tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51892667008069695852024-03-12T22:10:02.956-04:00Busymom2girlsBusymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-40243319515891841412010-05-05T06:03:00.001-04:002010-07-01T11:02:36.897-04:00Family update:<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Louie</strong></span> is doing well. He continues with his role as Captain for the Miami Dade Rescue Training Bureau. Most of you already know he was dispatched to assist in Haiti with the Earthquake that occurred in January of this year. He has since traveled to Washington D.C. and Tallahassee, Florida (to name a few) to be honored for a job well done in Haiti. He and his crew were able to rescue 11 live people from the rubble. Louie was touched by the devastation he witnessed in Haiti in ways I can not even begin to describe. On his return from Haiti, he wanted nothing more then to spend time with his family. So, he booked us on a one week Caribbean cruise. We had a wonderful and restful time!<br/><br/><a href="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/28094.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-265" title="28094" src="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/28094-201x300.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="300" /></a><br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Gianna</strong></span> has recently recovered from a fracture to her right foot that she received on the very last night of our cruise. She was unable to dance for a month and has recently returned to her Ballet classes. Although she has decided that Girl Scouts is just not for her, she did complete and receive her Silver Award. This award is the highest award one can receive as a Cadette Girl Scout. Her project consisted of holding a 3 day Summer Camp for 2nd grade students in hopes of sharing with them her love of the ocean and sea animals. She did an amazing job! The children loved what she had shared with them. Gianna has successfully completed the 8th grade. She is continuing to school in the summer and God willing, will complete 9th grade by the Fall.<br/><br/>She has completed the following novels this school year:<br/><ul><br/> <li>Heidi</li><br/> <li>Shark Life</li><br/> <li>I Kissed Dating Goodbye</li><br/> <li>Love Off-Limits</li><br/> <li>Johnny Tremain</li><br/> <li>Taming of The Shrew (her favorite so far)</li><br/> <li>The Adventures of Tom Sawyer</li><br/></ul><br/>Books and essays on her list to complete by the Fall are as follows:<br/><ul><br/> <li>The Scarlet Letter (currently reading)</li><br/> <li>The Red Badge of Courage</li><br/> <li>The Pit and the Pendulum</li><br/> <li>A Model of Charity</li><br/> <li>Through Gates of Splendor</li><br/> <li>Born Again</li><br/> <li>Ash Liv</li><br/> <li>Up From Slavery</li><br/> <li>Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass</li><br/> <li>The Glass Menagerie</li><br/> <li>The Song of Hiawatha</li><br/> <li>The Midnight Run of Paul Revere</li><br/> <li>To Kill a Mockingbird</li><br/> <li>Thoreau's Walden</li><br/> <li>Emerson's Self Reliance</li><br/> <li>The Old Man and The Sea</li><br/></ul><br/>These novels and essays are all part of her Challenge I curriculum for Classical Conversations. Her goal is to finish Challenge I and be ready for Challenge II in the fall. She is also completing the following areas of study:<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>American Government</strong></span>: all areas of the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, the Presidents, etc...<br/><br/><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Economics</span></strong>: Whatever Happened to Penny Candy and The Money Mystery (Free Market Economics)<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Latin</strong></span>: Latina Christiana I<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Mathematics</strong></span>: Saxon 7/8<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Philosophy</strong></span>: Sophie's World<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Science</strong></span>: Apologia's Physical Science<br/><br/>Against her wishes and to please her father, Gianna will continue to play the flute in the Fall. :) She will be attending her first Prom geared for homeschoolers with her buddy Matthew and friends. I promise to post pictures! She will also be attending her favorite SeaWorld Camp in July, where she plans on rooming with a friend she met last year from South Carolina. She will also be attending our Church's Summer Camp in Daytona Beach with her friend Hannah. As you can tell, she is extremely busy and she somehow still manages to keep in touch with all her old and new friends on facebook!<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Leanne</strong></span> is amazing! Although her schedule is no where near as busy as her sisters, she is as happy as can be. Her goal in life is to make everyone laugh! She is an amazingly talented young lady. She loves to draw Anime/Manga characters and would like to someday have a manga comic book published. She attended her first Anime Convention this Spring and was the happiest I have ever seen her. She owns more Anime/Manga books then anyone I know. She has taken to teaching herself Japanese. She loves to listen to and sing Japanese songs. How she does it, I haven't a clue! :) She has read way too many of these types of books for me to begin to list them, so instead I will show you a picture of her collection:<br/><br/><a href="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Leannes-books3.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-274" title="Leanne's books" src="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Leannes-books3-300x123.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="123" /></a><br/><br/>Leanne continues to be a part of Girl Scouts and is in the process of earning her Bronze Award, the highest award one can earn as a Junior Girl Scout. She will bridge to Cadette in the Fall. She has been steadily memorizing her lines for her upcoming role as Dorothy of The Wizard of OZ. I promise to post pictures some time in September after the play.<br/><br/>As for her studies, Leanne has successfully completed the 5th grade with many of her studies being of 6th grade level. Among the many Anime/Manga books she has read, she has completed the following novels this school year:<br/><ul><br/> <li>Where The Red Fern Grows</li><br/> <li>A Wrinkle In Time</li><br/> <li>My Side of The Mountain</li><br/> <li>The Golden Goblet</li><br/> <li>Warriors</li><br/></ul><br/>Other areas of studies:<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Geography</strong></span>: United States - Draw and label all states their capitals, rivers, mountains and surrounding bodies of water. Memorize all states, capitals and state abbreviations<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Grammar</strong></span>: Junior Analytical Grammar<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Latin</strong></span>: Latina Christiana I<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Literature</strong></span>: Alice in Wonderland<br/><br/><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mathematics</span></strong>: Teaching Textbooks 5<br/><br/><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">History</span></strong>: The Story of The World, Volume I<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Science</strong></span>: Florida Science<br/><br/>Leanne is preparing for the heavy workload of the Challenge A curriculum through Classical Conversations that she will be working with in the Fall. She will also be learning a new instrument through a local homeschool band program that she will attend in the summer. So far it looks like percussion, but we will have a better idea after she tries the different instruments. She is looking forward to her SeaWorld camp in July. This year she will have two buddies with her at camp!