Science!

So. If you know my boys, you know we're a bit heavy on the science around here. :) Being as science is probably one of my weakest subjects, it's an area I've struggled with for homeschooling. I'm not ashamed to admit that Noah knows more than me in this area, honest. Even without specific instruction, he soaks it all up on his own...through books and the science channel and just asking lots of questions. In particular, the boys are fond of shows like Mythbusters, the Magic School Bus series, and (for Noah) the Bashor science books (these are stinkin' awesome! Noah's already read the Periodic Table and Astronomy ones with Physics and Biology on the bookshelf and the Rocks and Gems one on the wishlist...I'm trying to work time in to read them myself so I can catch up with him!). It helps, too, obviously, that Nathan actually does know the answers and delights in exploring all things scientific with the boys. :)

In any case, it seems like every curriculum I've tried has ended up either being inadequate to challenge the boys, particularly Noah, or too complicated for me to teach. Thanks to numerous field trips and special events and the fact that the boys didn't seem in any way to be lagging behind, I've not really worried about it. (Thus far, btw, our science studies have been group efforts, though I can see that I'll need to separate it out in the coming year or so.) This year, though, I think we've found a winner! I'm so excited (which is saying something, LOL)!

Yup, a friend recommended Real Science 4 Kids and I'm hooked. We've only done a couple weeks' of lessons so far, but I'm delighted...

• by the subject matter (chemistry, physics and biology but targeted at 4-6th graders rather than repeatedly doing earth science, the human body and animals...which don't interest my boys and which we've covered repeatedly);
• by the organization (easy to follow textbook, accompanying project for the week and supplemental materials that line up well (we're doing chemistry right now and also have the history and language KOGs)); and,
• by the product itself (well written! and has a teacher's manual that explains things just for me).

Here's what we did last week:

Marshmallow molecules. Totally easy and fun. And even though Micah and Asher probably won't remember the whole discussion about covalent vs ionic bonds, they definitely delighted in eating the fruits of their labors. (For what it's worth, we did start out with actual molecule representations but ended up letting them build pyramids and spaceships, lol!)

It feels strange, but I'm finally excited about science. :) I can't remember that ever happening before but now find myself actually looking forward to learning alongside the boys. Cool. Hopefully through these lessons I can finally start understanding what Noah's talking about when he gets into discussions like the one last week at the awesome little science store we found in Old Town (we'll so be spending more time there!)...he and the owner talked out the pros and cons of hydrogen powered cars and how the process worked. Yeah, science. ;)

Saturday!

Whew. Here are some random things I know to be facts today:

1. Three soccer games that do not overlap take longer than when any of the soccer games do overlap. Still debating which is better. ;) This was our first weekend without overlap...which may explain number 2. All three boys had great games and loads of fun as usual. Except when Asher scraped up his knee pretty good getting across the sidewalk to his field...yeah, just *before* the game. Alas, I've learned not to go anywhere without a supply of wipes, antibacterial cleaner, an assortment of bandaids and neosporin. So, all was fine.

2. I got too much sun. I wear minimal sunscreen daily anyhow and didn't really think about the need for more this late in the season. Apparently, I was wrong. Nothing horrible, but I can definitely feel it leeching my energy, lol. 

3. I totally win the prize for having a good mail day today! My order from Amazon arrived with this blanket (that I've been coveting from two other soccer moms at practices) and this CD (that I ordered to get ready for the Dylan concert I'm going to in October with my mom and sister). AND, I got payment checks from Creating Keepsakes and Prism. That was the extent of the mail...and it was all mine. ;)

4. My layout is up over on the Good Grief Blog today. I rather like it and hope you'll check it out.

5. I really should get off the computer and finish getting things ready for the class I'm teaching tomorrow. Yikes. I'm teaching a class over at The Treasure Box tomorrow...starting a mini album entitled Lists of Me (though I'm horribly behind on sharing my own pages here for the Lists of Me album I started for 2009, lol). If you're in the area, consider coming! It starts at 1:00 and I've made a couple spare kits. ;)

6. I'm hoping to post more regularly starting next week. Honest. Feel like I'm finally getting into a groove around here and hoping to do some regular stuff here on the ol' blog. Please stay tuned. 

First day!

Yesterday was the first day of Options for our school year here! The boys were so excited and had a blast. This is our second year doing this program (hence the excitement rather than anticipation/worry, LOL)...where homeschool kids get to go to a "school" for one day a week. It's through a public school, so all teachers are certified and all that, but it's only homeschool kids, so there's an understanding there and a focus on enrichment in realization that most of the schooling is going on at home. Overall, I'd guess there are maybe 80-100 students, and class size varies from 3-20ish, with most right around a dozen. Each child (other than kindergarten which stays with the same teacher all day) has six classes (changes every hour). In any case, the boys love it.

