I'm going back to school!

I am going to fully do Naia's 12th grade Build Your Library curriculum with her! This does not include math, science, or French. It does include American History, Literature and Composition, Government, Economics, and Photography. We are both going to read Bill Bryson's updated version of A Short History of Nearly Everything. We will mark it all up with different color highlighters, summarize/write narrations.  I'm actually pretty excited. How am I going to do all of this? Here's the plan! I will wake up around 6 and get in 2 1/2 hours of reading before making breakfast for Lela. Wednesdays will be completely dedicated to Naia and BYL until after lunch. I usually have quite a bit of free time on weekends (for now). I'm not sure how time consuming it will be (I think around 15 hours per week). I have asked Naia to ask for three full weekdays off from work so she can complete the assignments. She keeps a planner and will create her own homeschool schedule around her work schedule. In addition to BYL, she will complete Khan Academy's Financial Literacy and continue with French. We will be looking at FAFSA and culinary school for the near future.

Here are the books used in just the first four weeks of the curriculum. I have done the first five days so far and I love it. The only book I don't like is that little red one called American Politics. 

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Mirek and Taven are in public school. So far it's going well for Mirek. He likes it, has made friends, and is excited about his assignments. Taven hasn't said much. His first football scrimmage was a little stressful for me as the quarterback maybe completed three passes. As a receiver he completely relies on the quartback and this is such an important season for college recruitment. It's really just out of my hands and I don't feel like there is anything I can do. Between UIL transfer rules, needing a car to get to another school, the cost of private schools, etc. there are no other options. I am crossing my fingers and I hope this QB can pull some passes out of his ass.

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Eaden is working at various dance studios/schools and is teaching all dance classes and styles at a local YMCA. She will also be a personal trainer at that same YMCA. She plans to move to L.A. next summer. Right now, she is preparing for Europe. Ade, Naia, and Eaden leave after Labor Day. They had to remove their Edinburgh trip from London, but are still going to Paris. I am super excited for them to hang out with their cousin Soraya from Germany. She is 20 years old and will be staying with them for the London part of the trip!

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Lela will have a routine in place with me four days a week. It will look roughly like this:

9-1:30pm (M, T, Th, F)

Breakfast- I prepare and she wakes up and comes to the table to eat it. This has worked perfectly the first week and Naia joins us.

Storytime (1 hour) - Lela and I take turns reading from literature (historical fiction I read and her choice she reads). I read picture books (she still enjoys these), science biographies, Usborne books, and A Really Short History of Nearly Everything. During this time she may narrate and I write down her narrations. She may copy these the next day for handwriting. We will write as neccessary on our historical timeline, locate places from our reading on the globe/maps, and put stickers in our sticker book for every book read.

Main Lessons (1 1/2 hours) - All About Math, All About Reading, All About Spelling, handwriting/cursive and journal.

Lunch - Lela prepares. So far, we haven't really been hungry enough to make lunch so we just grab a snack and head outside.

Outside (1 hour min) - Fun with Nature, Kids Nature Book, 1,000 Hours Outside journal, garden, color outside, ride bikes, hike (learn to name 10 birds, 5 other animals, 5 trees, 5 wildflowers, 5 wild fruits).

On Wednesdays, Lela will still wake up and have breakfast at 9, but can do what she likes until lunch. I will be working on and discussing Naia's curriculum with her. From 12:30-2:30 (after lunch), Lela and I might do a science experiment from Biology for Every Kid, geography games/map art, board games, drawing, embroidery, paint, Pinterest ideas, clay, music, kinetic sand worlds, play dough, slime, etc.

Side Notes: Lela and I will start with a Great Depression theme. Our first read aloud is Turtle in Paradise. We are going to read about American Girl Kit and watch the movie. I also have a few nonfiction titles on the Great Depression. We have a camping trip scheduled for November at Garner! We may also take a closer last minute trip if work and weather allow. 

Our biggest challenge will be Lela waking up. She is a late riser, but this has to happen because of my work. I should not have to work before 4:30 which means I need to be ready to go by 3:45 (some days I don't have to be there until later). I had been making dinner before I left, and should still be able to most days. My schedule is different each week though and comes out on Thursdays. I will have to plan dinners around that. Easy ones or ones the kids make on longer work nights and more time consuming ones when I don't have to be at work until later or on weekends. Edited to add: Lela woke up and came to the breakfast table on time every day last week!

