Busy scrapbooking

This is A's scrapbooking page she worked on this evening.....it's bee a rainy day today and she has also been modeling with clay, making window stickers, playing 'Brain Age' and 'Jenga' on my DS and writing stories in her exercise book.

Yesterday she came with me and had her hair cut and we did some shopping in Staples and Dollarama - she bought herself a mini fish tank that comes with plastic fish that really grow - she has to give them warm water daily and they grow over three days - and they really do!!! Kind of neat to watch ;)

Baseball with the siblings

Fingerprinting!!

It was raining this morning so we took the opportunity to do something indoors!
I had a fingerprinting kit so we used it to take A and S's fingerprints just like criminals!!!

Landscape artist!

A. spent time in the Rockies recently watercolour painting on canvas. She painted lake scenes, mountains, as well as pictures of bees, dragonflies and butterflies.

Sam also painted while we we relaxed by the lakes :)

swimming like a fish

A has spent a lot of time swimming this Summer - she LOVES it!

New friends...

Meeting Pocket gophers in Banff National Park....

First fish!

A. with her first 'catch' in Spray Lakes Provincial Park. She had fun learning to fish with Daddy last week :)

The Library...

This week we finally got around to picking up 'A's Grade 1 library bag. Anyone who has just finished grade one can claim a prize bag from the library for free. They have been available since some time in June but we hadn't had a chance to go in and spend the time to go through one.

So this week we had the time and we took her in on Monday to get her bag. Inside the bag was a coupon for $2 off her very own library card, a bookmark, a booklet full of games, colouring pages and a a quiz that sent her on a hunt around the library for points. She had to go on this treasure hut and work out the points and then go back to the information desk when she had the answer. It only took her a few minutes and when she went back she won a stamp and a chocolate! Then she was also given a big poster of a dragon and the dragon has 24 scales to colour in - she gets to colour one in for every book she reads during the holidays - and when he is all coloured in she can take him back to the library and she gets one big scale to write her name on and put on the wall and he name ges into the draw to win the prize of having the librarian come to her class (or homeschool group) to read stories etc etc.

'A' LOVED her goodie bag and came straight home and read three books! She has since read lots of books to me and to herself and lying on my bed and her bed and on the sofa and on the porch and in the car....

This morning she was reading one of the Animal Ark books that Susie used to love.

While at the library on Monday the children also signed up for the annual Summer Reading Game - this year it has a space theme. Sam is taking part too and they each got a pencil and a tattoo.

The children all decided it was time for each of them to have their own library cards too so we did that too (no idea why as they only ever go to the library with me) but now they all have their own cards....now instead of keeping track of just my one card I have 4 cards to keep track of!!!

We went to the library again today and I got out a couple of books on magnets so 'A' could get a head start on reading about that and she can colour in a scale on her dragon at the same time! They got to roll the dice on the reading game too AND I ran into a homeschooling friend too - Jennifer!!! Not Jennifer from drama but Jennifer from 'The Trees' who I haven't seen for a couple of years and it was sooooo nice to see her! Wow have her children grown and we stood and chatted for a while and it was nice to catch up - hopefully we will run into each other in the Fall!

I thought I'd ask if they had any spaces left in any of their classes in August but to be honest I expected them to say no because they started taking bookings in June. I was shocked when I managed to get places in ALL but one of the classes I wanted!!! So 'A' and 'Su' have plenty of workshops to take part in before September arrives! Some of them sound so much fun!

I am a total bookworm - I LOVE to read, so I must admit that I LOVE that my children love the library. Going to the library is one of my favourite childhood memories - I remember it so clearly! And now I love to see how excited my own children get about our trips to the library! I love how quiet our house is after a trip the library because the children disappear to different parts of the house with their piles of books to curl up and read.

I love that our library is in the mall right now - its so convenient - I wonder how things will change when it moves across the road to the 'centre in the park'. I wonder if things will improve or if it will take time for us to get used to the change. I wonder what the childrens area will be like. I wonder how 'family friendly' it will really be!

Libraries are such wonderful places - I hope they are a regular part of YOUR family's life too!!!

Art class in the garden!

Drawing flowers in the garden! We took blankets into the garden and drew flowers and coloured them in! 'A' drew a Phlox and a Foxglove.

Registered!

