Wakefield Walk, State Park Style

We opted to visit the State Park that is literally five minutes from our house. We haven't been there since last year and they have opened many more things since we were there. Including the walking bridge over the swamp. It goes to a nice walking or biking trail.

These are the deer we saw from the car on our final tour around the park. They were not afraid of us at all.

This deer stood still as a statue but never took her eyes off of us.

I love the silvery look of these trees. I just finished reading Percy Jackson and expected them to turn into some sort of monster at any moment.

There is a turtle in this photo. What do you call a group of turtles? A pod, a clutch, seriously I don't know, but there were a bunch huddled here together. They were quick to grab the bread crumbs someone was tossing them. Amazing to watch.

This is a view from the river which is on the opposite side of the road from the swamp. This was our view for our picnic. The cool breeze coming off it was nice and Z and Tigger enjoyed the boaters that came by. It's a no wake zone so they checked out every boat.

It was a nice afternoon. We walked over a mile on the trails. We plan to go back and take up some hiking and biking.

And So it Begins

Today was our final day of school. We decided to stop today as the public schools got out at noon and Z wanted to play with his friends. So we are done. Our fifth year of homeschooling wrapped. I love the flexibility of homeschooling as we've had to run around with Tigger for the last few days as his truck was in the shop. He came home around lunch today so we could go pick it up for hopefully the final time. He was singing Alice Cooper's summer anthem.

The car ride home gave Z and us time to talk. I remember someone once advising that talking with a teen or pre-teen boy was sometimes best done in the car. There is something honest and freeing about conversation that happens in the car. I find that to be true.

Yesterday he finished math in record time, he completed his reading assignment and asked me to read more from The Lightning Thief. Percy Jackson is a great series to start at the end of the year.

We'll take a few weeks off from everything but reading and then we will start a light summer schedule where FLEXIBLE is the key word. I'm most concerned about keeping Latin, math, and reading fresh in his mind. Well, mine too.

You know what I'm doing tomorrow? Me either! Sleeping in is as far as the list has gotten so far.

The Final Countdown

This school year is coming to a close. We have two more weeks. I'll make a formal wrap-up later but I was thinking of some of the things we have learned this year, intentional or otherwise. We are done with most of our formal lessons and these final two weeks are going to be about wrapping up some loose ends and hopefully having some fun.

Z has been great this year. Eleven is such a wonderful age. I see him growing, literally everyday we wakes up looking just a smidge different. I have small hands and we have always compared hand size, now his are almost bigger than mine. I wear a size 8 shoe and his feet are almost as big as mine. His abs are great (I can't recommend an exercise ball highly enough) and he has finally started to outgrow some of his favorite clothes.

His learning has changed this year as well. My reluctant reader is reading consistently at a much higher level than the beginning of the year. He wrote this year. Those four words are music to my ears. CW Aesop B helped him find his creative side. It also helped find his compassionate side. Many of the models involved Aesop's Fables or fairy tales that involved some animal getting injured because of their folly. Moral tales, right? Z changed every story so that no animals were harmed in the rewrites of his models. I don't have any problem with that.

Nature came to our door many times this year. Nature walks sometimes didn't involve leaving the house. Most of them were cool, except the snake on top of the garage door. That one still has me glancing up at the garage when I walk under it.

Memory Work has been a no-brainer for Z. He doesn't even call it a subject. He has great aptitude for memorizing and we'll continue with it over the summer.

Latin, ah Latin. It has been my favorite subject this year. I have been well pleased with our choice of using Latin for Children. It moves at the right pace for us. This weekend we were using our Latin skills to help him understand the meaning of the names of certain Transformers. Z never balks about doing Latin.

We've been goofy as well this year. Most have been subtle word plays based upon my inability to speak clearly without the proper amount of coffee in my system. Some funnies this year have been:

• the transient (ie: homeless) verb, instead of the transitive verb. Z now calls the transient verb our friend.
  
• Oprah instead of the word "ultra" in Latin. It's part of his memory work and he always smiles as he mis reads the word
• Augustus Caesar reminds Z of Augustus Gloop from Willy Wonka. We both have that silly song stuck in our head. (Johnny Depp version)

I'm hoping these final two weeks are stress free and happy. Maybe a few goofy moments thrown in for good measure.