<br/><br/>As for me, I continue to love homeschooling the girls. I feel as though I am learning right along with them. I love the time we share reading aloud on the couch in the middle of day. Especially when the weather is beautiful and we take our reading outside on the porch near the pool with the sound of birds chirping in the background! Aww, the beauty of homeschooling! I am truly Blessed!<br/><br/>I will be teaching Latin in Leanne's Challenge A class at Classical Conversations. Latin, who would have ever thought I would be teaching Latin! I am very excited about this new journey! I am looking forward to the FPEA Florida Homeschool Convention at the end of this month. This is my time to rejuvenate and prepare for the following school year. :)<br/><br/>I look forward to continue being a member of the Board for our Parent Support Group, Girl Scout Leader and soon to be Latin Tutor. My goal for this coming year is to participate in the Disney Princess Marathon next Spring. So I will be training for this marathon throughout this coming year.<br/><br/>Wow, you don't realize how busy you actually are until you take the time to reflect on all that you have done and are preparing to do!<br/><br/>Until my next update, Ciao!Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-67006769788894182362010-05-05T06:03:00.000-04:002010-07-01T11:02:36.900-04:00Family update:<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Louie</strong></span> is doing well. He continues with his role as Captain for the Miami Dade Rescue Training Bureau. Most of you already know he was dispatched to assist in Haiti with the Earthquake that occurred in January of this year. He has since traveled to Washington D.C. and Tallahassee, Florida (to name a few) to be honored for a job well done in Haiti. He and his crew were able to rescue 11 live people from the rubble. Louie was touched by the devastation he witnessed in Haiti in ways I can not even begin to describe. On his return from Haiti, he wanted nothing more then to spend time with his family. So, he booked us on a one week Caribbean cruise. We had a wonderful and restful time!<br/><br/><a href="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/28094.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-265" title="28094" src="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/28094-201x300.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="300" /></a><br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Gianna</strong></span> has recently recovered from a fracture to her right foot that she received on the very last night of our cruise. She was unable to dance for a month and has recently returned to her Ballet classes. Although she has decided that Girl Scouts is just not for her, she did complete and receive her Silver Award. This award is the highest award one can receive as a Cadette Girl Scout. Her project consisted of holding a 3 day Summer Camp for 2nd grade students in hopes of sharing with them her love of the ocean and sea animals. She did an amazing job! The children loved what she had shared with them. Gianna has successfully completed the 8th grade. She is continuing to school in the summer and God willing, will complete 9th grade by the Fall.<br/><br/>She has completed the following novels this school year:<br/><ul><br/> <li>Heidi</li><br/> <li>Shark Life</li><br/> <li>I Kissed Dating Goodbye</li><br/> <li>Love Off-Limits</li><br/> <li>Johnny Tremain</li><br/> <li>Taming of The Shrew (her favorite so far)</li><br/> <li>The Adventures of Tom Sawyer</li><br/></ul><br/>Books and essays on her list to complete by the Fall are as follows:<br/><ul><br/> <li>The Scarlet Letter (currently reading)</li><br/> <li>The Red Badge of Courage</li><br/> <li>The Pit and the Pendulum</li><br/> <li>A Model of Charity</li><br/> <li>Through Gates of Splendor</li><br/> <li>Born Again</li><br/> <li>Ash Liv</li><br/> <li>Up From Slavery</li><br/> <li>Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass</li><br/> <li>The Glass Menagerie</li><br/> <li>The Song of Hiawatha</li><br/> <li>The Midnight Run of Paul Revere</li><br/> <li>To Kill a Mockingbird</li><br/> <li>Thoreau's Walden</li><br/> <li>Emerson's Self Reliance</li><br/> <li>The Old Man and The Sea</li><br/></ul><br/>These novels and essays are all part of her Challenge I curriculum for Classical Conversations. Her goal is to finish Challenge I and be ready for Challenge II in the fall. She is also completing the following areas of study:<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>American Government</strong></span>: all areas of the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, the Presidents, etc...<br/><br/><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Economics</span></strong>: Whatever Happened to Penny Candy and The Money Mystery (Free Market Economics)<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Latin</strong></span>: Latina Christiana I<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Mathematics</strong></span>: Saxon 7/8<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Philosophy</strong></span>: Sophie's World<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Science</strong></span>: Apologia's Physical Science<br/><br/>Against her wishes and to please her father, Gianna will continue to play the flute in the Fall. :) She will be attending her first Prom geared for homeschoolers with her buddy Matthew and friends. I promise to post pictures! She will also be attending her favorite SeaWorld Camp in July, where she plans on rooming with a friend she met last year from South Carolina. She will also be attending our Church's Summer Camp in Daytona Beach with her friend Hannah. As you can tell, she is extremely busy and she somehow still manages to keep in touch with all her old and new friends on facebook!<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Leanne</strong></span> is amazing! Although her schedule is no where near as busy as her sisters, she is as happy as can be. Her goal in life is to make everyone laugh! She is an amazingly talented young lady. She loves to draw Anime/Manga characters and would like to someday have a manga comic book published. She attended her first Anime Convention this Spring and was the happiest I have ever seen her. She owns more Anime/Manga books then anyone I know. She has taken to teaching herself Japanese. She loves to listen to and sing Japanese songs. How she does it, I haven't a clue! :) She has read way too many of these types of books for me to begin to list them, so instead I will show you a picture of her collection:<br/><br/><a href="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Leannes-books3.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-274" title="Leanne's books" src="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Leannes-books3-300x123.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="123" /></a><br/><br/>Leanne continues to be a part of Girl Scouts and is in the process of earning her Bronze Award, the highest award one can earn as a Junior Girl Scout. She will bridge to Cadette in the Fall. She has been steadily memorizing her lines for her upcoming role as Dorothy of The Wizard of OZ. I promise to post pictures some time in September after the play.