Here they are before we set out:

 
Yes, I swiped the jumping idea from my friend Elizabeth. ;) And, yes, Micah wasn't to be left out:

Micah, btw, was a little miffed that he's not old enough to go to kindergarten and has already been told that he can go once he turns five. As he's only just turned four, though, he'll have to wait. ;) Since it was the first day and I like to stick around and make sure the boys get to the right classes (particularly since we're in a new building this year, so no one really knew where to go), Micah and I hung out on site most of yesterday. He (having pleaded that I buy him reading and math books like his brothers, though I generally don't do structured work with the boys at this age) managed, at his own insistence, to finish three of his reading units and one in math. This kid is going to keep me on my toes. ;) 

Oh, and if you're wondering what types of classes the boys have...Asher (2nd grade) has science, art, math, reading, music/drama and PE. Noah (taking 4th-6th grade classes, though he's technically a 3rd grader) has science, PE, music/drama, PE, art and AmeriTowne. Yeah, he finagled his way into two PE classes. Apparently all that soccer isn't enough and he loves the PE teacher. ;) We view the program less as a source of academic instruction and focus more on the hands on time and group dynamics, so this works for us. 

Whew. Looking forward to a good year!

ETA: If you're curious and would like to read more about Options, here's a post I did last year. Pretty much the same info holds true. You'll note, though, that last year Asher was in Kinder and Noah started out in 2nd grade. Yeah. We bumped 'em both. (Asher did kinder last year because he didn't want to switch classrooms, though he technically could've been in the 1st grade classes. This year, having no choice but to switch classes, we opted to put him in 2nd...he's got that summer birthday so either works. Noah switched to 3rd grade classes the second day of Options last year...better fit for him academically and socially. This year, then, he's listed as 4th grade and 4th-6th grade classes are combined to give the kids more choices.) 

11 random Friday thoughts...

1. Prayers and hugs to all those affected by 9/11 both eight years ago and still.

2. Happy birthday to my baby sister, Cassy! She's getting so old, LOL! (said as I roll my eyes considering that I'm 9 years older) There's a package in the mail, dude. :)

3. Asher asked me yesterday, "what comes after the future?" How does one answer that?!

4. We started back to a more "normal" homeschool routine this week (which explains my absence online as much). So far, things are going well. I'll post more specifics next week...pretty happy with how things are going. 

5. What were you doing at 9:09 on 09-09-09 earlier this week? The boys were all reading and it was beautiful. ;) (Yes, that was pm for us.)

6. If you happen to live around Fort Collins and haven't already signed up for the class I'll be teaching at The Treasure Box on the 20th...do that, okay? ;) 

7. The winner of the second challenge random drawing was announced today over on the Good Grief Blog. Check it out!

8. My project went up on the Prism Papers blog today. Here's a sneak:

9. Yesterday, for reasons unknown, Micah was singing about people dying (not because he's morbid or anything...he's just weird like that, lol). As the singing loudly portion of that had been going on for a bit, we were asking him to stop. Asher, in particular, instructed him to "stop singing" and "stop talking about dying." In response, Micah promptly launched into a new song..."Nobody lives forever." Man that kid is going to take some watching. ;)

10. Yup, still busy with soccer. Practice number 6 for the week will be later today. Tomorrow we have four games...the first two overlap. (Noah has two games this week and a bye later in the season.) 

11. Okay, I can't think of an eleventh thing right now. I just love the number 11, though. It's my favorite number. Really. :)

More RMNP...

Hey there. Hope you're all having a lovely Labor Day weekend! We've been very much enjoying our three day weekend...which happened also to be a rare weekend without soccer games. ;) Saturday, we just hung out...lunch out, playing at the park, getting things done around the house. Today (Sunday), we headed back up to Rocky Mountain National Park (making good use of that annual pass!) to wander the Alluvial Fan area. Had this fun little book/adventure to follow to start with (it's called "Trouble in the Rubble" and is like a mini-field trip guide...we did this a couple years ago also, but Nathan wasn't with us that time). Nathan and the boys read and paced and learned about the rocks (the area truly is fascinating!)...

Then (since this time we weren't bound to paths due to a stroller), we climbed. I didn't take heaps of pictures (odd, I know, but I was using the little camera...didn't want to lug the good one up the side of the mountain, lol) but here's roughly the view from where we got to before deciding to head back down (more because of the thunder and potential rain than from boys wanting to go back down):

Yes, those little colored dots are people. ;) 

Anyhow, we stopped at Dick's Rock Museum on our way out of town (such an awesome shop!), made it home despite crazy lots of traffic and even managed to get all three boys bathed before bed. :) Good times. 

No big plans for tomorrow...which is actually very nice. How about you? What does/did your Labor Day weekend look like?