Wakefield Walks

This is the giant dirt mound Z discovered in the carport. A creature has been digging under the shed. We did a google search and decided it was an armadillo burrow. Tigger is going to deal with it this weekend as we don't want it to undermine the foundation of the shop.

This little guy was walking up the driveway. Z and I removed him to a safe place so Daytona would not find him. She was out on her cable.

He was very curious about us and didn't go into his shell until I picked him up.

A nice little pose to show off his neck and really long back claws.

In honor of the outpouring of nature that continues to flow around our yard, I composed a little poem.

Nature, nature come to me
and we shall take a walk with thee.
Abundant life outside the door
Never searching anymore.

New Title Photo

I feel like changing my photo as much as I've been changing my hair color lately. Which has been twice recently. My hair has natural red highlights and after putting blonde highlights on, they came out copper. I knew it'd be red, but not this red, but it's okay for summer.

Anyway the latest photo is from one of my favorite places, my back yard. The hammock was a gift to my dh last Father's Day. The trees were placed just the right distance apart. In a nice twist when we put the dog on her cable she can sit right beside us yet not get tangled in the hammock. You can lie outside and rock gently and listen to the birds chatter. It's a great place to take a book and read. Sometimes I pretend to read and simply zone out. If there were a ocean breeze rocking the hammock it would be perfect.

Classical Insights

Keeping tabs on Homer

Yes, I tabbed each day and each skill level. Different color pen for each day and each writing project.

Reading Latin will keep you balanced.

Even Atlas needs a little cushion from time to time.

Spring is in the Air

Along with a few other distractions.

We spent a great deal of time outside last week. Friday we went to the park. The first two photos are from that trip. We toured the walking path with tiny remote control car in hand. Watching it almost put my motion sickness in action.

Again, another shot of my back yard is above. I will never tire of looking at these trees. They're just gorgeous. This is our table in the backyard, we did school out there one day last week as well. It HAD a nice canopy over it until the wind tore it down. It was nice to be outside and enjoy the birds singing. Z was playing with a candle when I took this picture.

Wakefield Walks

A lovely lizard shedding his skin. Probably going green for the latest fashion update.

A squirrel feasting outside the window.

This is what a pinecone looks like once a hungry squirrel is done with it.

Good thing he is not required to pick up after himself. Messy squirrel.

Nature continues to inundate us this spring. I have seen multiple caterpillars and can't wait until all of the beautiful butterflies come out. Dragonflies should be appearing soon as well.

A Planning Week

Spring break has turned into a planning week for me. I feel like I have done the hokey-pokey with curriculum for next fall. You put one in and you take one out, I was all turned around earlier this week.

I had Multum non Multa running through my head as I realized that I needed to scale back my plans a little. It is, after all, Z's education. We have seven more years to fit subjects in, they don't all have to happen tomorrow.

So the big decisions this week were:

- We are holding off on starting Elementary Greek for one more year. I'm sad but that will give me time to go through at least EG1 before I teach.
- We will be doing Science Explorer 7 instead of Conceptual Physics. While I know he would comprehend the physics I think the reading would be too much unless we were doing a science-centered curriculum.
- I read through CW Homer and have a better idea of how this program will work for us. In fact, I'm excited about using it.
- The art book I bought earlier this year will work for the next three years when mixed with an "art of the month" focus.
- We are also doing a "musician of the month" adding some current musicians into our study.
- My history and literature plans are scheduled and fit together wonderfully.

It has been a productive week and now I am ready to relax for my final day off.

An Easter Sunset

We went out to eat for dinner and then for a walk at the lakeside. We were able to watch the sunset, it was very beautiful.

History Plan 2009-2010

It's hard to believe we only have six weeks of school left for this year. That being said I am in planning mode for next fall. Like the fashion industry, I plan a few seasons in advance. We are delving into the Middle Ages and I know have a complete plan, written in pencil of course.

We are using two main books next year:

Memoria Press' Famous Men of the Middle Ages and Yesterday's Classics Story of the Middle Ages. We will get our study questions from Greenleaf Guide to Famous Men of the Middle Ages.

I chose the Greenleaf Guide over Memoria Press material as I wanted mostly discussion questions, not necessarily a workbook. I had more than a few days of debate going on in my head about which one to chose and I think Greenleaf will fit the bill for us.