<br/><br/>As for her studies, Leanne has successfully completed the 5th grade with many of her studies being of 6th grade level. Among the many Anime/Manga books she has read, she has completed the following novels this school year:<br/><ul><br/> <li>Where The Red Fern Grows</li><br/> <li>A Wrinkle In Time</li><br/> <li>My Side of The Mountain</li><br/> <li>The Golden Goblet</li><br/> <li>Warriors</li><br/></ul><br/>Other areas of studies:<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Geography</strong></span>: United States - Draw and label all states their capitals, rivers, mountains and surrounding bodies of water. Memorize all states, capitals and state abbreviations<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Grammar</strong></span>: Junior Analytical Grammar<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Latin</strong></span>: Latina Christiana I<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Literature</strong></span>: Alice in Wonderland<br/><br/><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mathematics</span></strong>: Teaching Textbooks 5<br/><br/><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">History</span></strong>: The Story of The World, Volume I<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Science</strong></span>: Florida Science<br/><br/>Leanne is preparing for the heavy workload of the Challenge A curriculum through Classical Conversations that she will be working with in the Fall. She will also be learning a new instrument through a local homeschool band program that she will attend in the summer. So far it looks like percussion, but we will have a better idea after she tries the different instruments. She is looking forward to her SeaWorld camp in July. This year she will have two buddies with her at camp!<br/><br/>As for me, I continue to love homeschooling the girls. I feel as though I am learning right along with them. I love the time we share reading aloud on the couch in the middle of day. Especially when the weather is beautiful and we take our reading outside on the porch near the pool with the sound of birds chirping in the background! Aww, the beauty of homeschooling! I am truly Blessed!<br/><br/>I will be teaching Latin in Leanne's Challenge A class at Classical Conversations. Latin, who would have ever thought I would be teaching Latin! I am very excited about this new journey! I am looking forward to the FPEA Florida Homeschool Convention at the end of this month. This is my time to rejuvenate and prepare for the following school year. :)<br/><br/>I look forward to continue being a member of the Board for our Parent Support Group, Girl Scout Leader and soon to be Latin Tutor. My goal for this coming year is to participate in the Disney Princess Marathon next Spring. So I will be training for this marathon throughout this coming year.<br/><br/>Wow, you don't realize how busy you actually are until you take the time to reflect on all that you have done and are preparing to do!<br/><br/>Until my next update, Ciao!Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-82447373349866323772010-03-17T17:52:00.001-04:002010-07-01T11:02:36.903-04:00Megacon 2010My youngest daughter is a huge fan of Anime and Manga comic books. She can read 2 or 3 in a day. She loves to spend her spare time drawing Anime and Manga characters. We actually have to put a time limit on the time she spends reading and drawing these characters. If anyone is familiar with these books, you would know that they can range anywhere from books written for "all ages" to "mature" in content. So, we have to keep a close eye on what she is wanting to read. She is aware of this and complies with our rules. She has even turned down books that were given to her, because she knew that her Dad and I would not agree to her reading them. We were very proud of her decision to follow through on what she knew was the right thing to do.<br/><br/>She has been asking to attend an Anime convention for quite some time. So, I decided to do some research and find the closest convention to where we live. After much prayer, we decided that I would take her to the Megacon convention that is held in Orlando, Florida with the stipulation that we would leave if I thought it was inappropriate for her or if I felt uncomfortable. One of the big deals about attending these conventions are the costumes. Apparently, people spend months designing and sewing their costumes. Leanne decided that she wanted to be "Maka" from her favorite book, <em>Soul Eater. </em>We began by shopping at a local thrift store for pieces that she could use to assemble her outfit. We had her jacket and skirt made by a friend, she and I worked on the boots and she and her Grandfather put together her weapon. By the time we were done, she looked amazing! Although, she entered a contest and did not win, she had a wonderful time! As did I! It was wonderful to see a bunch of people, adults and kids alike, dressing as their favorite costume and just having fun! We are looking forward to attending next year.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Megacon-2010-025.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-259" title="Megacon 2010 025" src="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Megacon-2010-025-300x281.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="281" /></a>Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-56818305799933917112010-03-17T17:52:00.000-04:002010-07-01T11:02:36.905-04:00Megacon 2010My youngest daughter is a huge fan of Anime and Manga comic books. She can read 2 or 3 in a day. She loves to spend her spare time drawing Anime and Manga characters. We actually have to put a time limit on the time she spends reading and drawing these characters. If anyone is familiar with these books, you would know that they can range anywhere from books written for "all ages" to "mature" in content. So, we have to keep a close eye on what she is wanting to read. She is aware of this and complies with our rules. She has even turned down books that were given to her, because she knew that her Dad and I would not agree to her reading them. We were very proud of her decision to follow through on what she knew was the right thing to do.<br/><br/>She has been asking to attend an Anime convention for quite some time. So, I decided to do some research and find the closest convention to where we live. After much prayer, we decided that I would take her to the Megacon convention that is held in Orlando, Florida with the stipulation that we would leave if I thought it was inappropriate for her or if I felt uncomfortable. One of the big deals about attending these conventions are the costumes. Apparently, people spend months designing and sewing their costumes. Leanne decided that she wanted to be "Maka" from her favorite book, <em>Soul Eater. </em>We began by shopping at a local thrift store for pieces that she could use to assemble her outfit. We had her jacket and skirt made by a friend, she and I worked on the boots and she and her Grandfather put together her weapon. By the time we were done, she looked amazing! Although, she entered a contest and did not win, she had a wonderful time! As did I! It was wonderful to see a bunch of people, adults and kids alike, dressing as their favorite costume and just having fun! We are looking forward to attending next year.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Megacon-2010-025.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-259" title="Megacon 2010 025" src="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Megacon-2010-025-300x281.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="281" /></a>Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-19514953491589228762010-01-14T06:32:00.001-05:002010-07-01T11:02:36.907-04:00The 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge<a href="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/library-rc.