Genesis Science Network! - Homeschool Science

Oh my!!  What a resource this is!  If you homeschool for half a second you know that science shows on TV are NOT creation friendly...no worries now because Genesis Science Network has you covered!  

Seriously, this is very exciting and you can stream on most of your devices or watch on streaming TV through apps OR if you don't have those you can stream it on your computer. 

They have 24 hour programing and while there is repeats it's so refreshing to be able to click this on and not have to do the usual..."no honey we don't believe we came from apes"  or  "no honey we don't believe the universe is 60 billion years old" bit.  Click the picture or here and GO DONATE so they stay on!

Fall Bucket List

I've loved Homeschool Share for over 10 years now...wow..that's hard to believe!  Here's a fantastic Fall bucket list from quite a few years ago that we still use. And they have a printable if you want...or don't :)  

1. Go apple picking.

2. Harvest nuts.

3. Go on a leaf walk and identify as many leaves as you can. Bring along a guide book.

4. Visit your local pumpkin patch.

5. Enjoy S’mores over a fire in your backyard.

6. Bake Pumpkin Cookies.

7. Make crayon cookies.

8. Use the crayon cookies from #7 to make leaf and bark rubbings.

9. Learn more about spiders.

10. Plant some bulbs (daffodil, tulip, hyacinth) for spring flowers.

11. Read How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World. Make an apple pie together!

12. Carve pumpkins.

13. Go on a hayride with friends.

14. Cook up some applesauce.

15. If your Farmer’s Market is open, visit. Buy some fall produce, such as a new kind of winter squash to taste together.

16. Rake a huge pile of leaves for JUMPING!

17. Craft an apple print wreath.

18. Study fruits and nuts.

19. Volunteer to work at your local soup kitchen.

20. Bake pumpkin pie.

21. Make Funny Fall Faces (after a nature walk).

22. Construct Leaf Crowns.

23. Collect scarves, mittens, hats, and coats for those who are in need for winter.

24. Drink hot apple cider together.

25. Create lovely salt dough leave prints.

26. Have each family member start a Thankfulness Journal or Thanksgiving Leaf Fan Book.

27. Decorate your home with a pretty paper leaf garland or some twisted paper leaves.

28. Go on a nature walk and scout for animal signs.

29. Start a countdown to Thanksgiving.

30. Bake  Snickerdoodle Cookies.

31. Craft Coffee Filter Fall Leaves.

32. Read Leaf Man and make some leaf people or leaf art.

33. Roast pumpkin seeds.

34. Find your way through a corn maze.

35. Knit something cozy.

36. Learn more about squirrels.

37. Make caramel apples.

38. Paint pumpkins.

39. Visit an elderly person and rake their leaves for them.

40. Create a thankfulness tree.

41. Pop a big batch of popcorn and have a family movie (or game) night.

42. Bake an apple cake and take it to a neighbor.

43. Concoct  pumpkin pie play dough and play!

44. Build a scarecrow.

45. Find a local festival to attend.

46. Serve pumpkin dip with apple dippers.

47. Craft a sunflower door hanger.

48. Preserve fall leaves.

49. Bake a batch of pumpkin granola.

50. Collect canned goods for your local food pantry.

Your Story Hour Online - When You Need A Break From TV

Need some wholesome audio books and have your kids learn at the same time?  Ya me too so I have Your Story Hour and now I just found out you can listen online.  Very CM when you are needing some rest for your vocal chords.

Your Story Hour Online

Possum's Harvest Moon Links!

Social Studies - Hibernation, Harvest Festivals & Parties, Harvest, Nocturnal

             Hibernation Definition For Kids
             Black Bears and Cubs in Hibernation

            Harvest Festival - the end is a bit too "groovy" for my taste but...

            Day and Night - Nocturnal



Language Arts - Vocab
                               - soriee
                               -jig
                               -nibbled

                             Crossword Puzzle

Art - Pastels, Color Usage, Color Palatte, Light

Math - Adding Groups, Multiplying, Dividing

                             

Science - Harvest Moon, Possums

                Harvest Moon Info
                Beautiful Harvest Moon Pictures
                NASA Harvest Moon Video

Read Aloud: Round is a Mooncake, Happy Birthday Moon

At Home ACE Homeschool Expo

So I named this A.C.E. Homeschool Expo but really it's organization whiz Andrea Mill's ACE playlist from youtube.... in case you need some inspiration or help ;)


In Honor of Andrea Mills, who went to be with the Lord recently,  I'm reposting this amazing list.