I went through the two books this week and divided up the chapters of the Harding book with the biographies of the Famous Men book. It looks to be a great mix and I believe it will work well for us. I also plan to add appropriate entries from the DK Visual History encyclopedia.

As with all plans they are written in pencil, subject to change. I plan to read through the books this summer and make notes. But for now that subject is planned and ready, of to the next.

Spring Break 2009

We are officially on spring break until the 20th. We will not be visiting exotic beaches (although I hope we can trip down to the Gulf at least one day), we will not be consuming mass quantities of anything, nor will we have a large noisy party that will force the neighbors to phone the authorities. Although Z did stay up late last night and I slept in this morning. Stay tuned for more of our adventures in Spring Break 2009...

A New Friend, A New Heading

If you look I have a new heading for spring. This little lizard was sitting outside on our porch post yesterday. He was quiet while I snapped this photo. He was more interested in the little gnat flying around than us. Don't worry they are quite harmless.

In-Service Day

Yesterday we had an in-service day. I planned out the remaining weeks of school. We only have seven weeks of school left plus one week of spring break. I'm almost sad to see it end but we have come a long way in the last twenty-eight weeks. As I look back here are some of the highlights to remind me that it will be all right:

• The Latin book that was scary to look through at the beginning of the year is almost completed.
  
• We made it through CW Aesop B without bloodshed.
• CW Poetry is a hit, I knew that. Z is very pattern oriented and poetry is a pattern.
• Z called diagramming sentences fun.
  
• Life of Fred is a big, big hit. Did you know you can laugh during math?
• I'm learning a lot about ancient history this year.
  
• I'm learning a lot about the periodic table of elements this year too.
  
• I'm glad I read Black Ships Before Troy before attempting The Iliad.
• There will be an eighth Alex Rider book! (jumping for joy)
• If you are planning on self-educating make sure you budget for it. I consider myself the second student now. Fortunately most of what I'm buying Z can use down the road.
• You don't have to do it ALL in one year. (who me?)
• Just because Z isn't ready to learn something doesn't mean I have to quit learning it.
  
• Matching bookcases are a thing of beauty.
• An electric pencil sharpener is also a thing of beauty
• Next fall is going to be awesome!
  

Wakefield Walk: Z's perspective

Yesterday was a beautiful day. I had Z take the camera out and take pictures of ten different items in the yard. Amazing what the yard looks like from his perspective. His pictures, my narrations...

The ant mound that is outside of his bedroom window.

A beautiful composition photo which epitomizes the diversity of our yard.

One of the trees that got struck by lightning last year.

Another set of trees in the yard that really like each other.

It's a little blurry, but there is a birds' nest in there.

Another half downed tree. Um, we have some tree work to do in the yard.

The little creek at the end of our driveway. Technically it's a water drainage system (ditch for us common folks) but it has a wonderful eco system of its own. Z saw a turtle in there yesterday and there are always little fish swimming in it.

Another picture of the creek.

This very large flowering bush in our side yard. It's only pretty for about three or four weeks. Z has captured its beauty.

Another dead tree in our backyard. Yup, it's on the list for Tigger to take down. Currently a feeding ground for a woodpecker.

Z certainly surprised me with what he chose to photograph. He did a wonderful job.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Lucky stars above you,
Sunshine on your way,
Many friends to love you,
Joy in work and play-
Laughter to outweigh each care,
In your heart a song-
And gladness waiting everywhere
All your whole life long!

Professor Z's science experiement

Science started in a normal fashion, marshmallows on a plate. We were going to make model molecules (say that three times fast!).

However, the professor had a better idea. Roasting marshmallows over an open flame in the kitchen. Seemed harmless enough, right?


No! Our molecules started to glow! There must have been something radioactive in the fuel? What should we do?



Why feed the marshmallows to an unsuspecting participant of course! We initially tried to "volunteer" Sargent Astrum here, but she was already stuffed. (Get it, already stuffed!) .....boo, hiss.

So we did what any self-respecting homeschooler would do, we fed it to the Private Daytona. See the resulting glow in her eye? The dog has since recovered and has sworn off marshmallows for a while.



Disclaimer: No actual marshmallows were harmed in the course of this experiment, no hazardous chemicals were created, and the dog didn't really glow. We did find out what happens to a marshmallow once it burns up. Crispy would be a good description.