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The Passionflowers were in bloom at Kickerillo.

Gulf Fritillary

Gulf Fritillary caterpillar.

Impressive tendrils.

Monarchs near Lakewood Crossing. There is a small area that was cleared (by Harris County Flood Control I assume). It is covered in these Heliotrope and the butterflies, moths, and dragonflies are all over it.

I had been noticing these Muscadine grapes on the trail and went back with a bag in hand. The vines are way up high and impossible to reach, but I was able to get some that had fallen to the ground.

Deer at the YMCA.

A couple of pictures from our first day.

Some of the books we are reading during storytime. She also now has a chapter book I am reading to her that just came in from the library. It's called Turtle in Paradise.

Lela and I have been taking pictures of various plants, trees, and animals. I will have them printed out and she is going to make identification cards. These will be the ones she memorizes. It's a work in progress and I will update next Sunday. I also forgot to take a picture of her 1,000 hours outside journal. I will do that next week.

East Coast Trip and New Homeschool Planning

 We are home from our trip and it feels good! I immediately got out my bullet journal and started taking notes. I'm excited to wipe down the fridge and go grocery shopping tomorrow. I am going to binge on fruits and vegetables. Road trip eating is the worst. We all need a good cleanse. I am also excited to start some homeschool planning. I ordered my new Well Planned Day planner. I am excited for slow mornings with my fake fireplace and coffee. No baseball for August is also a huge plus. Taven can give his arm a rest and get back to his workouts. I can save some gas.

Starting after Labor Day (I'm using August to locate and acquire resources) the kids will start studying their chosen subjects in addition to math and one online course. Lela and Mirek will still mostly be with me.

These are my notes so far. I will have a more detailed plan soon...

Eaden: Dance, Geography, French, Astronomy, Cooking (make lunch for all), drivers ed

Rise Out: Big History 1 

Naia: Baking (Tuesday Teatime), Pottery, Geography, Jr. Ranger, Astronomy, French

CHC Arts & Crafts, Student Council

Rise Out: Big History 1

Taven: Baseball, Marine Life, Fishing, Hunting

Outschool - Choose one course

Mirek: Taekwondo, Minecraft, Astronomy, Lego, Fortnite, Geography, Weather, Global Warming

Outschool - Choose one course

With Mom: AAR/AAS/Saxon Math/Handwriting/Cursive/Read Aloud/Math facts games/Mystery Science/Teatime/Freedom Journal/Core Knowledge

Lela: Letter Pop It/Play dough math and letters/Magna Tile letters/All About Today/I Spy Letters/Story activities like Sew Buttons for Corduroy/ AAR/Horizons Math/Handwriting/Read Aloud & Story Time/Handwork/Mystery Science/Teatime/Freedom Journal/Core Knowledge/old torchlight science?

Other activities: engineering/STEM challenge, science kits, board games, interactive science websites, geography corner with maps, globes, atlas, maps to color, books, map pencils and pens, tracing paper, country cards, board games, trivia, Ticket to Ride, Carmen San Diego, etc.

Naia and Eaden will be cooking lunch/dinner and baking for Tuesday Teatime. They will be reading Everlasting Meal, watching cooking shows, and keeping a recipe book.

Kids keep Pinterest boards and tell me supplies they will need (within reason) for baking/cooking/art/projects ahead of time.

Usborne books to maybe buy- Internet Linked World Religions

Lift the Flap Fractions and Decimals

4-6 week units (topics to study?)

Saturday - groceries

Weekend - hair

look at schedule each week and plan intentional family time

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Here are photos from our trip. I am sad that for the last few years I have only been taking photos on my crappy Android and posting them to IG. Not only do the photos suck, but I can never find anything when I am looking for it. Blogs are easily searchable with dates and tags. I am going to look for a camera again!

These were quickly uploaded from my Google Photos. They are kind of in order but not always. At least one of the kids phones is connected to my Google so I uploaded some of their photos too and it gets things out of order. At least for New York City.

Shenendoah National Park. The campsites we had were nice and the hike we went on was nice. We also had good weather. Besides the behavior of a few kids at the Ranger Program, all went well.

