I wanna know what you think... I'm redesigning my blogs... having a ton of fun... give me some feedback please!
It's really not that difficult:
see where it says 0 comments??? [it ALWAYS says 0 comments!!!!] click on that... type your comment... choose whether to comment publically (if you have a Google ID) or privately... your comment won't show up immediately... I have to approve it... that's so WHACK jobs can't put inappropriate things here (trust me! that HAS happened on my other blog... it is NOT a pretty site!) and VOILA! you have made me a happy camper!
Looking forward to your thoughts!
one more thing... FOLLOW this blog! see that thingy over to the right? it says "Follow by Email"??? enter your e-mail address in there... confirm your choice via the e-mail you receive and you TOO can receive AUTOMATED updates whenever I post! You know you WANNA do it!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
my life as a lesson: I need a computer geek...
my life as a lesson: I need a computer geek...: This post is atypical for my site... It is a help wanted ad. I need a computer geek BAD. WANTED : Computer Geek Experience : none necessar...
Monday, September 19, 2011
Common misconceptions about homeschooling
Just stumbled on some articles I wrote about homeschooling... Thought I'd post them on this forum in case you haven't read them.
Friday, September 16, 2011
National Play-doh Day
One of my biggest goals this year is to make school more FUN! Since I work (TWO JOBS) from home and homeschool... life here often turns into something that resembles boot camp dipped in concentration camp. I mean business! ALL of the TIME! Well this year my goal is to throw a little bit of FUN into my business! Sooooooooooo...
Today we celebrated National Play-doh Day (all I have to say is my transformation into my mother is now complete... henceforth, I will answer to the name Kathi Haugh as well as my given name.)
You all know how I feel about Pay-doh right??? I like to call it Satan's-doh... Does that give you a hint?
But actually our Play-doh party turned out just fine. We had a BLAST! Of course because we're homeschoolers we had to turn it into a lesson... we MADE the play-doh from scratch... complete with food coloring so it would be colorful.
It was very orderly and as crafts go... not too messy. Fun was had by all! See for yourself:
Today we celebrated National Play-doh Day (all I have to say is my transformation into my mother is now complete... henceforth, I will answer to the name Kathi Haugh as well as my given name.)
You all know how I feel about Pay-doh right??? I like to call it Satan's-doh... Does that give you a hint?
But actually our Play-doh party turned out just fine. We had a BLAST! Of course because we're homeschoolers we had to turn it into a lesson... we MADE the play-doh from scratch... complete with food coloring so it would be colorful.
It was very orderly and as crafts go... not too messy. Fun was had by all! See for yourself:
 |
| Play-doh party TUCKERED her out! |
Friday, September 9, 2011
First week recap
Did ya miss me? PHEW! That first week hit me HARD, but it is going GREAT! I actually stayed on top of my MRA workload, kept current with all our lesson plans, almost met my writing quota and threw in a surprise trip to Hartford during the middle of the first day of school to get two tires replaced after I ran into a curb, breaking a steel belt in my back tire. We had a busy but GREAT week!
I don't want to jinx anything but I really feel like we have turned some odd kinda corner attitudinally (it's a Jamism... deal with it!)
Noah---- will always vocalize his dislike for school (however, I feel some of that is remnants from the icky traditional schooling experience he had and I am hopeful that every year it will dissipate a little more.) He is not "thrilled" about school on the outside, but my teacher's eye can see that he is a little different. His blogs are MUCH more verbose. He is VERY engaged in his math. While we haven't yet started social studies, I can tell he is excited... he is studying the weapons from historical wars this year and that is RIGHT up his alley.
Jeremiah... he REALLY loves school. He loves the Bible. He loves AWANA. He loves just about everything. He has such a sweet teachable heart and does some of the most amazing things. Today, he and Elijah got into trouble. I really don't know what it was as I was doing laundry and daddy was handling the situation. I came into the living room to hear him saying, "Dad I want to take Elijah's punishment." John said, "Jeremiah why do you want to do that?" Crying, Jeremiah said, "Dad, I just don't want Elijah to have to be sad." I don't know why I was lucky enough to have that angel straight from Heaven dropped in my lap, but I am GLAD to be blessed with the teaching and the raising of him.
Elijah... He LOVES school. He LOVES school. HE LOVES SCHOOL! He is SO excited to finally have his own e-mail and be blogging. He begs me thirty times a day to let him check his e-mail. He loves being in THIRD GRADE! He is so glad he gets to start learning cursive this year. He is also RACING along by leaps and bounds in his reading, doing great in math and excelling in his penmanship. His year is DEFINITELY off to a good start.
Hannah... oh dear Hannah. What a kindergartner! Like none I've had before. It is like God said, "Jami, you toughed it out through trying to get three little boys to sit still and learn crud for the past three years, now I give you---- A GIRL!" She is excited not only to be in school "like her brothers." She is very well suited for school tasks. She likes reading. She loves learning. She is fine with sitting still. The only thing is once in a GREAT while (okay FINE! three times per subject AT LEAST) I have to fight her tiny little will. We have a bit of a mother/daughter conflict going on, but with a little support from Daddy and atiny little will stubborn as a mule will of my own, we are making it just fine thank you.
Today was such a blessing! Our homeschooling neighbors were unable to do recess, so to make up for that we took an impromptu trip to Hartford for lunch and the park (I have REALLY got to get them to the park more often. I literally think that was the first time since we MOVED that we've been to a park! that's in TWO YEARS! yikes!) anywho a picnic lunch, playing at the park, beautiful sunshiny day... were a PERFECT way to end the first week of school.
