We’ve had so much success spotting birds this past week that we’ve been getting up before dawn almost every day to see what we can find in the yard. The boys have enjoyed lots of birding, finding old favorites and spotting some new finds, as well. We continue to marvel at how many more birds […]
Fun with the Presidential Debates
October 3, 2008 by ·
I watched the Vice Presidential debate last night with our elementary and junior high school aged children. Our oldest was given some handouts to help him follow the debate. He used a vice presidential debate scorecard to rank Biden and Palin on numerous categories. They have a presidential debate scorecard posted, as well. We spent […]
Rose breasted Grosbeaks
October 1, 2008 by ·
It is migration season! We’ve all been out birding in our yard this week. The bird garden with its feeding station has drawn a lot to our yard. We’ve added some new birds to our life list. Yesterday we (K, C and I) all saw both male and female Rose breasted Grosbeaks. They spent a […]
Teaching other kids about birding
October 1, 2008 by ·
Knox, Colin and I were invited to speak to a class of homeschool kids about birds and birdwatching today. I hope it was as much fun for them as it was for us! I wasn’t sure how it would go, as the boys were terribly nervous. We had spent a couple of days preparing, so […]
Mayan Feast
September 27, 2008 by ·
As is our custom, we ended our study of the Mayan culture with a Mayan Feast. Here was the menu: Tamales Pozole De Pollo (traditional pre-columbian chicken soup) Corn Bread Smoothies Honey Vanilla Fruit Compote Hot Chocolate Tamales We love tamales, so I make them frequently. This was the first time I’ve made the dough […]
Studying the Mayans
September 27, 2008 by ·
We studied the Mayans this week. All the kids agreed that the best history book we studied was Your Travel Guide to Ancient Mayan Civilization by Nancy Day. They enjoyed learning about the Mayans while pretending to prepare for a journey back in time. My oldest son and I read Chris Eboch’s The Well of […]
Making Paper the Easy Way!
September 19, 2008 by ·
To finish out our study of Ancient China we made our own paper. I was determined to do this as easily and inexpensively as possible. Virtually every set of instructions I found on the internet required the use of a deckle or, at the very least, a picture frame. This did not fit my definition […]
Teaching Children about Other Religions
September 13, 2008 by ·
When and how much to teach about other religions is a sensitive subject. Each parent will need to make their own decision, taking into account the age of their children and the child’s own spiritual maturity. We live in a culture that is bombarding us–and our children–with the lie that every belief is equally valid, […]
Indian Feast
September 7, 2008 by ·
Knox chose to build the city wall with some structures inside. We just finished our study of Ancient India, and we capped off the week with an Indian Feast. Mema and Papa came over to join in the fun. The kids were excited to share some things they had learned about India, as well […]
Indian Feast Recipes
September 6, 2008 by ·
We studied Ancient India this week. Our study culminated with an Indian Feast. Here are the recipes we used. Menu: Basmati Rice Tandoori Chicken Chicken Curry Indian Naan Bread Green salad Kulfi (Indian Ice Cream) If you decide to prepare an Indian Feast, plan ahead. The ice cream needs at least 8 hours to freeze. […]
