Things Homeschooling has Given to Me -by my daughter

My daughter Ashley posted this on facebook the other day and I thought it was perfect for our homeschool blog! She is 15.

Things Homeschooling Has Given to ME

1.The best friends anyone could ask for.

2. Testing doesn't determine how intelligent you are, it determines how much you've learned. Missing questions on a test does not mean you are a failure.

3. You can buy a machine to turn your boiled eggs into squares. Square eggs. Win.

4. Chemistry is fun. No, really.

5. Roosters don't have the expected male extremity.

6. My parents may just understand me. Maybe.

7. A closer relationship with God. To be Christian is to love God with reckless abandon.

8. An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind.

9. Think before you speak, but never hold in something that is important to you.

10. Never judge. Never lose friends based on religion,politics,or disagreeing opinions, even if if they like pinapple on their pizza or eat things with high fructose corn syrup. [;

11. Life is too short not to live.

12. Never hold back from telling someone you love that you love them.

13. "No homo" is quite possibly the dumbest phrase in history.

14. Every girl needs a gay best friend.

15. Listen to the music you like, watch the movies you like, read the books you like. Don't pretend not to like something because it isn't cool.... or vice versa.

16. Pokémon is one of the most addictive games ever.

17. Science is amazing. Stay curious.

18. The Discovery Channel is the best channel ever. There's nothing like spending all day watching a Mythbuster's marathon. The world is just fawesome.

19.There are aliens out there, and you know it.

20. Jesus died for your sins, but that doesn't mean you get to keep sinning. Always do what you think is right. That's all anyone can ask of you.

21. Daytime TV is the worst thing ever. Always keep a stack of DVD's around.

22. Don't be a hater. Let others do what they love, and they'll let you do what you love.

23. Be yourself. The ones who mind don't matter, and the ones matter don't mind.

24. Friends are like potatoes. If you eat them, they die.

25. Large world/national maps make for great dinnertime conversation. Hang them in your dining room.

26. All natural blackberry soda is delicious. Thanks, Sami!

27. Manga/anime is fawesome.

28. You don't have to like someone's opinion, but always treat others with respect. Always use respect.

29. Cutting up dead animals is fun.

30. And finally, homeschooling gave me all of ya'll. And that's one of the best :]

Our plan for the new school year!

We have finally finished the 2009-2010 school year. It was a long year with several moves across the country. From NC to Or then to Va we drove and flew and drove some more! Our new school year will not begin till mid-Sept as we need a well deserved break! However, I have been planning out what we will study and am starting to organize all the books!

Ashley will be an 11th grader this year! Wow, how time flies. Although she would be a 10th grader in PS, she has enough credits for 11th grade. So her studies will be as follows:

History: World History- Streams of Civilization 1
Reading: British lit with LLATL
Voc: Wordly Wise 11
Grammar: Diagramming 1 &2, Easy Grammar 11
Writing: Writing Strands
Science: Apologia Physics
Math: Jacob's Geometry (she has finished Algebra 1 and 2, so we thought we would take a break
Spanish: continue with Rosetta Stone
Also, she will be finishing up a bowling PE credit and working on her Art through painting and charcoal.

Sara Beth will be doing 3rd grade. It is unclear what grade level her same-aged peers would be in due to birthday cut-offs...either 1st or 2nd.

Sonlight Core 3 will be our main course. She will be doing Reading, American History, Language Arts and Science with Sonlight.
Math: Singapore 3A and 3B.
Vocabulary: Wordly Wise 3
Spelling: Sequential Spelling
Spanish: some store bought Spanish books

I am getting excited to start Sonlight. I have heard great things about it and it looks awesome!

Our local homeschool group is doing a not-back-to-school picnic the end of August. The following week we are visiting my mother in law for her bday and then we will slowly get back into the swing of things! Hopefully we can fit in some hiking, some lake swimming and other activities before we start back up!

Free PE for US

One of the hardest things I find with homeschooling is finding great activities for free or cheap. Most things we want to do cost money, such as art lessons, dance lessons, PE classes. This summer I learned about a great program that is free to all children! kidsbowlfree.com! You sign up your children and each week you receive coupons for them to bowl 2 free games everyday! The only downside is the cost of bowling shoes, but for $50 total we bought a pair for each of the girls. For an addition $25, you can sign up 4 adults too. So, I get to bowl with them, and of course I already have my own shoes!

Another bonus is Ashley has a website that has links for free high school online courses. Of them them is a bowling course! WE signed up and now she has a pe credit for her transcripts! Score! We have been going once a week mostly, but sometimes we go twice. Even dad joined us one week, although he did not like the bumpers that we use for the kids.

Sara Beth seems to add on the bowling with dancing. She dances and bowls the whole time! She is a riot! And other bowlers will watch her too!