We finally registered this week and are now officially homeschooling for the upcoming school year. I've had a good look at what A would be doing in school over the next year if she was in school for grade 2 and this is basically it:

Math:

recognize and apply whole numbers up to 1000, and explore
fractions (halves, thirds and quarters)
• apply a variety of addition and subtraction strategies on whole
numbers to 100, and use these operations in solving problems
• use an appropriate calculation strategy or technology to solve
problems
Patterns and Relations
• identify, create, describe and translate numerical and non-
numerical patterns arising from daily experiences in the school
and on the playground



Shape and Space
• estimate, measure and compare, using standard units for
length and primarily nonstandard units for other measures
• name, describe and construct a variety of 3-D objects and 2-D
shapes
• apply positional language, orally and in writing, to
communicate motion



Statistics and Probability
• collect, display and describe data, independently, based on
first-hand information
• use simple experiments, designed by others, to illustrate
chance


Science:


Exploring Liquids
• observe that liquid water can be changed to ice or to steam,
and back again, if heated and cooled, and that wet materials
dry out when left open to the air
• learn that water is our most important liquid, that we use
water in many ways, and that water is essential to life
• describe some properties of water and other liquids, and
recognize the importance of water to living and nonliving
things

Buoyancy and Boats
• learn about balance and stability and about different methods
that can be used in propelling a watercraft
• explore the concept of density
• construct objects that will float on and move through water,
and evaluate various designs for watercraft



Magnetism
• learn to distinguish materials that are affected by magnets
from those that are not
• learn how magnets can be used in sorting objects, moving
things and holding things together
• describe the interaction of magnets with other magnets and
with common materials



Hot and Cold Temperature
• observe that temperatures can go up and down, including the
temperature of their surroundings and the temperatures of
particular objects within it
• learn about methods that are used to control temperature in
buildings
• learn how insulation is used to keep things hot or cold



Small Crawling and Flying Animals
• learn about where small animals live, what they eat, and what
they are eaten by
• learn features of the animals that suit them to their particular
environment
• describe the general structure and life habits of small crawling
and flying animals; for example, insects, spiders, worms, slugs



They also have a social studies project to do which I plan to change to something more relevant to us, and also art which they have no specific projects to do. Drama again no specific projects. Health studies the same - and physical education the same. these are all things that can be covered by our extra curricular activities.

I didn't add Language arts to the above list because 'A' has already covered everything that is listed in the LA topic for grade 2 and so our year will be spent continuing to enjoy LA...reading, writing stories and letters, poems and just enjoying the computer and writing for what it is - rather than making her DO anything...she can just enjoy her writing and reading.....

So if THAT is grade 2, it makes you wonder what on EARTH kids go to school for a WHOLE YEAR for lol!

Tadpoles in the kitchen!

The tadpoles in our pond are about 6 weeks late this year - that must be because of the cold snap we had in early May ad maybe because of the long winter and late Spring we had. We normally have tadpoles in mid to late May but we checked and checked and then gave up checking for them. We figured it was just a bad year for them. Then last weekend we saw bubbles rising in the pond - we went to check and were shocked to find tiny tadpoles! Just before Canada Day!!! A few are big with legs just sprouting but most are tiny baby tadpoles. So at last we are able to finish our life-cycles project.

This week we were also able to finish the bee life-cycles project with the baby bees emerging too from their life cycle completion.

So we have done the butterflies, the seeds and flowers, the bees, and now the tadpoles. Last year we did the meal worms too. 'A' was given grass seeds to grow as well, on Canada Day as part of the Good Growing Edmonton Campaign.

Archeologists!

Yesterday the children went digging for Mummies and old bones! They had to be very careful with their tools and brushes so as not to break the ancient bones and fossils!

Bee swarm!

We had a swarm of honey bees land in a shrub in our flower garden right outside of our house - it was on a day when we had some friends over for a playdate and a picnic. 'A ' got to watch up close as I picked up the swarm and put it in a box ready to put it into a hive.

Two weeks later this colony is now thriving in the new hive and has plenty of new brood - so a wonderful laying Queen :)

'A' loves to help me with the bees and often joins me when I go down to check on the hives and feed them. I have three hives now. You can see a video of the swarm at http://bee-tales.blogspot.com/

Ice skating...

One afternoon last week we spent a while at one of the local rinks...we haven't been skating for ages!! A really enjoyed being back on the ice - I think we may check out some lessons in the Fall!

