Breakfast of Champions

This weeks breakfasts have been rather weird.

Typically, I include my kids in the decision-making process of meals and snacks. This is just a fancy of way of saying that I always say, "What do you want to eat?" to my kids whenever they say they are hungry.
Elijah is a little weird when it comes to food. (I wonder if it's genetic?)

This week, he chose some unconventional breakfasts:

Potstickers and basmati rice

Sweet and sour chicken and basmati rice

Breaded wild Alaskan Polluck

He also had several dozen prawns for breakfast one day last week.
I know it's better than him eating the processed crap that I love to eat (cereal, Eggos, toast topped with copious amounts of cinnamon and sugar), but it sure is a lot more work!

Pro-D Day!!

I gave us a Pro-D Day today!

I took the boys to Miquelon Lake Provincial Park and we ended up at the Day Use area at the lake. And we were the only ones there....we had a huge playground and an entire beach to ourselves.

This is how I spent the majority of my day:

The boys got to play on a massive playground and beach, and I got to read some of a book I am finding very helpful in shaping my ideas and educational philosophy. It's called "Your Child's Strengths" written by Jennifer Fox, and I recommend that every parent read this book whether you homeschool or not. I am only a quarter of the way through the book, but so far it has put into words exactly how I feel about education and childhood but have been unable to express and thus unable to put into practice. I picked up this book at The Salvation Army Thrift Store of all places (one of my favorite places to shop).

Here's to professional development! It was the perfect day for it.

Experiments & Experiences

I love asking my kids "what do you think will happen" questions. I am usually met with, "Um...maybe it will EXPLODE!" or "I think it will catch on FIRE!"

Anyways, we are learning about acids and bases with the good ol' red cabbage indicator. This experiment was a big hit.

We started with our liquids and identified which ones were sour and which ones were not by tasting all of them (and Oh My Goodness - I had no idea that alka seltzer was sooooo bitter and disgusting)....

...and added red cabbage juice...

...and observed the changes!

They both identified the acids, the bases and the neutrals.

We also observed chemical changes at the end of the formal experiment, when acids and bases were mixed together, and to the delight of my children, there was an EXPLOSION of bubbles.

We went through two entire boxes of baking soda, about a litre of lemon juice, and probably 2 litres of vinegar. It took a long time for them to tire of this one, even though we've done this a zillion times! Something about the added color made it so much more cool!

On another note, we went to HLSA's (Home-based Learning Society of Alberta) "Not Back To School Picnic" at a park. I don't know why, but I was fully expecting to be welcomed with warmth and to meet several other moms and their 8 and 6 year old boys. That didn't happen, but I did meet another mom, who was equally as overwhelmed as I, and we hit it off pretty well. And wouldn't you know it - she is an ex-pastor's wife (not an ex-wife...but her husband is an ex-pastor, just like mine) and their story and experience is identical to ours. IDENTICAL. I should start a support group, because this is, like, the 4th or 5th family we've randomly met with the same experience. And yet, I'm the only one who seems to be bitter. Just like that alka seltzer. Bleah.

Chem 001

Well, since it's September I guess it's time to get back into the swing of things.

I have quit my dayhome and am pleased to say that now I get to focus on my own kids and be a "real" homeschooling family!!
It was such a hard decision to close my dayhome, but since doing so I have felt less irritable and more patient with my own kids, something that has been lacking for a few years. Although I miss my dayhome kids dearly, I know it was the right decision for my boys, for my husband and for my own health.

So....here we are.


Our schedule is so full and yet I feel as though it has too many gaps.
We are working on History (now we are done the ancient world and are excitedly moving on to the Middle Ages), Science, Math, Phonics, Grammar, Writing, Penmanship, Reading, Art Study, and Vocabulary (learning Greek and Latin roots).
I still need to add in Spelling and Nature Study, and I also am looking for ways to introduce something Music-y. I taught Toviel a bit about playing the keyboard - the correct fingering and the finger numbers, as well as how to find C and Middle C. He is keen on learning how to play the piano but I know I have to keep it relaxed. Elijah isn't keen on doing anything except playing strategic games. I swear he could play games and create strategies all day, every day, for the rest of his life.

I have been lucky enough to find that both Elijah and Toviel love science, probably because it's so hands-on and, well....science is fascinating!!! We started at the beginning...with atoms and molecules.

We used mini marshmallows and toothpicks to create models of molecules:

Tove, building a molecule with no rules.

Elijah built a molecule with no rules, and another one with rules (ie: it can attach to X number of other molecules) then  he diagrammed it.

Then, once they were done, they ate their molecules - one atom at a time. Yum! Who knew molecular chemistry was so delish?!?!

And when we finished up our lesson, I enjoyed some ice cream molecules!