Can you spot the tree trimmer?RIP ROARIN': Both kids were up (well kind of) before the sun this morning and it's probably just as well, because come 8 o'clock there was heavy equipment in our alley and the sound of chainsaws. 
The neighbor was having a whole bunch of tree maintenance taken care of and while the Tree Dude was in the 'hood, we had him remove a huuuuge limb that was hanging over our entryway. It was educational watching them clamber around the trees, and we spent some time talking about how the tree parts could be recycled.
REPORT CARDS: As part of our affiliation with Shoreline School District's Home Education program, I have to file monthly reports on CJ and Annabelle's academic progress. It sounds simple enough, but this month is the first time I've done it, and I probably overdid it, and it took me nearly FIVE hours this morning to do it. :/
The reason that it takes so long is because for each kid, I have to write assessments not just for each kid, but for seven classes for each kid. That's 14 lil' summaries. (Gee, can you imagine being a regular classroom teacher and having to do that for, say, 25 kids each quarter? Egad.)
It sure was handy to have this here blog to refer back to. It helped me be a lot more specific about curriculum we've covered and lessons learned this past month. For example, here's Annabelle's assessment for art:
Much of October's artwork centered on seasonal themes.
Annabelle's various pumpkin projects included crafting a 3D jack-o-lantern, creating a wax and tissue paper pumpkin, painting a pumpkin and carving a pumpkin. Annabelle also constructed an elaborate "haunted" gingerbread house.
Using Activity TV tutorials, Annabelle drew a witch and a vampire. She used construction paper to craft a witch.
Annabelle had a hand in designing and creating three custom cakes this month. She mixed custom colors and sculpted design elements in fondant.
This month's field trips included a visit to the Olympic Sculpture Park where Annabelle studied the sculptures and landscape, and the Burke Museum, which had a special exhibit on textile arts. There, she was able to do some weaving and learn about materials used in weaving.
The neighbor was having a whole bunch of tree maintenance taken care of and while the Tree Dude was in the 'hood, we had him remove a huuuuge limb that was hanging over our entryway. It was educational watching them clamber around the trees, and we spent some time talking about how the tree parts could be recycled.
REPORT CARDS: As part of our affiliation with Shoreline School District's Home Education program, I have to file monthly reports on CJ and Annabelle's academic progress. It sounds simple enough, but this month is the first time I've done it, and I probably overdid it, and it took me nearly FIVE hours this morning to do it. :/The reason that it takes so long is because for each kid, I have to write assessments not just for each kid, but for seven classes for each kid. That's 14 lil' summaries. (Gee, can you imagine being a regular classroom teacher and having to do that for, say, 25 kids each quarter? Egad.)
It sure was handy to have this here blog to refer back to. It helped me be a lot more specific about curriculum we've covered and lessons learned this past month. For example, here's Annabelle's assessment for art:
Much of October's artwork centered on seasonal themes.
Annabelle's various pumpkin projects included crafting a 3D jack-o-lantern, creating a wax and tissue paper pumpkin, painting a pumpkin and carving a pumpkin. Annabelle also constructed an elaborate "haunted" gingerbread house.
Using Activity TV tutorials, Annabelle drew a witch and a vampire. She used construction paper to craft a witch.
Annabelle had a hand in designing and creating three custom cakes this month. She mixed custom colors and sculpted design elements in fondant.
This month's field trips included a visit to the Olympic Sculpture Park where Annabelle studied the sculptures and landscape, and the Burke Museum, which had a special exhibit on textile arts. There, she was able to do some weaving and learn about materials used in weaving.
Obviously that's not all inclusive, but it certainly accounts for the clock hours we're supposed to be logging according to their specs.
I'M GONNA: This week Annabelle chose "I'm Gonna Like Me" from the shelves of the Shoreline school library. It's a celebrity book - no, not about a celebrity but BY a celebrity. Specifically, Jamie Lee Curtis. The subtitle of the book is "Lifting off a little self esteem."
