flo got one. She was excited to go and had a great time.

Flo finished up her track class at the community college this month. It was just a six week course, but I think she enjoyed doing something a little different.

On the 25th, we had our monthly geography club luncheon. This month we studied Sweden. Flo and I had done minimal research, but she did read a little about the country and the rice pudding dish we made to bring along. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, the weather was so nice that day, that the kids mostly ended up eating and playing outside, pretty much forgetting all about Sweden. But, it was a nice day.

On the 29th, Flo went to her friend, Becky’s, birthday party. She had fun making a homemade gift for Becky, of a little cloth back and cookies. I tried to encourage resourcefulness in her when she said she needed to “buy” Becky a gift. She got excited thinking about all the things she could make, instead.

On the last day of the month, our homeschooling buddy, Conner, arrived from New Jersey. He and his mom, Jen, moved away last year, and come back periodically to visit. Life is considerably more chaotic in our house now, with three kids, but thankfully, our guest room is in the basement, and the impact of that chaos is generally minimal on the guest…. I hope.

We had a busy month, and are looking forward to Spring and Summer, and hopefully a little more relaxed schedule.

February 2008

February was a leap year this year, and we leaped into it with lots of activities. Flo and Darren started the month with a little culture by going to a performance of the Snow White ballet at the Capitol Theatre in Chambersburg, PA, with my mom. Flo has enjoyed several shows there. Mid month, I took the kids up again to meet my mom for a morning presentation of “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.” That was cute. It even kept Joe’s attention.

Darren also started working at home at the beginning of this month, so we had a little adjustment in our schedule. But, it was mostly a good transition. It’s nice to be able to pop out for an errand or take Flo and the baby to an activity, while Joe stays home. It definitely affords us more flexibility, and for Darren, the opportunity to be more present in the kid’s lives. So, we consider it a real blessing to have this opportunity right now.

On the 6th, we had another round of our “Spelling Bee Club.” Once again, Flo didn’t spend much time studying for it, though we did try to do her flashcards several nights in a row before bed. Nonetheless, she was the first one “out” and got very down on herself. I explained that it isn’t at all a reflection of her intelligence, but more just of the effort she put into studying. And, it is all just for fun, AND, no matter what, she’s at least learning to spell better and experience a little healthy competition. So, I think it was a positive experience.

Next, our homeschooling group did a field trip to Ski Liberty for a couple hours of tubing. Darren took Flo and they had a great time. We opted not to take Joe this year, because I obviously couldn’t go for back-up, since I had the baby, and we weren’t sure it would be safe for him. As it turns out, it would have been fine, but we’ll take him next year.

This month’s homeschool art class at the Smithsburg library studied the American artist, Frederic Remington, born in Canton, NY in 1861. He's known for his paintings of the Wild West. Flo drew a pencil drawing of a horse. Quite cute.

On the 16th, Darren took Flo to the Imbolc celebration with the earth-centered spirituality group at our church. They had a nice time. Unfortunately, we don’t always all get to go, because taking three kids makes the peaceful celebrations more like a circus. But, it’s a good group, and we try to go when we can.

With that “earth” focus in mind, a new group met on the 17th to discuss starting a Earth Scouts group. Earth Scouts is a fairly new organization, but it looks like it will incorporate a lot of the values we’d like to instill in the kids with regards to respect for the earth and its resources. The parents met and we decided to have our first group meeting in April, since “Earth Day” is in April. So, we’ll see how that goes.

Our homeschooling co-op group continued this month, and our mid-month meeting included a Valentine’s Exchange, which was a lot of fun for the kids. I spent at least four days prior making cards with Flo. Joe lost interest after about the second heart we cut out. I just couldn’t bring myself to buy the cheap drug store cards, though as a kid, I think enjoyed them. Snoopy was my favorite! But, there’s something to be said for making things yourself and personalizing them a bit, so we did, and it was fun!

Flo started a six week track class for kids at Hagerstown Community College. Her general comment on the class is that she feels out of shape. I think it’s been a good experience for her and a lot of good exercise. She’s also continuing with skating lessons once a week and we’re hoping to start back up with yoga next month. So, I think we’ve got the physical fitness thing covered.

One of the mom’s in our group started at “Geo Lunch” group for the kids this month. This is a great idea. We all studying a specific country for the month, then meet for lunch, share a little we know about the country and bring a potluck dish representative of the cuisine of that country. Our first month was Russia. We brought mushroom stroganoff. The kids also watched “Anastasia,” for it’s Russian theme. It was a fun day.

Towards the end of the month, Flo went on a field trip with her church religious ed class. They went to Antietam Battlefield, as they had been studying Clara Barton. Darren chaperoned and they had a nice Sunday morning. Darren seems to have an affinity for that historical location. There definitely is some pretty scenery there.

On the 28th, Darren took Flo to work, so she could accompany him to meet Alex at the airport in the afternoon. Alex, Darren’s good friend from Italy, arrived to spend two weeks with us. The kids hear so much about him, and have talked to him on the phone, that they acted like he was here just the other day. But, it has been over five years since we saw him. He came to Connecticut just have Joe was born. Wow, time flies!

So, we ended the month, on leap day, with a visit from Flo’s homeschooling buddy, Callie, who came to play for the afternoon. Joe also had a little neighbor boy, Nathan, who is the son of a mom in our natural foods co-op, come to play for an hour or so. Nathan is about ten months younger than Joe, and they kind of butted heads a bit. But, it was entertaining to watch Joe interact with someone closer to his age, because he tends to socialize mostly with Flo’s friends. I guess that’s the beauty of homeschooling. There is no formula for socialization; it’s all good.