Philadelphia. We made a pretty quick stop here on our way to NYC. We took a tour of Independence Hall and saw the Liberty Bell.

New York City. This is the PATH train from Jersey City near our hotel into NYC. Our first day went really well. We stopped first at the 9-11 Memorial and then walked over the Brooklyn Bridge. We had lunch in Brooklyn and then took the ferry back to Manhattan. We then walked a little way and rode the Staten Island Ferry and saw the Statue of Liberty. Then we made our way back to the PATH train to Jersey. It was actually a pretty perfect day.

Our hotel rooms were always chaotic and stressful. We were constantly yelling at the kids to shut up so we don't get kicked out.

Photos from first day out of order.

Our second day was a little rough (for me). At least it started out that way. It was hotter and the sun was out. We took the PATH into the city again and then had a long hot walk to the NYC Library. Lela was complaining the entire way. We went to Grand Central Station next and all of the kids were complaining that they were hungry. Of course the food was expensive so I was stressing out about that. Also, they all wanted something different and I wasn't waiting in different lines. So I just gave them all my money and told them go get what you want and help your younger siblings. Then I sat on the ground.

Once we ate and got to the Lego store things started to get better.

We also went to FAO Schwartz and the kids played in the fountains at Rockefeller Center.

Next we took the NYC Subway to Central Park. All of the kids have their hands in their mouths to ensure we contract Covid.

From Central Park, we took the Subway to Times Square.

Here are some Central Park photos out of order. The kids told me they really liked Central Park and wished we would have stayed longer.

Back in Times Square. The kids were complaining they were hungry and I thought Krispy Kreme was the cheapest option :)

M&M Store.

Back in Central Park lol. The kids loved exercising with this man. He was very nice and helpful. He was also very impressed with their strength.

We loved watching the rats run around while we ate ice cream and the little kids were at the playground.

Washington D.C.

I enjoyed Washington D.C. more than I thought I would. The city was much nicer than I expected and I loved the architecture. I loved the parks throughout the city and the houses/neighborhoods as well. I just wish parking wasn't so hard and expensive. 

Once again, our fist day was much better than our second day. We went to the Smithsonian Zoo, the Arlington National Cemetery and then saw the monuments at night. The cemetery and monuments were my favorite. Definitely go at night! We also took a driving tour of D.C. looking for a place to eat that had an actual parking lot. We didn't find one but did see a lot of the city :)

Our second day was supposed to be our White House and museum day. We made it to the White House and the Smithsonian Museum of American History. The kids were tired after a hot walk and were master complainers at the museum. So we called it quits and went back to the hotel to drink beer.

The next day we drove to Pigeon Forge and dropped the kids off with Grandma, Grandpa, and Ade at their cabin. Jamie and I went to Smoky Mountain National Park to set up camp.

Jamie and I woke up early and hiked to the top of Mt. LeCompte. I REALLY loved this hike without kids. It was 11 miles and took us almost 8 hours but it was so enjoyable without kids whining and asking to stop every 5 seconds for food and water.

My sister had a bit of a sore throat but tested negative for Covid the day before. However, the next day her daughter Abby woke up not feeling well. She took her to Urgent Care where she also tested negative for Covid. At this time, my sister took another test and it came up positive. Unfortunately, they had to pack up all of their stuff (and a lot of ours) and head back to Texas. It was all very sad and we were all very nervous we would get Covid as well. We never did and neither did my parents. My niece Isen did come down with cold symptoms a few days later and would test positive after we got home. Anyway,... here are some more photos from Pigeon Forge and Smoky Mountain National Park. The Covid issue did mess up our camping plans as I did not have room in my car for all of our camping supplies so she had to take them home. Therefore, we spent the remainder of the week at my parents' cabin.

We went to Dollywood. My phone died quickly there so I didn't get many photos.

Back at the pool near our cabin.

Taven hung out with his friends on his own a lot (to save me money). Here he is with teammates at the night coaster.

We spent the day in the National Park and went by our campsite to get our tent.

Taven's team made it to the championship in the Ripken Experience tournament and won it all!

We stopped in Little Rock on the way home and went by the Central High School for a quick history lesson on The Little Rock Nine.

That's it!!!