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-251" title="library-rc" src="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/library-rc-228x300.jpg" alt="" width="228" height="300" /></a><br/><br/>This challenge is being hosted by <a href="http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/2009/11/2010-support-your-local-library-reading.htm">J.Kaye's Book Blog</a> and I thought it would not only be a good way to support my local library, but a way to keep me out of Barnes & Noble for awhile...yea, right! Ok, so I thought it would be fun!<br/><br/>There are four levels:<br/><br/>--The Mini – Check out and read 25 library books.<br/><br/>--Just My Size – Check out and read 50 library books.<br/><br/>--Stepping It Up – Check out and read 75 library books.<br/><br/>--Super Size Me – Check out and read 100 library books.<br/><br/>I am going to aim for The Mini level - check out 25 library books. Wish me luck! Better yet, join me, head over to <a href="http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/2009/11/2010-support-your-local-library-reading.htm">J.Kaye's Book Blog</a> and sign up!<br/><br/>I will list my 25 books below as I pick them up from the library:<br/><br/>1.<br/><br/>2.<br/><br/>3.Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com69tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-91506483731507499082010-01-14T06:32:00.000-05:002010-07-01T11:02:36.908-04:00The 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge<a href="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/library-rc.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-251" title="library-rc" src="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/library-rc-228x300.jpg" alt="" width="228" height="300" /></a><br/><br/>This challenge is being hosted by <a href="http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/2009/11/2010-support-your-local-library-reading.htm">J.Kaye's Book Blog</a> and I thought it would not only be a good way to support my local library, but a way to keep me out of Barnes & Noble for awhile...yea, right! Ok, so I thought it would be fun!<br/><br/>There are four levels:<br/><br/>--The Mini – Check out and read 25 library books.<br/><br/>--Just My Size – Check out and read 50 library books.<br/><br/>--Stepping It Up – Check out and read 75 library books.<br/><br/>--Super Size Me – Check out and read 100 library books.<br/><br/>I am going to aim for The Mini level - check out 25 library books. Wish me luck! Better yet, join me, head over to <a href="http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/2009/11/2010-support-your-local-library-reading.htm">J.Kaye's Book Blog</a> and sign up!<br/><br/>I will list my 25 books below as I pick them up from the library:<br/><br/>1.<br/><br/>2.<br/><br/>3.Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com69tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-33939163466487020842010-01-14T06:15:00.001-05:002010-07-01T11:02:36.910-04:00Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge<a href="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Read-the-book-see-the-movie-challenge.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Read-the-book-see-the-movie-challenge.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-253" title="Read the book see the movie challenge" src="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Read-the-book-see-the-movie-challenge-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" /></a>I am so in on this challenge! I love to read books and then go see the movie. I love that as you read the book, you imagine your characters and scenery one way and then you see it on the movie screen and say, <em>"What? That is not at all the way I would have pictured the town!"</em> Or, "<em>No way, they picked her for the main character?"</em> On rare occasions, like with the Harry Potter books and movies or the Twilight books and movies, do they (in my opinion) get it right!<br/><br/>Ok, here are the choices for this challenge:<br/><ul><br/> <li>Matinee: one book/movie</li><br/> <li>Double Feature: two books/movies</li><br/> <li>Saturday Movie Marathon: four books/movies</li><br/> <li>Film Festival: eight books/movies</li><br/> <li>Festival Jury Member: ten books/movies</li><br/></ul><br/>I am going to go for the Saturday Movie Marathon: four books/movies! I will keep a running list of the books and movies I plan to read and see below.<br/><br/>If you want more information on this challenge or you care to join me, head over to <a href="http://readywhenyouarecb.blogspot.com/2009/11/read-book-see-movie-challenge_25.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/hhQg+%28Ready+When+You+Are,+C.B.%29">Ready When You are, C.B.</a> and sign up!<br/><ol><br/> <li>Dear John, by: Nicholas Sparks</li><br/> <li></li><br/></ol>Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-30426457622168741082010-01-14T06:15:00.000-05:002010-07-01T11:02:36.912-04:00Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge<a href="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Read-the-book-see-the-movie-challenge.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Read-the-book-see-the-movie-challenge.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-253" title="Read the book see the movie challenge" src="http://www.busymom2girls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Read-the-book-see-the-movie-challenge-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" /></a>I am so in on this challenge! I love to read books and then go see the movie. I love that as you read the book, you imagine your characters and scenery one way and then you see it on the movie screen and say, <em>"What? That is not at all the way I would have pictured the town!"</em> Or, "<em>No way, they picked her for the main character?"</em> On rare occasions, like with the Harry Potter books and movies or the Twilight books and movies, do they (in my opinion) get it right!<br/><br/>Ok, here are the choices for this challenge:<br/><ul><br/> <li>Matinee: one book/movie</li><br/> <li>Double Feature: two books/movies</li><br/> <li>Saturday Movie Marathon: four books/movies</li><br/> <li>Film Festival: eight books/movies</li><br/> <li>Festival Jury Member: ten books/movies</li><br/></ul><br/>I am going to go for the Saturday Movie Marathon: four books/movies! I will keep a running list of the books and movies I plan to read and see below.<br/><br/>If you want more information on this challenge or you care to join me, head over to <a href="http://readywhenyouarecb.blogspot.com/2009/11/read-book-see-movie-challenge_25.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/hhQg+%28Ready+When+You+Are,+C.B.%29">Ready When You are, C.B.</a> and sign up!<br/><ol><br/> <li>Dear John, by: Nicholas Sparks</li><br/> <li></li><br/></ol>Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-67024927186346629902010-01-13T16:30:00.001-05:002010-07-01T11:02:36.913-04:00Home schooling is on the rise in FloridaIt seems that home schooling is becoming more popular in Central Florida. I came across an interesting article that was published in the <a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/education/os-homeschool-jump-011010-20100110,0,5936042.story">Orlando Sentinel</a>. It seems more and more parents are choosing to home school their children. Many basing their decision on not being able to afford private schools anymore. Others are simply unhappy with the education their children are getting. Whatever the reasons, it is safe to say that homeschooling is not for everyone. It is a decision that should not be taken lightly. It is a lot of work, but so worth it!Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-83514371396185198462010-01-13T16:30:00.000-05:002010-07-01T11:02:36.915-04:00Home schooling is on the rise in FloridaIt seems that home schooling is becoming more popular in Central Florida. I came across an interesting article that was published in the <a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/education/os-homeschool-jump-011010-20100110,0,5936042.story">Orlando Sentinel</a>. It seems more and more parents are choosing to home school their children. Many basing their decision on not being able to afford private schools anymore. Others are simply unhappy with the education their children are getting. Whatever the reasons, it is safe to say that homeschooling is not for everyone. It is a decision that should not be taken lightly. It is a lot of work, but so worth it!Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-6904715036134817142009-12-29T09:12:00.001-05:002010-07-01T11:02:36.917-04:002009 Read aloudsThe following is a list of the books we enjoyed as read alouds in 2009:<br/><ul><br/> <li>Ginger Pye</li><br/> <li>Red Sails To Capri</li><br/> <li>Westing Game</li><br/> <li>Pollyanna</li><br/> <li>Gladys Aylward</li><br/> <li>Adam and His Kin</li><br/> <li>Candy Shop War</li><br/> <li>Paddle-to-the Sea</li><br/> <li>Tree In The Trail</li><br/> <li>Mathematicians Are People Too</li><br/> <li>The Mysterious Benedict Society</li><br/></ul><br/>Some we actually enjoyed more then others! Most of all, we enjoyed reading the books all cozy on the sofa and then popping some popcorn and watching a few of them on TV!Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-28827019489850867312009-12-29T09:12:00.000-05:002010-07-01T11:02:36.918-04:002009 Read aloudsThe following is a list of the books we enjoyed as read alouds in 2009:<br/><ul><br/> <li>Ginger Pye</li><br/> <li>Red Sails To Capri</li><br/> <li>Westing Game</li><br/> <li>Pollyanna</li><br/> <li>Gladys Aylward</li><br/> <li>Adam and His Kin</li><br/> <li>Candy Shop War</li><br/> <li>Paddle-to-the Sea</li><br/> <li>Tree In The Trail</li><br/> <li>Mathematicians Are People Too</li><br/> <li>The Mysterious Benedict Society</li><br/></ul><br/>Some we actually enjoyed more then others! Most of all, we enjoyed reading the books all cozy on the sofa and then popping some popcorn and watching a few of them on TV!Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-9295549216094599242009-12-27T08:42:00.005-05:002010-07-01T11:02:36.920-04:00Graphic Novels Challenge<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6L6Z3b4B3PeQ0RdrwFR6M_8IZDgxUVYzOLvU_64n9Es1FTPRlSe5NUZTN6xxOnxfL-c5kmsFopCNsAexzsRvLfVhspEqifWAE4-Y8L-yF99JkvtwdlTrcOPpxCKZwWZEyPbfMLPmMyo/s1600-h/Graphic+Novels+Challenge+2010.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419914408765680306" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6L6Z3b4B3PeQ0RdrwFR6M_8IZDgxUVYzOLvU_64n9Es1FTPRlSe5NUZTN6xxOnxfL-c5kmsFopCNsAexzsRvLfVhspEqifWAE4-Y8L-yF99JkvtwdlTrcOPpxCKZwWZEyPbfMLPmMyo/s200/Graphic+Novels+Challenge+2010.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>My daughter, Leanne, who is an avid Graphic Novel reader devours these books! I have attempted to read some of them and just can't seem to get into them as much as she does. So, in hopes of trying to understand her fascination with these books, I will joining this challenge with her. The rules are simple and overlapping is accepted, so if you are interested in joining us on this challenge, head on over to <a href="http://graphicnovelschallenge.blogspot.com/2009/12/graphic-novels-challenge-2010.html">Graphic Novels Challenge</a> and sign up.<br/><br/>There are 3 levels you may join:<br/><ul><br/> <li style="font-style: italic;">Beginners - 3 Comics or Graphic Novels</li><br/> <li style="font-style: italic;">Intermediate - 3 - 10 Comics or Graphic Novels</li><br/> <li><span style="font-style: italic;">Expert - 10+ Comics or Graphic Novels</span></li><br/></ul><br/>I will be joining the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Beginners</span> level and Leanne will be joining the<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Expert</span> level!<br/>This challenge will run from January 1st - December 31st, 2010.<br/><br/>Mom's list:<br/><ol><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Shugo Chara, volume 1</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Ultra Maniac, volume 1</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Alice and The Country of Hearts, volume 1</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Alice and The Country of Hearts, volume 2<br/></span></li><br/> <li>Shugo Chara, Volume 2</li><br/></ol><br/>Leanne's list:<br/><ol><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Shugo Chara, volume 4</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Fruits Basket, volume 5</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Full Metal Alchemist, volume 4</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Full Metal Alchemist, volume 5</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Shugo Chara, volume 5</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Oran High School Host Club, volume 1</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Oran High School Host Club, volume 2</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Soul Eater,Volume 1</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;"><br/></span></li><br/></ol><br/>Please check back for more on Leanne's list!Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-3917656840641135402009-12-27T08:42:00.004-05:002010-07-01T11:02:36.921-04:00Graphic Novels Challenge<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6L6Z3b4B3PeQ0RdrwFR6M_8IZDgxUVYzOLvU_64n9Es1FTPRlSe5NUZTN6xxOnxfL-c5kmsFopCNsAexzsRvLfVhspEqifWAE4-Y8L-yF99JkvtwdlTrcOPpxCKZwWZEyPbfMLPmMyo/s1600-h/Graphic+Novels+Challenge+2010.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419914408765680306" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6L6Z3b4B3PeQ0RdrwFR6M_8IZDgxUVYzOLvU_64n9Es1FTPRlSe5NUZTN6xxOnxfL-c5kmsFopCNsAexzsRvLfVhspEqifWAE4-Y8L-yF99JkvtwdlTrcOPpxCKZwWZEyPbfMLPmMyo/s200/Graphic+Novels+Challenge+2010.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>My daughter, Leanne, who is an avid Graphic Novel reader devours these books! I have attempted to read some of them and just can't seem to get into them as much as she does. So, in hopes of trying to understand her fascination with these books, I will joining this challenge with her. The rules are simple and overlapping is accepted, so if you are interested in joining us on this challenge, head on over to <a href="http://graphicnovelschallenge.blogspot.com/2009/12/graphic-novels-challenge-2010.html">Graphic Novels Challenge</a> and sign up.<br/><br/>There are 3 levels you may join:<br/><ul><br/> <li style="font-style: italic;">Beginners - 3 Comics or Graphic Novels</li><br/> <li style="font-style: italic;">Intermediate - 3 - 10 Comics or Graphic Novels</li><br/> <li><span style="font-style: italic;">Expert - 10+ Comics or Graphic Novels</span></li><br/></ul><br/>I will be joining the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Beginners</span> level and Leanne will be joining the<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Expert</span> level!<br/>This challenge will run from January 1st - December 31st, 2010.