No time....

I don't have time this morning to update on our school progress.  I'll just update on life these past two weeks. 

I've been crazy busy with school.  Three weeks left and I will be done and graduate!!  yippee!!  Unfortunately, the last two weeks and next two weeks are going to be murderous with trying to get my 25 page term paper done.  Working on the rough draft today and this week.  Hope to have that done by Thursday and then work on the final.

The weather has been less than cooperative lately.  Last Monday it snowed, yes snowed here.  We only had two inches.  Our friends 40 miles west had 8 inches.  He took off of work this week to build a deck.  Not the best time to do it in.  He has had TL over twice this week and I'm taking him over this morning before church to help him out.  Hopefully they finish today since he has to be at work tomorrow. 

The last two days has been really nice.  We've been doing yard work....lots of sticks to pick up.  We have about thirty oak trees and the branches are all over the yard from winter.  I also never raked well last year so we're paying for it this year.

My neighbor brought over another burn barrel so TL spent most of the day yesterday burning trash.  We still have about six bags left.  We got really behind with the crazy weather the last month.  I have to take the recycling in today and that will finally clear out the garage.

We have three evergreens that have grown really close together.  I took trimmers in yesterday and cut out some branches on the inside of them and make the girls a little fort in there.  It will be nice and cool in the summer.  The dog seemed to enjoy it yesterday. 

Hubby arrives home on Tuesday night for ten days.  We have lots to do.  Of course, the weather doesn't look like it will cooperate too much.  Wednesday is rain and 45.  Fifties the rest of the week.  We need to finish the yard work and get the 250 cement blocks I had delivered yesterday set up for our garden; we're doing raised beds.

That's all for now.  Hubby is bringing his camera so I can finally take pictures!!

Oregon Trail

One of the things that I'm trying to incorporate in our homeschool is project based learning.  The day to day grind of workbooks get to everyone, even with the added plus of living books to read. 

I decided to have the big girls work on a project for the Oregon Trail and found this absolutely fantastic website! 

This week that girls have set up their wagon families.  They decided who they were going to be on the trail and made up information about their families.  Princess is married with children and her parents riding in a separate wagon.  Bug-a-bug is a child with siblings and parents.

Today we spent time working on the Supply List.  The girls had to decide how many items for the tents and bedding that they needed and what the cost was going to be.  Some of the items weren't on the list so we discussed how easy it would be to make these items.  We will be covering food and cooking utensils tomorrow and other supplies later this week.

Next week we will start on Monday, packing our wagon and determining how many animals we are going to take along with us.  We started reading Bound for Oregon by Jean Van Leeuwen.  The girls are loving the story.  Tuesday we will be off on our trip and following the trail and sites along the map.  I'm going to look up some of the sites so that they have those to look at and reference.  If I get really energetic maybe I'll make a power-point.  Okay, probably not.....this term paper is due soon and I need to concentrate on that first. 

One of the things I love about this website is that there are FATE cards to follow along with.  Some are good, some bad, some are just quick decisions that may hold you up a day to see something special or do some hunting; but all are very interesting and fun. 

I hope you get a second to take a look at this website!!  Its absolutely fantastic!

Enjoy!

Winter STorm Warning

We are under a winter storm warning until 7pm tomorrow night.  Freezing rain and snow.....yes, snow.  Up to four inches.  Really?  All that other snow finally just melted!! 

I wanted to share some websites that I found.  We really love Tapestry of Grace.  I am trying to incorporate more project learning for the kids and wanted a project that they could work on the next few weeks.  We are currently studying the Oregon Trail era. 

I found this website about an Oregon Trail project.  It is a five week long project where the kids build wagons, gather supplies, get a pseudonym, and then travel.  They stop at points along the way to gather supplies and best of all see the area where the pioneers stopped.  I love to that they have to make trail decisions along the way which affect their traveling. The girls are starting this next week.

TL took an awesome six week Oregon Trail class online through Currclick and Apples of Gold Academy.  She also did his Lord of the Rings class.  Apples of Gold is fabulous!  If your looking for something new to do in your homeschool, I highly recommend her classes.

So anyway, another Oregon Trail project seemed ridiculous so I wanted to work on the Gold Rush, Transcontinental Railroad, and the Pony Express.  This site has directions to start your own Gold Rush Town and this website has a little info on everything.  I hope to have him work on the Gold Rush for two weeks and Transcontinental Railroad and Pony Express for one week each.  We'll see.  If I see there's too much I want him to do, I may cut one or make the projects longer.  Hopefully it will be fun for him.

Take care!!  Enjoy your spring weather!!  Looks like we won't see any for a while yet!

Spring is in the air!

I saw two robins and a blue jay yesterday.  On Easter Sunday, I woke up to rabbits hopping all over the yard.  I'm surprised that I hadn't seen a rabbit since we've lived here and that they chose Easter to come out.  The temperature is rising.  Its supposed to be close to fifty today.   

I have to go and order my supplies for my garden.  We're making raised beds out of cinder blocks.  I need about 200.  Sometime this month all of my trees and plants will be arriving also.  We need to clean out the corn crib and prep it for the chicken coop. 

good new though, Kevin will be arriving at the end of the month for ten days.  I have his honey do list all ready.  He'll mainly be working on the chicken coop and helping with garden stuff.  I hope to get some painting done also while he is here.  It depends on how much of my own school I have done.  I have a 25 page term paper that's due during that time frame.  If I can get it done before hand than I'm looking good! 

Today, TL and I are going to look at an area rug for his room.  He has the smallest one at 12x8.  We priced having carpet put in and its almost $500, which is ridiculous.  It wasn't even great carpet!  Since most of it will be covered by furniture anyway, we decided to get a nice quality area rug for half the price.  He is looking forward to having some soft and warm flooring (he has hardwood now).

I'm also going to pick up my seeds to start my seedlings in a few weeks.  Still too cold to start doing it yet, but it will be nice to have it all once I'm ready.  Need to pick up some shovels, another rake, and some other gardening tools.  Also going to buy some new pillows.  We bought cheap ones when we moved here and they are all as flat as a pancake!! 

And so I'm off.  Not sure how much I'll be blogging in the next few weeks.  I have to get all of this stuff caught up with my school and planting and everything else!!  Crazy busy but exciting!