Why We Don't Homeschool In the Morning...Repost

I was thinking this morning about how nice our days are and then that made me think about when I first started...don't even want to tell you how long ago but let's just say Bush and not George W. (dubbya) was in office.  

What I found was that EVERY so called "expert" or homeschooling mom would tell you (and still do)  is what I like the call "The Homeschool Mom Protocol":  get breakfast, do chores and then start school and be done by noon or 1 (lunch time).  I tried this...really...for years I tried this.  And every morning SUCKED!  I started thinking that if I had to fight like this to get crap done I'd rather send the kids to school and if you know me, that's pretty bad since I'm a HUGE proponent of homeschooling.  

And then....



I decided to not do anything but let the kids play first thing in the morning.....
    ......And our life began to look like what I thought homeschooling could be. 



Then I got wild.....and I started asking the kids what they wanted for breakfast instead of me dictating what they were going to have.  We made out a list of things they liked to eat and what days they wanted them (for my sake)..........and mornings got even better!  No fighting about not wanting oatmeal~

And if that worked......I asked them what they liked for dinner and we made a weekly chart for it.  My cravat on this was it had to be easy or in a crockpot.....and our nights started becoming better.  Daddy's started coming home to a happy house.

now we were on a roll.....we decided that they would do some math and english before lunch and then.....
 .....before dinner they'd do Science and Social Studies and more joy prevailed!


my point???

Stop looking to the "experts" to tell you how YOU need to run YOUR house.  If the kids are running around the house madly first thing in the morning, maybe you need to do afternoon school or even Gasp!!!  evening school!  Maybe you do all your work after dinner!!  Just reading that for some of you may seem like a relief and for others you are cringing right now.    If your kids are full of energy, maybe break everything into small pieces like,  just this one and now run around and come back for the next one or give me the answer while your jumping rope!  But either way...ask your kids what THEY would like to do.  How would it feel if your husband told you exactly how to vacuum or grocery shop or some other thing?  Wouldn't that be annoying?  You bet it would!  So why not let the kids tell you what they may like to do.  What's it going to hurt?  Probably nothing so why fight over it?? Seriously!

Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting--and conflict.

                                                                            NLT  Prov. 17:1

A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate.
                                                                           NLT Prov. 15:17


Now go!  Find your families' joy!

Sales Cycles - And How To Stock Up!

Here's a list of the sales cycles for the year so you can stock up when things go on sale and use those coupons to score BIG!

January:

National Oatmeal Month: Quaker
Diet Foods including: Healthy Choice, South Beach, Lean Cuisine, Special K, Kashi, Smart Start, 100 Calorie Packs
Super Bowl Sunday:  Pepsi, Coke, chips, dips, cheese, sandwich items, crackers, snacks, wings
Seasonal Produce: oranges, pears, grapefruits, tangerines, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, collards, kale, kiwis, avocados, cabbage, spinach
Clearance:  Christmas decorations, toys, wrapping papers                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Winter Health:  cold medicines and vitamins

February:

National Canned Food Month:  canned fruits and vegetables; meats:  tuna, chicken, salmon; pie fillings
National Hot Breakfast Month:  Malt O Meal, oatmeal, Eggo Waffles, syrup
Valentines:  chocolate, Hershey’s, KY Lubricant, etc
Chinese New Year: soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, noodles
Seasonal Produce:  artichokes, asparagus, raspberries, potatoes, strawberries, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, collards, kale, kiwis, avocados, spinach

March:

Frozen Food Month: frozen meals, TGI Fridays, Contessa, Foster Farms chicken, Eggo, Sara Lee, Healthy Choice, DiGiorno, Freschetta, Breyers, Dreyers, Marie Callendars
Seasonal Produce: artichokes, asparagus, avocados, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, collards, fennel, kale, leeks, lemons, limes, mushrooms, onions, oranges, peas, radishes, rhubarb, spinach, strawberries, tangerines

April:

Easter:  ham; eggs; some baking supplies:  sugar, spices, baking mixes, chocolate chips
Earth Day: organic foods, Energy Saver
Seasonal Produce: artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, grapefruits, avocados, mushrooms, onions, peas, rhubarb
Clearance:  after Easter sales are the time to stock up on decorating, baskets, etc for the next year.

