Tomorrow, I'll be hosting my first Usborne Book party, as both the consultant and the hostess, and the only person more excited than me, is The Girl. She has already figured out which of the books she is going to recommend, and which of her old teachers might like which books. All this work is to help her sell books. She's getting five dollars for every show she helps me set up and break down, as well as a dollar for every book she sells.
:-)
She's been figuring costs, discussing the good and bad points of books, and working on how to be polite to customers. Even if I only break even with my investment in Usborne, it's worth it. The experience is better than any curriculum I could have bought.
Usborne Books at Home is not my main business, or anything. I went into it hoping to bring in a little extra money every month. My main goal being to pay for health insurance which take a huge bite out of my monthly income at the moment, while getting bunches of The girl's favorite books at discount prices.
So, I'll let you know if she ends up starting her own fortune five-hundred - hopefully she'll be able to support me in my old age!
:-)
Monday, August 27, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
One Step Closer to the Beginning
The Girl persists in the theory that we don't start "school" until September 3rd. This despite the lesson on how fractions and percents relate to each, which she started and which took up most of our lunch time the other day.
Shhhhhh. Just don't tell her she's learning.
;-)
Anyway. We are planning our first fieldtrip for sketching a livable, but uninhabited area. This will eventually work its way up to being the basis for our model and for discussing our local geography. My friend D. who also homeschools, will be bringing her two kids and we're going out to the pond that my mom lives on.
I'm excited, but I hope the The Girl's overwhelming need for perfection doesn't freeze her up when she's sketching. I'm debating on bringing a camera. She loves taking pictures, but I'd really like her to sketch as well.
If she learns one thing this year, I want her to learn that she can fail and the world won't end. She can be less than perfect, and it might still be fun.
She's already got the fractions and percents down, but the perfection issues are much more challenging.
Shhhhhh. Just don't tell her she's learning.
;-)
Anyway. We are planning our first fieldtrip for sketching a livable, but uninhabited area. This will eventually work its way up to being the basis for our model and for discussing our local geography. My friend D. who also homeschools, will be bringing her two kids and we're going out to the pond that my mom lives on.
I'm excited, but I hope the The Girl's overwhelming need for perfection doesn't freeze her up when she's sketching. I'm debating on bringing a camera. She loves taking pictures, but I'd really like her to sketch as well.
If she learns one thing this year, I want her to learn that she can fail and the world won't end. She can be less than perfect, and it might still be fun.
She's already got the fractions and percents down, but the perfection issues are much more challenging.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
How to start the homeschool year, without starting school
Next week, I go back to school (I teach part time, and we go back WAAAAYYYY before the kids do). So school has been on my mind.
I'm itching to start our homeschool routine. The Girl, on the other hand, is offended by the very IDEA that we might start homeschool before all the other kids start regular school. She is very much stuck on the calendar, still, and I can understand that since this is the first year we have homeschooled at all.
Rather than push it on her, I have just gotten out some of our cool new curriculum items and started planning for our first week. It took about two seconds for The Girl to come and look over my shoulder.
"What's that?" (Points to picture in Oak Meadow text)
"That's part of the instructions for the model we are going to build for your social studies lessons." ( I continue making notes.)
"Huh." (Looks completely indifferent... and yet does not walk away.) "What're those?" (points to stack of sketchpads)
"Those are going to be your main lesson books and journal. That's where you'll have your writing and stuff. And you get to write everything in colored pencils."
"Cooooooool." (Eyes light up and she fingers the paper.)
"Hey, remember we don't get to start until September!" (I start putting things away.)
"Oh, right." (Long pause.) "Can I just look at the math book for a little bit?"
"Well, okay, but just look through it. We aren't starting school yet."
What followed was a 45 minute review of place values, how to do math in your head and check it with a calculator, and an introduction to double digit multiplication.
Bwahahahahaha!
My evil plan is working!
I'm itching to start our homeschool routine. The Girl, on the other hand, is offended by the very IDEA that we might start homeschool before all the other kids start regular school. She is very much stuck on the calendar, still, and I can understand that since this is the first year we have homeschooled at all.
Rather than push it on her, I have just gotten out some of our cool new curriculum items and started planning for our first week. It took about two seconds for The Girl to come and look over my shoulder.
"What's that?" (Points to picture in Oak Meadow text)
"That's part of the instructions for the model we are going to build for your social studies lessons." ( I continue making notes.)
"Huh." (Looks completely indifferent... and yet does not walk away.) "What're those?" (points to stack of sketchpads)
"Those are going to be your main lesson books and journal. That's where you'll have your writing and stuff. And you get to write everything in colored pencils."
"Cooooooool." (Eyes light up and she fingers the paper.)
"Hey, remember we don't get to start until September!" (I start putting things away.)
"Oh, right." (Long pause.) "Can I just look at the math book for a little bit?"
"Well, okay, but just look through it. We aren't starting school yet."
What followed was a 45 minute review of place values, how to do math in your head and check it with a calculator, and an introduction to double digit multiplication.
Bwahahahahaha!
My evil plan is working!
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Summer High Point: Missoula Children's Theater
I meant to write more about the VaHomeschooler Conference - Which was GREAT!
BUT... For the last week we were completely taken over by The Girl's participation in The Missoula Chidlren's Theatre's production of "The Little Mermaid" (not of Hans Christian Anderson Fame - or Disney, for that matter).
Two wonderful actresses rolled into town in one of MCT's Little Red Trucks, and in just five days went from auditions to two final performances. They were amazing, and they pulled the absolute BEST from these kids.
I can't express how HUGE this was for the Girl. She wanted to do it; it was her idea, I didn't have to roust her out of bed in the morning, or fuss at her to practice her lines - and when performance came on Saturday, she ROCKED.
Now I'm working on finding another drama or children's theater production for her to take part in, and she is already looking forward to next summer, when she'll try out again.
If you haven't got theaterin your area, I strongly recommend applying to MCT to arrange a visit from one of their Little Red Trucks. You will be floored by what your two actors, a truck full of props, and your kids can do.
Now, I am working on how to follow on from this
BUT... For the last week we were completely taken over by The Girl's participation in The Missoula Chidlren's Theatre's production of "The Little Mermaid" (not of Hans Christian Anderson Fame - or Disney, for that matter).
Two wonderful actresses rolled into town in one of MCT's Little Red Trucks, and in just five days went from auditions to two final performances. They were amazing, and they pulled the absolute BEST from these kids.
I can't express how HUGE this was for the Girl. She wanted to do it; it was her idea, I didn't have to roust her out of bed in the morning, or fuss at her to practice her lines - and when performance came on Saturday, she ROCKED.
Now I'm working on finding another drama or children's theater production for her to take part in, and she is already looking forward to next summer, when she'll try out again.
If you haven't got theaterin your area, I strongly recommend applying to MCT to arrange a visit from one of their Little Red Trucks. You will be floored by what your two actors, a truck full of props, and your kids can do.
Now, I am working on how to follow on from this
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