<br/><br/>Mom's list:<br/><ol><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Shugo Chara, volume 1</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Ultra Maniac, volume 1</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Alice and The Country of Hearts, volume 1</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Alice and The Country of Hearts, volume 2<br/></span></li><br/> <li>Shugo Chara, Volume 2</li><br/></ol><br/>Leanne's list:<br/><ol><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Shugo Chara, volume 4</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Fruits Basket, volume 5</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Full Metal Alchemist, volume 4</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Full Metal Alchemist, volume 5</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Shugo Chara, volume 5</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Oran High School Host Club, volume 1</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Oran High School Host Club, volume 2</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Soul Eater,Volume 1</span></li><br/> <li><span style="text-decoration: line-through;"><br/></span></li><br/></ol><br/>Please check back for more on Leanne's list!Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-44679394601020333752009-12-27T08:04:00.007-05:002010-07-01T11:02:36.923-04:00Finish That Series Challenge<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvJazoqgG5ExNRRF7tsdFOuBlcrRKkmFUW82nW_ow9u2WCb-C9a3wWmnRHAPjw1Nbwv9n28-aG_VhwMAJZQlejTka2IhxYETLJjrFggzsaWdnry0jviDcxlk-GC04kkhUJ8mwPR5QGXg/s1600-h/2010+Finish+That+Series+Challenge.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419901780607784114" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvJazoqgG5ExNRRF7tsdFOuBlcrRKkmFUW82nW_ow9u2WCb-C9a3wWmnRHAPjw1Nbwv9n28-aG_VhwMAJZQlejTka2IhxYETLJjrFggzsaWdnry0jviDcxlk-GC04kkhUJ8mwPR5QGXg/s200/2010+Finish+That+Series+Challenge.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I have decided that in the year 2010, I am going to finish all those book series I have started and never finished. So, I have joined a Reading Challenge that is being hosted by <a href="http://theroyalreviews.blogspot.com/2009/12/finish-that-series-challenge.html">Royal Reviews</a>. The rules are pretty simple and there are four levels that you may join: <em> </em><br/><br/><em> </em><br/><ul><br/> <li><em>-- Curious – Finish 2 series.</em></li><br/></ul><br/><em> </em><br/><ul><br/> <li><em>-- Fascinated – Finish 3 series.</em></li><br/></ul><br/><em> </em><br/><ul><br/> <li><em>-- Addicted – Finish 5 series.</em></li><br/></ul><br/><em></em><br/><ul><br/> <li><em>-- Obsessed – Finish 10 series.</em></li><br/></ul><br/>Because I have so many series that I have started and never finished, I will be joining the <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Addicted - Finish 5 series.</span></span><br/><br/><span><span>The series I will attempt to finish are:<br/></span></span><br/><ul></ul><br/><ul></ul><br/><ol><br/> <li><strong>Fabel Haven</strong> by: Brandon Mull</li><br/> <li><strong>InkHeart</strong> by: Cornelius Funke</li><br/> <li><strong>T</strong><strong>he Shadow Children</strong> by: Margaret Peterson Haddix</li><br/> <li><strong>The Kingdom Keepers </strong>by: Ridley Pearson</li><br/> <li><strong>Blossom Street</strong> by: Debbie Macomber</li><br/></ol><br/><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>If you would like to join me on this quest, head on over the <a href="http://theroyalreviews.blogspot.com/2009/12/finish-that-series-challenge.html">Royal Reviews</a> and sign up.<br/><br/>Wish me luck, as this will be a big challenge for me!<br/><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/OWNER%7E1.GIN/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-5.png" alt="" />Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-48272255853238418642009-12-27T08:04:00.006-05:002010-07-01T11:02:36.924-04:00Finish That Series Challenge<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvJazoqgG5ExNRRF7tsdFOuBlcrRKkmFUW82nW_ow9u2WCb-C9a3wWmnRHAPjw1Nbwv9n28-aG_VhwMAJZQlejTka2IhxYETLJjrFggzsaWdnry0jviDcxlk-GC04kkhUJ8mwPR5QGXg/s1600-h/2010+Finish+That+Series+Challenge.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419901780607784114" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvJazoqgG5ExNRRF7tsdFOuBlcrRKkmFUW82nW_ow9u2WCb-C9a3wWmnRHAPjw1Nbwv9n28-aG_VhwMAJZQlejTka2IhxYETLJjrFggzsaWdnry0jviDcxlk-GC04kkhUJ8mwPR5QGXg/s200/2010+Finish+That+Series+Challenge.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I have decided that in the year 2010, I am going to finish all those book series I have started and never finished. So, I have joined a Reading Challenge that is being hosted by <a href="http://theroyalreviews.blogspot.com/2009/12/finish-that-series-challenge.html">Royal Reviews</a>. The rules are pretty simple and there are four levels that you may join: <em> </em><br/><br/><em> </em><br/><ul><br/> <li><em>-- Curious – Finish 2 series.</em></li><br/></ul><br/><em> </em><br/><ul><br/> <li><em>-- Fascinated – Finish 3 series.</em></li><br/></ul><br/><em> </em><br/><ul><br/> <li><em>-- Addicted – Finish 5 series.</em></li><br/></ul><br/><em></em><br/><ul><br/> <li><em>-- Obsessed – Finish 10 series.</em></li><br/></ul><br/>Because I have so many series that I have started and never finished, I will be joining the <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Addicted - Finish 5 series.</span></span><br/><br/><span><span>The series I will attempt to finish are:<br/></span></span><br/><ul></ul><br/><ul></ul><br/><ol><br/> <li><strong>Fabel Haven</strong> by: Brandon Mull</li><br/> <li><strong>InkHeart</strong> by: Cornelius Funke</li><br/> <li><strong>T</strong><strong>he Shadow Children</strong> by: Margaret Peterson Haddix</li><br/> <li><strong>The Kingdom Keepers </strong>by: Ridley Pearson</li><br/> <li><strong>Blossom Street</strong> by: Debbie Macomber</li><br/></ol><br/><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>If you would like to join me on this quest, head on over the <a href="http://theroyalreviews.blogspot.com/2009/12/finish-that-series-challenge.html">Royal Reviews</a> and sign up.<br/><br/>Wish me luck, as this will be a big challenge for me!<br/><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/OWNER%7E1.GIN/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-5.png" alt="" />Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-68912695339071858452009-10-14T06:36:00.004-04:002009-10-14T06:59:53.777-04:00Weekend Update<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDvoTL0PXSQMVHyGusgymQC5kzQZA_9_nqbSoBFT4crEQ-Wv0YXn8zhbDgivbxqnk7JQ_GNmfYzYaOryDneVRSA2IJWlLqb8SpI0rwzcjaeVzqqH0PuP7v15dfHjKveePK5EFnPxopAc/s1600-h/Father+Daughter+2009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDvoTL0PXSQMVHyGusgymQC5kzQZA_9_nqbSoBFT4crEQ-Wv0YXn8zhbDgivbxqnk7JQ_GNmfYzYaOryDneVRSA2IJWlLqb8SpI0rwzcjaeVzqqH0PuP7v15dfHjKveePK5EFnPxopAc/s200/Father+Daughter+2009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392402832122666514" border="0" /></a>The girls and their Dad attended a Father/Daughter Dance through Girl Scouts last Saturday. The theme of the dance was Western. They seem to have had a nice time!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMWlbdRGi4dkzZ0KwPZtF85MZQDzZEPwnHhFDF1m_4LQjh7DwvwfFodJxGh-3Ee6NqFHslVTkPoOJH1ISFMCvDxTm7fj2XpqBfnrdJuiS2oA1-t-iHL9DgjxOAMyvEtIJ8Ki8oFOczGc/s1600-h/Bike+Hitch.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMWlbdRGi4dkzZ0KwPZtF85MZQDzZEPwnHhFDF1m_4LQjh7DwvwfFodJxGh-3Ee6NqFHslVTkPoOJH1ISFMCvDxTm7fj2XpqBfnrdJuiS2oA1-t-iHL9DgjxOAMyvEtIJ8Ki8oFOczGc/s200/Bike+Hitch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392403324198311346" border="0" /></a><br />We had been talking about getting a bike rack for our van for some time. After much ado, Louie finally found what he was looking for and spent all day Saturday putting it together. Monday, we took it for a trial run to the park. We rode our bicycles for 4.2 miles while Leanne attended her PE class. I don't think I had been on a bicycle since I was at least 11 or 12 years old. We had a very nice time and are looking forward to doing it again soon, especially in December for our annual Fort Wilderness trip!Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-5030224032046374282009-10-14T01:36:00.001-04:002010-07-01T11:02:36.926-04:00Weekend Update<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDvoTL0PXSQMVHyGusgymQC5kzQZA_9_nqbSoBFT4crEQ-Wv0YXn8zhbDgivbxqnk7JQ_GNmfYzYaOryDneVRSA2IJWlLqb8SpI0rwzcjaeVzqqH0PuP7v15dfHjKveePK5EFnPxopAc/s1600-h/Father+Daughter+2009.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392402832122666514" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDvoTL0PXSQMVHyGusgymQC5kzQZA_9_nqbSoBFT4crEQ-Wv0YXn8zhbDgivbxqnk7JQ_GNmfYzYaOryDneVRSA2IJWlLqb8SpI0rwzcjaeVzqqH0PuP7v15dfHjKveePK5EFnPxopAc/s200/Father+Daughter+2009.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The girls and their Dad attended a Father/Daughter Dance through Girl Scouts last Saturday. The theme of the dance was Western. They seem to have had a nice time!<br/><br/><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMWlbdRGi4dkzZ0KwPZtF85MZQDzZEPwnHhFDF1m_4LQjh7DwvwfFodJxGh-3Ee6NqFHslVTkPoOJH1ISFMCvDxTm7fj2XpqBfnrdJuiS2oA1-t-iHL9DgjxOAMyvEtIJ8Ki8oFOczGc/s1600-h/Bike+Hitch.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392403324198311346" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMWlbdRGi4dkzZ0KwPZtF85MZQDzZEPwnHhFDF1m_4LQjh7DwvwfFodJxGh-3Ee6NqFHslVTkPoOJH1ISFMCvDxTm7fj2XpqBfnrdJuiS2oA1-t-iHL9DgjxOAMyvEtIJ8Ki8oFOczGc/s200/Bike+Hitch.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br/>We had been talking about getting a bike rack for our van for some time. After much ado, Louie finally found what he was looking for and spent all day Saturday putting it together. Monday, we took it for a trial run to the park. We rode our bicycles for 4.2 miles while Leanne attended her PE class. I don't think I had been on a bicycle since I was at least 11 or 12 years old. We had a very nice time and are looking forward to doing it again soon, especially in December for our annual Fort Wilderness trip!Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-88755511679241948932009-10-14T01:36:00.000-04:002010-07-01T11:02:36.927-04:00Weekend Update<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDvoTL0PXSQMVHyGusgymQC5kzQZA_9_nqbSoBFT4crEQ-Wv0YXn8zhbDgivbxqnk7JQ_GNmfYzYaOryDneVRSA2IJWlLqb8SpI0rwzcjaeVzqqH0PuP7v15dfHjKveePK5EFnPxopAc/s1600-h/Father+Daughter+2009.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392402832122666514" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDvoTL0PXSQMVHyGusgymQC5kzQZA_9_nqbSoBFT4crEQ-Wv0YXn8zhbDgivbxqnk7JQ_GNmfYzYaOryDneVRSA2IJWlLqb8SpI0rwzcjaeVzqqH0PuP7v15dfHjKveePK5EFnPxopAc/s200/Father+Daughter+2009.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The girls and their Dad attended a Father/Daughter Dance through Girl Scouts last Saturday. The theme of the dance was Western. They seem to have had a nice time!<br/><br/><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMWlbdRGi4dkzZ0KwPZtF85MZQDzZEPwnHhFDF1m_4LQjh7DwvwfFodJxGh-3Ee6NqFHslVTkPoOJH1ISFMCvDxTm7fj2XpqBfnrdJuiS2oA1-t-iHL9DgjxOAMyvEtIJ8Ki8oFOczGc/s1600-h/Bike+Hitch.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392403324198311346" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMWlbdRGi4dkzZ0KwPZtF85MZQDzZEPwnHhFDF1m_4LQjh7DwvwfFodJxGh-3Ee6NqFHslVTkPoOJH1ISFMCvDxTm7fj2XpqBfnrdJuiS2oA1-t-iHL9DgjxOAMyvEtIJ8Ki8oFOczGc/s200/Bike+Hitch.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br/>We had been talking about getting a bike rack for our van for some time. After much ado, Louie finally found what he was looking for and spent all day Saturday putting it together. Monday, we took it for a trial run to the park. We rode our bicycles for 4.2 miles while Leanne attended her PE class. I don't think I had been on a bicycle since I was at least 11 or 12 years old. We had a very nice time and are looking forward to doing it again soon, especially in December for our annual Fort Wilderness trip!Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-20317143250033397022009-10-07T18:07:00.000-04:002009-10-07T18:08:17.975-04:00I know this should be no surprise, but it has occurred to me that I am in school right along with my daughters! Since we have been schooling at home, I have learned many new things. For example, I have gotten much better at math. Okay, not really, but I have "brushed up" on my pre-algebra. I have relearned what nouns, adjectives, prepositional phrases are and I have learned to diagram sentences. In all my public school years, I was never taught how to diagram sentences. What I will do with this new skill, I do not know, but that is not the point.<br />I have read some pretty good books. Way too many to list when it comes to homeschooling resources. One of my favorite happens to be <span style="font-style: italic;">A Thomas Jefferson Education.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span>We spend a lot of time on the couch reading. Here are just a few of the books we have enjoyed as read alouds:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Red Sails to Capri<br />The Westing Game<br />Pollyanna<br />The Life of Gladys Allyward<br /></span><br />We are currently reading:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Adam and His Kin<br />The Candy Shop War<br />Mathematicians are People Too </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Book of Virtues</span><br /><br />Leanne is currently reading <span style="font-style: italic;">Where The Red Fern Grows </span>after completing <span style="font-style: italic;">A Wrinkle in Time. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></span>On her spare time, she enjoys reading anime and manga comic books. She is currently learning to speak Japanese using a book called <span style="font-style: italic;">Japanese in 10 minutes.<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span> Leanne loves to draw and spends much of her free time drawing characters for her future anime comic book. She is a very talented artist! She is also part of a home school PE group called SAINTS that meets every Monday for 3 hours where they play all sorts of sports. Math is probably her least favorite subject. She is working out of <span style="font-style: italic;">Teaching Textbooks 5</span> and is continuously working on memorizing her multiplication tables. Leanne's vocabulary and spelling are being challenged everyday by using <span style="font-style: italic;">Wordly Wise 5 </span>and her language arts curriculum<span style="font-style: italic;">, Total Language Plus</span>. Her handwriting is always improving through copy work and dictation. Although, grammar is also taught through <span style="font-style: italic;">TLP</span>, Leanne is also working out of <span style="font-style: italic;">Analytical Grammar.</span><br /><br />Gianna is working through a curriculum for high school girls called <span style="font-style: italic;">Far Above Rubies.</span> Although, I am having a difficult time communicating with the author of this curriculum, we are thoroughly enjoying it. The curriculum is centered around <span style="font-style: italic;">Proverbs 31.