It's getting easier!

This week was a little smoother sailing for us.  I think we have found a groove.
It has been easier for me this week.  I think I was just a little nervous the first two weeks.  Now I am really feeling like we can do this!

I read another book about homeschooling.  The author suggested that it not to be called "homeschooling" and that it should be called  home learning or even better world learning.  I liked this!  I really feel like the world is full of learning for children.  Learning happens naturally.  A child just has to be given the opportunity to do so!

We have started learning about the Scientific Method.  We conducted our first simple science experiments this week.  I let the girls observe, compare, organize, hypothesize, test, and apply many different materials.  We experimented to see if milk or water would freeze faster, if hot water or cold water would freeze faster,  if salt water or non-salt water would freeze faster, what would happen if we froze water with oil in it, and what would happen if we froze an egg.  Our findings were interesting and the girls usually hypothesized correctly!

We started studying maps.  We studied the meanings of symbols on the map, the cardinal directions, and different types of maps.  We created a pirates map by dipping it in tea to make it look old.  I printed up a map of Hobbs from our house to a park and the girls had to tell me which way to turn while I was driving.  They also had to follow a map of our house that I drew to find their hidden prize!

The librarian gave each girl a bookmark where she has to read 10 books and they will receive a free carton of cookie dough from Papa Murphy's Pizza.  We are working towards that.  We are constantly reading.  I find that if one of my lessons isn't working, reading is my fall back plan.  The girls love books and it is a great way for them to learn.  We check out tons of library books every week!    

We have been studying the musical instrument families.  I found a cool website that shows a picture of each instrument and it also allows the girls to hear what each one sounds like.  We found musical artists, read about them, and watched some of their music videos.  We looked at Dave Koz, Kenny G, Stevie Rae Vaughn, Itzchak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma and many others. We went to a local music store to check out the instruments in real life.  It was a lot of fun.

This week we had fun dancing to If Your Happy and You Know It, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, The Hokey Pokey, and The Chicken Dance.

We tried to get a tour of the post office this week but we weren't able to.  They told us since 9-11 they don't allow anyone in the back but the workers for safety reasons.  It's a shame because I thought the girls would have learned a lot there.

We went to The Western Heritage Museum in Hobbs.  It was full of old western items.  The girls got to see how things were in the old days.  They had wagons, a old western store, a bank, a saloon, and a tee pee.  The girls had a lot of fun.  We learned a lot.

I'd like to thank you all for your support and your nice comments!  It helps a lot when I have so many people behind my decision to have the girls learning about the world while being in it!  :)

Batty about bats!

This was another week full of exciting opportunities where the girls could learn.  Chad was home two days this week and we loved it!  It was hard with him gone for 7 days straight.  It was nice for the girls and I to spend time with him.  We miss him a lot.

Mackenzie is learning to tell time.  We made a huge clock with moving hands for her to practice.  She pretty much has it down!  Lorel is starting to read.  She is learning how to blend letter sounds.  She gets better everyday!  The girls made a clothes line
with paper shirts and pants that sequenced
the events in a book we read.

 We studied about bats all week.  They are very interesting little creatures that are very useful to us. The girls had fun learning about them by reading books about them, playing online bat games, making a bat lapbook, and making a bat out of egg cartons and newspaper.

During one of the days Chad was home we went to Carlsbad, New Mexico.  It is about an hour away from us.  We went to the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park.  We also went to Carlsbad Caverns.

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens was one of the coolest places we have ever been!  We followed a dirt trail for about a mile and a half.  The trail was surrounded by natural desert with cacti, desert plants, and little lizards.  Throughout the trail they built animal enclosures.  We saw many desert animals including snakes, elk, prairie dogs, and eagles.  We learned a lot about the desert.  At the end of our trail hike the girls each picked out their own live baby cactus to buy and bring home from the gift shop!

Carlsbad Caverns was an awesome sight.  The visitor center for the caverns are at the top of hills.  In order to get up there we had to take a beautiful scenic drive up and through the hills that were covered with desert plants.  It was so pretty.  We decided to go just to watch the bat flight program which starts at dusk.  They do have caverns to explore but we decided that we will come back to go through those another day.  We made our hike to the bat amphitheater.  It was made of stone and sits right in front of the huge cave opening where the bats live.   Before the bat flight started we had a park ranger talk to us about bats for about a half an hour before the bats came out.  He was very intelligent, entertaining, and we could tell he had a passion for nature.  Then the bats started to pour out  of the cave right as night fell.  It was incredible!  There are about 300,000-500,000 bats living in the cave.  But they didn't all come out at once.  They came out about 100 at a time.  It takes about 1-3 hours for all of the bats to completely empty the cave.  We sat, watched, and listened to the bats for about 30 minutes.  It was so worth the trip.  The girls really want to go back so we will probably do so!  It was an amazing day! OH and cameras were not allowed in the bat amphitheater so that is why you see no pictures of the bat flight.  I guess the frequencies and the flash of a camera negatively effect the bat flight.

  One day Mackenzie asked me to teach her how to do laundry.  What a better life skill to teach than laundry?  So I taught her and helped her the first few times to just be there if she had questions.  Now she completely does laundry on her own.  She sorts the clothes, adds the soap, starts the washer, adds the clothes and fabric softener, and she even does the dryer!  I am quite impressed with her!  She is only 7 and is already doing laundry.  Now we will see how long it lasts! : )

I am so proud of my two girls and how much they have learned these past two weeks.  They are my angels and I couldn't imagine life without them!

Our first week of homeschooling

We have officially completed our first week of homeschooling.  It has been a journey so far.  I started out simple this week to get into the groove of learning at home.  I have come to a conclusion that children are always learning whether it be while walking through the grocery store, driving in the car, playing at the park, or just being at home.  I think that children learn the most just by watching, listening, and "doing" so I figure I will give the girls a lot of opportunities to just do these things.  We will do many activities to stimulate the girls while learning in their own way and at their own pace (lots of hands on).     

I have debated about whether I have made the right decision to keep the girls at home.  After reading many books about homeschooling, skimming the internet, and listening to my heart I now know that I have made a great decision.  I really feel that I will be able to give the girls a great education without having to worry about their safety and how they will be treated by other children.  Who knows they may even get a better education through me than they may get out of public school.

This week we have been reading A LOT!  Both of the girls love to read.  We have done addition facts using manipulatives.  We wrote in our journals everyday.  The girls made an All About Me lapbook which contains things like their family tree, what makes them happy/sad/curious/mad, their pictures, their best day ever, etc.  The girls created parking garages for their toy cars with blocks.  We took our first field trip to a state park.  This was probably the experience where the girls learned the most.  We fed ducks, ate a picnic under a weeping willow tree, looked at fish from a bridge, painted a nature scene, examined a cactus, and even got chased by a grumpy goose who was protecting his mate!  LOL!  The girls loved it!  We have kept very busy!   

 I know that our schedule isn't perfect yet and we will have our ups and downs.  We are still trying to figure out what is best for us.  Each girl learns differently.  It may take a couple of weeks to figure out what works.  I am excited for a year full of learning!  I am glad that we get this opportunity!