End of year concert..

A's drama class had their end of year concert last week - it was at the big theatre in town and was wonderful :) A's play was called 'whose shoes do you choose?'. She got to choose her own costume, learn her own script and she just had so much fun! She wants to take pert in this class again in the Fall but will have a new teacher as her teacher is due to have a baby in October.

A made several new friends in the class and swapped numbers with a few of them. One of her new friends told us about a week long drama class taking place near us in August - one is in July but we can't do that one sadly but its taking place in August possibly too so we are hoping to sign A up for that one! We'll see!

Kayaking on the lake....

Yesterday we went kayaking on lake we live close to. A sat in the front with me and spent much of the time paddling for me. She did a great job and had a blast! We saw a lot of wildfowl out there including Sandpipers and Loons. It's one of the best places in the country for seeing Sandpipers.

Our first butterfly!

Today our first butterfly made it's appearance from it's chrysalis! We were very surprised at the bloody mess it left behind!!! First of all the chrysalis goes black and then not long after, the butterfly makes its appearance! Isn't it beautiful?

We have 5 more chrysalises that will hopefully turn into butterflies....and we also have four moths to watch too! Now to get some orange Gatorade to feed them with!

funfair fun

A at the fair....

Kite flying

We made the most of flying the kite this week during some VERY windy weather!

Growing

Watering the flower garden. A watering her plants - she won the little cherry trees two years ago on Earth Day. The catnip she chose at the garden centre last week. The Lupine is her Sisters and she is watering it for her.

Grade 2 workbook

Yesterday I bought a Grade 2 workbook for A. as she has finished all the grade 1 books we had bought for her and was bored with them all. Last night she did 18 pages! She loved it. Which now confuses us even more over what year to register her for next year. This year she was actually registered for kindergarten. We were officially going to register her for grade one next year. Now we are considering registering her for grade two.

What to do?

She is enjoying writing stories now - they are only a few lines long but it's a start. She is still loving to read and is now reading chapter books. She is reading a Dear Dumb Diary book right now. I have no idea what grade level that kind of book is but she picked it off the shelf herself and is reading it to herself at bedtime.

Her spelling is a little TOO good though and makes me laugh! Last week the gas company was here with their 'ditch witch' to trench a new gas line for us. and A. saw the ditch witch and said "you know, if they changed the first letter to a 'B' it would be a rude word' and I laughed out loud and said "You know, I had thought the same thing myself"!!!! This girl is six and she can think about changing spellings from witch to *itch!!!!!!! hahahahaha!!

This week S is sick and it is raining heavily outside so we are doing lots of reading, crafts, talking....and sitting out on the porch watching the chrysalises waiting for them to change (any day now!!!!)

Today A is drawing maps from places close by to our house!

I think tonight I will go through the grade 1 curriculum and check off the things we've done this year so we can see what we have and haven't done this year.....I think A has come on in leaps and bounds since September! Her reading, writing, spelling, drawing, math, science...all her basics.......

I ask her about the Fall and she says she definitely wants to do drama again with her friends. She is also hoping to do ice skating if the class runs. And I think I will put her in to Jennifers group at the library. I think that will be enough for her though. And definitely enough for me.

Abigails Story....

One day I came home from school and found an octopus in my bathtub. I ran to Mom and she said call Dad. Then he said call the Police. Then I had to call the Police and the Police said we will be there as fast as we can.

The End.

With the bees.....

We have had our bees installed for just over a week now and A spends a lot of time down with the hives. She is really enjoying watching them and learning all about them. She was involved when we installed them and was right up looking in the hive. You can read more about our beekeeping experiences on our bee blog at:
bee-tales.blogspot.com/

Moths

We found two moth caterpillars outside in our yard and we added those to our tank with our chrysalises.....well, this morning one of them is starting to change into a chrysalis! If you look closely you can see that it is shedding its outer furry skin and you can see through the furriness! It's body is now much slimmer inside this.

Into the tank!

Today we moved the chrysalises into a bigger tank ready for them to change into butterflies. This is their last home until we release them. Four are still attached to their paper tops so we pinned the papers to the branches. Two didn't attach so we have rested them on the bottom. They need humidity in the tank so they have some grass and moisture in there - some rocks and branches - and when the butterflies come out we will feed them orange gatorade!!!

I will take some better pictures tomorrow but these will have to do until then!