Forward HO! We are on to next week!
I don't want to jinx anything but I really feel like we have turned some odd kinda corner attitudinally (it's a Jamism... deal with it!)
Noah---- will always vocalize his dislike for school (however, I feel some of that is remnants from the icky traditional schooling experience he had and I am hopeful that every year it will dissipate a little more.) He is not "thrilled" about school on the outside, but my teacher's eye can see that he is a little different. His blogs are MUCH more verbose. He is VERY engaged in his math. While we haven't yet started social studies, I can tell he is excited... he is studying the weapons from historical wars this year and that is RIGHT up his alley.
Jeremiah... he REALLY loves school. He loves the Bible. He loves AWANA. He loves just about everything. He has such a sweet teachable heart and does some of the most amazing things. Today, he and Elijah got into trouble. I really don't know what it was as I was doing laundry and daddy was handling the situation. I came into the living room to hear him saying, "Dad I want to take Elijah's punishment." John said, "Jeremiah why do you want to do that?" Crying, Jeremiah said, "Dad, I just don't want Elijah to have to be sad." I don't know why I was lucky enough to have that angel straight from Heaven dropped in my lap, but I am GLAD to be blessed with the teaching and the raising of him.
Elijah... He LOVES school. He LOVES school. HE LOVES SCHOOL! He is SO excited to finally have his own e-mail and be blogging. He begs me thirty times a day to let him check his e-mail. He loves being in THIRD GRADE! He is so glad he gets to start learning cursive this year. He is also RACING along by leaps and bounds in his reading, doing great in math and excelling in his penmanship. His year is DEFINITELY off to a good start.
Hannah... oh dear Hannah. What a kindergartner! Like none I've had before. It is like God said, "Jami, you toughed it out through trying to get three little boys to sit still and learn crud for the past three years, now I give you---- A GIRL!" She is excited not only to be in school "like her brothers." She is very well suited for school tasks. She likes reading. She loves learning. She is fine with sitting still. The only thing is once in a GREAT while (okay FINE! three times per subject AT LEAST) I have to fight her tiny little will. We have a bit of a mother/daughter conflict going on, but with a little support from Daddy and a
Today was such a blessing! Our homeschooling neighbors were unable to do recess, so to make up for that we took an impromptu trip to Hartford for lunch and the park (I have REALLY got to get them to the park more often. I literally think that was the first time since we MOVED that we've been to a park! that's in TWO YEARS! yikes!) anywho a picnic lunch, playing at the park, beautiful sunshiny day... were a PERFECT way to end the first week of school.
Forward HO! We are on to next week!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
The First Day of School Eve
Tonight we had a First Day of School Eve party. It was F-U-N.. FUN! We started with a "Great Things About Homeschooling" scavenger hunt which ended with a First Day of School present (pencils, erasers and sharpeners). We had cake to celebrate and ended with prayer for a great week of school. It was a fun way to build the excitement for the first day.
We spent the earlier part of the day building the excitement as well... we woke up on time to practice our morning routine. We cleaned and filled our desks. We got binders ready.
Noah... is not AT ALL excited about the start of school. Noah loves to hate school. Jeremiah, Elijah and Hannah are very excited. Elijah and Hannah have been begging me ALL day to start school today ***so cute***.
So tomorrow is the big day! And we are READY! now if I could just get them to fall asleep tonight!
We spent the earlier part of the day building the excitement as well... we woke up on time to practice our morning routine. We cleaned and filled our desks. We got binders ready.
Noah... is not AT ALL excited about the start of school. Noah loves to hate school. Jeremiah, Elijah and Hannah are very excited. Elijah and Hannah have been begging me ALL day to start school today ***so cute***.
So tomorrow is the big day! And we are READY! now if I could just get them to fall asleep tonight!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Wanna know Wednesday....
[Sorta... I missed Wednesday! I had SUCH a stressful day yesterday!!!! And today too! So one day late, here is my Wanna know Wednesday....]
When does school start?
For the Kastner Family... school starts the Wednesday after Labor Day. When I taught at H.C.S., I absolutely ADORED the idea of having the Tuesday after Labor Day off before school starts. Therefore, when we started homeschooling, that was the model we adopted. (Well except for the year John had brain surgery... that year we had brain surgery the Tuesday after Labor Day so school did NOT start the Wednesday after Labor Day.)
As the years have passed, I have developed more reasons for placing our "First Day of School" on that day. Like:
In my experience, going "back to school" is not much fun for homeschooled kids... no new school clothes... no seeing your friends after a long summer apart.... no new teacher, new class, new room... it is all the SAME... therefore, it is my belief that a SHORT first week of school is good for not-too-thrilled-about-going-back-to-school children and the parents who have to teach them :)
Soooooo when does school start for you?
When does school start?
For the Kastner Family... school starts the Wednesday after Labor Day. When I taught at H.C.S., I absolutely ADORED the idea of having the Tuesday after Labor Day off before school starts. Therefore, when we started homeschooling, that was the model we adopted. (Well except for the year John had brain surgery... that year we had brain surgery the Tuesday after Labor Day so school did NOT start the Wednesday after Labor Day.)
As the years have passed, I have developed more reasons for placing our "First Day of School" on that day. Like:
In my experience, going "back to school" is not much fun for homeschooled kids... no new school clothes... no seeing your friends after a long summer apart.... no new teacher, new class, new room... it is all the SAME... therefore, it is my belief that a SHORT first week of school is good for not-too-thrilled-about-going-back-to-school children and the parents who have to teach them :)
Soooooo when does school start for you?
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