The End is Nigh

The end of the school year is upon us. While the last day of school technically isn't until May 25th, Connor is done with everything. He only needs to attend two more classes for the year. He has to give a presentation in one class on one day, and he has to attend that same class a second time to listen to others present. He basically has about 3 hours of school left for 10th grade.

He had to make two visual aids for his presentation, and I think he did a fantastic job.

Lex is nearly finished with all of his homeschool books, too.

He just got a new one to use over the summer, to prepare him for his math placement test, since he is going to take one over the summer before going to high school.

Atlanta United

Lex and I went to the season opener tonight against the San Jose Earthquakes.

Final Score: 

Atlanta: 2

San Jose: 1

Homeschool Today: Friday Edition

Homeschool Today: US Geography

Homeschool Update

Lex's new geography workbook arrived today, so he can start this world geography course tomorrow!

I'm sure he's thrilled.

Homeschool Update

Lex finished the last geography workbook in this series yesterday.

He did one for each of the 7 continents.

I have ordered the next geography workbook for him, and it will arrive early next week.

Tuesdays in the Field

The Georgia Aquarium hosts a homeschool event one Tuesday of each month during the school year. 

Lex and I were very happy to participate in the first one for this school year.

We began behind the scenes in the area where they feed the whale sharks and giant manta rays in the Ocean Voyager tank. This is where people who are going to swim with the whale sharks enter the water.

It was nice to see them from above for once. The whale shark's fins came above the water, just like a shark in the movie Jaws.

Lex is standing in front of a model showing the size of a great white's jaw (the little one in the middle) and a megalodon's jaw (the big one on the outside).

We also got to compare different shark teeth at an education station.

I love sea dragons!

Beluga Whales and Harbor Seals Swimming Together

Penguins!

Selfie with the piranhas.

Whale Sharks and Manta Rays

Sharks!

I really liked watching the huge school of fish.

Lex and I caught the dolphin show, and then we headed to Johnny Rocket's for milkshakes before heading home.

This is Homeschooling

Here is an eighth grade student, reading Around the World in 80 Days *while* completing a Japanese Kanji practice workbook *while* holding a smol dog on his lap, because this is what homeschooling looks like some days.

(Yes, he knows that multitasking isn't as effective as focusing on just one thing at a time. He just read about it in that book that is sitting there in the corner. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.)

Today is the First Day of the Fall Semester

Here we see a wild eighth grade homeschooler in his natural habitat.

Be quiet so we don't spook the fella.

You can observe him while he is busy with his studies.

(Read this in your best Steve Irwin voice.)

The Lesson Plans Have Been Made

I sat down and wrote out all the lesson plans for Lex's last year of homeschooling.

He intends to do eighth grade here at home with me, and then start high school next year.

Then, I ordered the books that we needed to get started after Labor Day.

I had intended to order the Katakana from Zero workbook, because we completed the Hiragana from Zero workbook last year, but then I discovered that this combo workbook was only a few dollars more, and it includes both, just in case Lex needs to review the Hiragana. I think this might actually be a genius idea. 

Clutch Combo Workbook.

This is the next book in our Writing & Rhetoric series. 

I also bought the teacher's edition, but it won't be delivered until tomorrow.

Amazon Prime is fantastic, by the way.

The First Day of School

This is what my kids looked like today, being the first day of school.

Well, at least it was the first day of Connor's sophomore year of high school.

Today was the first day of Lex's home school summer reading extravaganza. We won't start his more traditional studies until after Labor Day. Because homeschooling.

We also didn't take these photos in the morning before the day started. Nope, these are the photos I took as I was heading up to bed that night.

Earlier that day...I took Connor to Chick-fil-A for breakfast and then dropped him off for school. 

Lex slept in and then started reading Maus I and The Encephalon Code after a nice lunch.

In Which We Celebrate

Tonight we took the boys out to dinner to mark the end of summer and the beginning of the school year.

We let them choose the restaurant, and they chose The Cheesecake Factory.

Solid decision, to be honest.

Buffalo Wings

Chicken Taquitos

Chicken Riesling

Everything was delicious! We also ordered several slices of cheesecake, but I was too busy eating by then to bother with taking photos. Plus, I had decided to share a slice of cheesecake with Connor, and I didn't want him to eat it all before I got a chance to have some. 

Happy Start of the School Year!

Getting Ready for Fall

I went to the Southeast Homeschool Expo today, and I visited the vendor hall. I'm always on the lookout for new curriculum books that I have never seen before, and this time I found two great books to buy.

This is a middle grade book that teaches different memory tricks that students can use, as well as provides examples for when to use each trick. While I bought this book to complete with Lex during this coming school year, but I am hopeful that I can convince Connor to at least glance through this book before he goes back to school, too.

This workbook guides middle school students through the brainstorming, writing and editing process to complete a novel during a single school year. The end product is a published book. It was a little bit more expensive than homeschool workbooks usually are, and I assume that is because there is a vanity publishing fee built into the book price. I should probably look into that, actually.  In any event, I am really excited about the possibility of reading's Lex's debut novel this year. I hope he can get excited about it, too. 

Mom's Summer Reading Assignments

I have assigned some summer reading for Connor and Lex.

It is a short list of three mouse books. (Explain a book list badly.)

1. Maus I: My Father Bleeds History

2. Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began

3. Flowers for Algernon

I think these are all important books for the boys to read this summer, so that's why I assigned them. I honestly hope that they like them and find them interesting. I know I did.

Turing Tumble - If/Then Computing

Today the boys worked together to build a mechanical model of an if/then computer statement.

(Turing Tumble Challenge 18)

Oh yeah, this week was week 1 of our Summer Camp at Home.

We have also been reading our Sassafras Science adventure book about Astronomy and working on our SciDat log books.  (SciDat is the clever name for the science data log books.)

The Last Day of School

Today is officially the last day of 6th Grade and 8th Grade homeschool at our house.

We played some Scrabble:

This is a serious game of Scrabble, obviously.

I bought the boys some Italian cake bites as a treat:

They ate all the cake bites before I got a photo.  I suppose that means they were delicious.

The boys bought me a special one dollar proof coin featuring Christa McAuliffe.

It's so cool and shiny.

HAPPY SUMMER!