Day 1 - Second Half

We have had SUCH fun! After lunch, since we couldn't go to the library with a sick Cam, Cody started reading out of an old encyclopedia about Coal. He has taken all kinds of notes and written *more* things he wants to learn from the info he got out of it on coal! We have decided we want to visit a coal mine and get some coal to try some experiments with. Did you know that coal floats? that is how they sort it out from rocks! (purty cool dude!)

Then he read his Fablehaven book for about an hour. I went down and was cleaning the kitchen when he came down with one of his Activity Books. We did a science experiment!

Meet Cody the Penny Washer!! LOL
We took vinegar and salt and mixed them until it was clear...

Then we added dirty pennies to the water... (Caleb LOVED this!)

After a few minutes he took half of them out and rinsed them with water. The other half he laid on a paper towel without rinsing. The ones that were rinsed stayed pretty and clean. The ones not rinsed started to darken and turn blue-ish green as the air made *another* chemical reaction. It was really cool!

I was most impressed that the older the penny... the shinier it could become! Makes ya wonder if newer pennies are not all copper!

The shiniest of all was this 1960 penny!

Next time we are going to try dimes and nickles and see what happens! (we emptied out our solution before he thought of it... and his momma needs to get more vinegar! LOL)

Now he is playing legos with Caleb and creating his own layers of coal with them so he can teach his Dad when he gets home! *GRIN* Most of the ideas of today came from HIM! I have done litle but support him and ask questions... he loves being able to teach me what he has learned!

He came up to me earlier and said he felt like this was "the opportunity of a lifetime"! He wanted to know how long he could be homeschooled because he doesn't want it to end! :)

First Day of Un-School

LOL! Ok ok... so we aren't following the Unschooling Method very well yet today... but hey! No one's perfect! (tee hee)

So far today Cody has:
* Cleaned his room in the house (living room) and done his chores
* Dressed & breakfast, as well as got the other kids out of bed, Emma off to school and got Caleb dressed! (And I got a shower because of it! Thanks Bubba!)
* 2 pages of Math - Place values & a dice game
* He has read to me his story he had been working on at school (wow! I have an amazing detail writer on my hands! And his reading abilities are phenomenal! I was entranced while he was reading!) and now he is writing the next chapter! :)

We have covered: reading, writing, math, grammar, problem solving (he has been worried about his pencil box being left at school and he shared all the ways he thought of to get it back (ie; asking different friends etc). WAHOO! It's not even 11 am! *giggle*

We were planning on a big library trip today & possibly a trip to DI for a book explore, as well as creating our daily logs and getting our timeline/Goals set up - but Cam is home sick (again!) and my computer is still at the shop! So were are improvising today. :)

Our next project: He wants to start his research on how coal is turned into energy. Science here we come!

Sweet finds!

We found a set of office chairs on KSL for dirt cheap! And I also found both the Home Schooling books I wanted my own copies of used on Amazon for a grand total with shipping of $15. YEA!

Jess got Cody's desk moved to the office, and it is almost all set up. He also has repaired the light/fan combo in the office and so it is going to get put back together tonight.

Today was my last day with no kids (Caleb was at Preschool). It was bittersweet - but joyful too. I went to the temple and did initiatories. It was a perfect ending of my "days off" for a while.

Cody is sitting at this desk as we speak - workin' away. He has already started a few of his research desires...

This is going to be FUN! *wink*

My heart is sick...

We had to send the following email tonight:

I wanted to share my outrage and utter disappointment at a situation that happened at the Beekeeping 4H class I took my 9 yr old son to tonight. During the presentation, the instructor attempted to bring up a picture of a bee swarm to show the children, and instead brang up two seperate photos of nude women! I am VERY hesitant to allow my son to continue this class, but as his heart has been set on beekeeping since age of 5, I find myself quite torn. Should the instructor bring up any further INAPPROPRIATE material, I will be notifying the proper authorities immediately! And should he be the leader for the regular clubs following this class my son will not be attending. The instructors reaction to the "accidental" images was LESS than heartfelt or apologetic for what may now be seared on my sons memory for life. I thought you should be made aware as I was not positive your 4H representative was in the room at the time, nor could I catch her for comment after class. Please contact me if you have any questions. (801-836-8726) Jestin Dorius

My "mantra" on the right side of your screen...

So, I have moved the thought for the day from our family blog to this one - I was struggling with changing the daily thought over there for fear I would loose it - and it has made such an impact on my resolve and motivation in this homeschooling endeavor.

Find a purpose in life so big it will challenge every capacity to be at your best!~~ David O. McKay

What better way of reminding me that mothering this child of God is my purpose in life - and right now this is how God needs me to mother him.

I have to admit... Satan is playing on me. Last night I felt sort of a panic about my qualifications/abilities/desires/motivations to actually follow through with this - and possibly long term:

* What if my brilliant son falls behind because of me?
* What if I neglect to teach him something he needs to know?
* What if my health issues crop up again and we are left with failure?

Fail. Fail. Fail. He chants this in my ear. Really he does.

Which is why I am so stubbornly moving forward despite my deepest fears. This must truly be guidance from my Heavenly Father if Satan wants me to feel so despairingly about it in dark moments. And of course, the day I begin to struggle with myself about our decision, Cody wanders in with a new list of things he can't wait to start learning, and how excited he is; and being sick and sitting down I pick up my "Everything Home Schooled Book" from the library and the next chapter reviews my concerns. *Peace* It will be fine. It will be wonderful! I need to get to a Book Store and buy this book (OH! As well as the book Bubba needs for his Beekeeping class this Friday! Blast this sickness! I am getting myself behind! ack!) It has been such an amazing resource and is so full of websites etc I can gather support and resources from, it is a must have. I will use it again and again I believe.

We also have been invited to Free Homeschooling Day at the Zoo. One day in the last week in Feb Hoogle Zoo lets homeschooling families come for free... and they have worksheets and animal enrichment activities etc for the kids! Both Caleb and Cody will love that! I hope it is as nice and warm of a day as today was! *wink*

I have started some lesson plans. I have decided to "detox" Cody from traditional schooling the last two weeks of Feb by making trips to the Library, the used book store & making more lesson plans together. We also need to get our Home School log made up - one that he can fill out - and I would like to give him free reading time and time to finish the story he started at school that he is really looking forward to having time to finish. We will set up his study area and a basic daily schedule. He will be as hands on as I am in this - and I think the two week break will give him some down time from bells and schedules...

We are going to try mostly an eclectic homeschooling method: I want most of it to be the Un-schooling method, as I believe he will flourish the most on this system, but we all will do some Unit study, with some Workbook/Curriculum based study here and there. We are open to most of the learning styles and I am interested to see which ones fit Cody the best and with which subjects. Now...to only have him decide where he wants to start... LOL

I am getting more nervous and excited as the days go by.... what an adventure!

Adding to his list...

So, Cody brought me his list of things he wants to learn about last night... he has added quite a few... here is a small portion of the things that make him go hmmm....

* Why do we itch?
* How do you make or find diamonds?
* How is sunlight turned to energy?
* How do they make the internet?
* How does sunblock work?
* Is all cloth made from sheeps wool?
* What makes cars work?
* How exactly did the dinosaurs die?

Oh boy! Doesn't that sound like an absolute blast?? *GRIN*

Cody's Free Desk :)