May:

Memorial Day: BBQ sauce, ketchup, condiments, charcoal, salad dressing, potato chips, dips
Paper Products:  plates, utensils
Cinco de Mayo:  salsa, tortillas
Seasonal Produce: artichokes; asparagus; avocados; green beans; beets; blackberries; carrots; sweet Vidalia onions; peas: edible-podded peas,  English Shelling peas; new potatoes; raspberries; strawberries
Outdoor: insect repellant, sunscreen

June:

National Dairy Month:  eggs, milk (free milk Catalina, wyb cereal), ice cream, cheese, butter, yogurt, Cool Whip, in-store dairy coupons or booklets
End of June is Fourth of July Sales: hot dogs, hamburgers, BBQ sauce, ketchup, condiments, charcoal, salad dressing, potato chips, dips
Seasonal Produce: apricots, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cherries, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, grapes, honeydews, nectarines, peaches, potatoes, raspberries, red onions, summer squash, strawberries, sweet Vidalia onions, tomatoes, watermelons

July:

National Ice Cream Month
More 4th of July BBQ Sales:  hot dogs, hamburgers, BBQ sauce, ketchup, condiments, charcoal, salad dressing, potato chips, dips
End of July, Back to School Sales begin:  crayons, pencils, folders, binders
Seasonal Produce: Asian pears, Bartlett pears, green beans, blueberries, corn, cucumbers, eggplants, figs, garlic, grapes, nectarines, red onions, Valencia oranges, peaches, sweet bell peppers, plums, potatoes, summer squash, tomatoes, watermelon

August:

Back to School: pudding cups, lunch meat,
Staples and Office Depot penny items
Disinfectant:  Clorox, Purell
Clearance:  insect repellant, sunscreen, charcoal
Seasonal Produce: Gravenstein apples, avocados, beans, green beans, berries, corn, cucumber, eggplants, figs, grapes, melons, onions, peaches, Bartlett pears, bell peppers, plums, raspberries, summer squash, tomatillos, tomatoes

September:

Back to School Sales through Labor Day:  crayons, pencils, folders, binders
Diabetes:  Bayer glucose meters, Glucerna cereal
Seasonal Produce: apples, artichokes, beans, bell peppers, chili peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, grapes, onions, Valencia orange, pears (Asian, Bartlett), pomegranates, squash, tomatillos, tomatoes, winter squash

October:

Halloween:  candy
Beginning of the baking sales:  canned pumpkin, evaporated milk, baking chips
National Seafood Month
Adopt a Shelter-Dog Month: Pedigree, Purina
Seasonal Produce: almonds, apples, artichokes, arugula, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, chard, chestnuts, cranberries, lemons, parsnip, pears, pomegranates, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, spinach, winter squash, turnips, yams

November:

Baking Sales in full swing: nuts, chocolate chips, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, coconut, cake mixes
Canned foods: soup, broth, condensed milk, vegetables, fruits, spaghetti sauce
Thanksgiving: turkey, canned pumpkin, Stove Top stuffing, Betty Crocker boxed potatoes, gravy mixes, Rhodes rolls, frozen pies, cranberry sauce, Jello, marshmallows
Seasonal Produce: Anjou pears, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, Comice pears, cranberries, kiwis, lemons, oranges, potatoes, squash, yams
Clearance:  After Halloween Sales are the time to stock up on things for the next year.  I like to buy the Halloween candy-alternatives like Halloween crayons, erasers, watches, spinning tops, etc.  I mix this in with my next year’s candy bowl, and it stretches my loot for all the neighbor kids!

December:

Holiday Dinner:  egg nog, deli platters, instant potatoes, gravy mixes, Rhodes rolls, frozen pies, cranberry sauce, Jello, marshmallows
Baking: flour, sugar, butter, cream, cake mixes, brownie mixes, muffin mixes, breads, pie crusts, marshmallows, whipped cream
Canned foods: soup, broth, condensed milk, vegetables, fruits, spaghetti sauce
Clearance:  Buy all your Thanksgiving decorations, extra table settings, and turkey carving products now once they’re at least 50% off.

Ya, we've all been there...what do you do with the littles when it's too cold to go outside? Here's a good one...

Indoor Snow!

Just grab your biggest container and put fresh snow in the sink. I happen to have those tubs you use for washing dishes (I have no idea what they are called..they remind me of camping LOL) and I filled it with snow. Just add clean sand toys and TADA! Hours of fun.....okay...maybe the snow melts after hours but that's a lesson in science right there. Plus you know you had to clean the floor anyways and now you have little helpers to tidy up.

Go! Run outside and grab some snow and then make a cup of tea and enjoy the peace...well..maybe it's noisy but you don't have to be hovering to deal with this one!

Recipe For Genius

“[Homeschooling]...recipe for genius: More of family and less of school, more of parents and less of peers, more creative freedom and less formal lessons.”

― Raymond S. Moore, School Can Wait

equal parts homeschool, service & work