I asked the kids if they knew what self esteem is. They didn't. So we talked a bit about that, and I have to give the book props for introducing that to our conversation. That's important.
The book was page after page of reasons the narrator felt good about herself, from missing front teeth to mixing a floral print and plaid, which is affirming and endearing. I get that. But I have to say, I just had a hard time warming to the book because I couldn't get past the "I'm gonna ..." bad grammar bit. IMHO it really wouldn't have hurt the book at ALL to say "I'm going to ..." instead. But enough about me. ...
I decided to turn the book into today's writing assignment and asked the kids to complete the stupid "I'm gonna" phrase.
CJ wrote, "I'm gonna like me when I go to the beach. I'm gonna like me when I get out of bed."
Bee wrote, "I'm gonna like me when I hug my mom. I'm gonna like me when I hug my dad."
MEGAMINDS: This evening Rick and Kennedy took CJ and Annabelle to see Megamind, the new Will Ferrell movie. It got eight thumbs up from our reviewers.
Bee wrote, "I'm gonna like me when I hug my mom. I'm gonna like me when I hug my dad."
MEGAMINDS: This evening Rick and Kennedy took CJ and Annabelle to see Megamind, the new Will Ferrell movie. It got eight thumbs up from our reviewers.
SCRUBBED: First thing I did at 5:20 this morning was check my email for the latest update from NASA regarding today's launch of Discovery. The report in my inbox was that it was a go and they were fueling up. As soon as Christian left (about 5:45), I hopped on Nasa.gov to see the countdown clock. However, there I leaned there was trouble - a hydrogen gas leak was detected at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate while fueling the external (that big orange) tank. 
Drat. At the time they were going to meet and still hoping to launch if not today, Monday, but within a couple of hours, the mission was scrubbed for not just the day but until Nov. 30th at the soonest. (Image Credit: NASA)
Man, oh man, we were lucky when we went to "our" launch.
CJ SHARES: Last night from the darkness of his bedroom, CJ called out to Christian and me to tell us, "The first day when I get my kids I will bring them to their grandma and grandpa's house - which is you." I thought that was super sweet. I went in his room to talk to him about it and he informed me, "You will bake them chocolate chip cookies. And if we lived far away and it was the kids' bedtime, I'd make them beds in the back of my car. I'd make as many beds as I needed," depending on the number of kids, he said.
This morning, shortly after breakfast, CJ told me, "When I'm a dad I'll be a swimming instructor." I thought that an interesting choice given CJ isn't terribly fond of swimming, but I told him that sounds like a great idea and told him he'd probably be really good at that. He did mention he'd wear a life jacket while on the job. :)
Drat. At the time they were going to meet and still hoping to launch if not today, Monday, but within a couple of hours, the mission was scrubbed for not just the day but until Nov. 30th at the soonest. (Image Credit: NASA)Man, oh man, we were lucky when we went to "our" launch.
CJ SHARES: Last night from the darkness of his bedroom, CJ called out to Christian and me to tell us, "The first day when I get my kids I will bring them to their grandma and grandpa's house - which is you." I thought that was super sweet. I went in his room to talk to him about it and he informed me, "You will bake them chocolate chip cookies. And if we lived far away and it was the kids' bedtime, I'd make them beds in the back of my car. I'd make as many beds as I needed," depending on the number of kids, he said.
This morning, shortly after breakfast, CJ told me, "When I'm a dad I'll be a swimming instructor." I thought that an interesting choice given CJ isn't terribly fond of swimming, but I told him that sounds like a great idea and told him he'd probably be really good at that. He did mention he'd wear a life jacket while on the job. :)
Tonight as he walked into his bedroom for slumber CJ handed me a "secret message" he'd written. It said, "M is for Mario and Mega Man. Mario + Mega Man = Mega Mario." He said he wants to have a picture to go with it. I told him we'd do some Photoshopping tomorrow.
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