</span> In the first unit, Gianna is learning what it means to be a virtuous woman. She is reading <span style="font-style: italic;">Little Women</span> and will be asked to write a character sketch on each of the sisters in the novel. She is also studying the women of the Bible and will be asked to do the same character sketch on one of the women she reads about. So far, she has chosen Queen Esther in the Old Testament. She is also enjoying logic by reading <span style="font-style: italic;">The Fallacy Detective. </span>She is doing her last year of grammar with <span style="font-style: italic;">Analytical Grammar. </span>Gianna is very creative. She has been taking Ballet for 10 years and also plays the Flute. She will soon be enjoying the art of Calligraphy, to go along with her beautiful drawings. I can truly say that without a doubt, Gianna's least favorite subject is math. She is in pre-algebra and isn't very fond of it. She is using a curriculum <span style="font-style: italic;">Chaulk Dust </span>and<span style="font-style: italic;"> Kiss My Math.</span> She seems to be really enjoying <span style="font-style: italic;">Kiss My Math<span style="font-style: italic;">. </span></span>It is a book that was written by a former movie star in the late 80's, Danica McKellar. Mckellar relates math to every day life, which seems to help Gianna. At this point, whatever works!!<br /><br />Both the girls and myself are enjoying taking an online Florida Science class with Catie Frates, a very energetic and passionate Science Instructor. Our science has thus far taken us back to Genesis and the Global Flood. We are currently learning about Natural Selection and Adaptation from both a Creationist point of view and an Evolutionist point of view. Very interesting stuff! We look forward to getting to all the plants, animals and the geology of our state.<br /><br />During our Mom school time, we are learning about Greek and Latin derivatives using <span style="font-style: italic;">English From The Roots Up.</span> The girls really enjoy this part of their day. Since both the girls are in Girl Scouts, I had them memorize <span style="font-style: italic;">The Girl Scout Promise</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Girl Scout Law</span>. Gianna has currently finished her <span style="font-style: italic;">Silver Award</span> and Leanne is in the process of completing her <span style="font-style: italic;">Bronze Award</span> through Girl Scouts. We also spend a lot of time discussing the books we read. It is amazing where our conversations take us!<br /><br />So, you see, home schooling is not just for the kids. We adults get a second chance at a higher education, right alongside our children! How awesome is that!<br /><br />I will do my best to post weekly updates on where our studies are taking us!Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-88389528096563329922009-10-07T17:59:00.000-04:002009-10-07T17:59:31.670-04:00Busymom2girls<a href="http://busymom2girls.blogspot.com/2009/10/i-know-this-should-be-no-surprise-to-me.html#links">Busymom2girls</a>Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-83542922421467050992009-10-07T13:07:00.001-04:002010-07-01T11:02:36.929-04:00I know this should be no surprise, but it has occurred to me that I am in school right along with my daughters! Since we have been schooling at home, I have learned many new things. For example, I have gotten much better at math. Okay, not really, but I have "brushed up" on my pre-algebra. I have relearned what nouns, adjectives, prepositional phrases are and I have learned to diagram sentences. In all my public school years, I was never taught how to diagram sentences. What I will do with this new skill, I do not know, but that is not the point.<br />I have read some pretty good books. Way too many to list when it comes to homeschooling resources. One of my favorite happens to be <span style="font-style: italic;">A Thomas Jefferson Education.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span>We spend a lot of time on the couch reading. Here are just a few of the books we have enjoyed as read alouds:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Red Sails to Capri<br />The Westing Game<br />Pollyanna<br />The Life of Gladys Allyward<br /></span><br />We are currently reading:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Adam and His Kin<br />The Candy Shop War<br />Mathematicians are People Too </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Book of Virtues</span><br /><br />Leanne is currently reading <span style="font-style: italic;">Where The Red Fern Grows </span>after completing <span style="font-style: italic;">A Wrinkle in Time. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></span>On her spare time, she enjoys reading anime and manga comic books. She is currently learning to speak Japanese using a book called <span style="font-style: italic;">Japanese in 10 minutes.<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span> Leanne loves to draw and spends much of her free time drawing characters for her future anime comic book. She is a very talented artist! She is also part of a home school PE group called SAINTS that meets every Monday for 3 hours where they play all sorts of sports. Math is probably her least favorite subject. She is working out of <span style="font-style: italic;">Teaching Textbooks 5</span> and is continuously working on memorizing her multiplication tables. Leanne's vocabulary and spelling are being challenged everyday by using <span style="font-style: italic;">Wordly Wise 5 </span>and her language arts curriculum<span style="font-style: italic;">, Total Language Plus</span>. Her handwriting is always improving through copy work and dictation. Although, grammar is also taught through <span style="font-style: italic;">TLP</span>, Leanne is also working out of <span style="font-style: italic;">Analytical Grammar.</span><br /><br />Gianna is working through a curriculum for high school girls called <span style="font-style: italic;">Far Above Rubies.</span> Although, I am having a difficult time communicating with the author of this curriculum, we are thoroughly enjoying it. The curriculum is centered around <span style="font-style: italic;">Proverbs 31.</span> In the first unit, Gianna is learning what it means to be a virtuous woman. She is reading <span style="font-style: italic;">Little Women</span> and will be asked to write a character sketch on each of the sisters in the novel. She is also studying the women of the Bible and will be asked to do the same character sketch on one of the women she reads about. So far, she has chosen Queen Esther in the Old Testament. She is also enjoying logic by reading <span style="font-style: italic;">The Fallacy Detective. </span>She is doing her last year of grammar with <span style="font-style: italic;">Analytical Grammar. </span>Gianna is very creative. She has been taking Ballet for 10 years and also plays the Flute. She will soon be enjoying the art of Calligraphy, to go along with her beautiful drawings. I can truly say that without a doubt, Gianna's least favorite subject is math. She is in pre-algebra and isn't very fond of it. She is using a curriculum <span style="font-style: italic;">Chaulk Dust </span>and<span style="font-style: italic;"> Kiss My Math.</span> She seems to be really enjoying <span style="font-style: italic;">Kiss My Math<span style="font-style: italic;">. </span></span>It is a book that was written by a former movie star in the late 80's, Danica McKellar. Mckellar relates math to every day life, which seems to help Gianna. At this point, whatever works!!<br /><br />Both the girls and myself are enjoying taking an online Florida Science class with Catie Frates, a very energetic and passionate Science Instructor. Our science has thus far taken us back to Genesis and the Global Flood. We are currently learning about Natural Selection and Adaptation from both a Creationist point of view and an Evolutionist point of view. Very interesting stuff! We look forward to getting to all the plants, animals and the geology of our state.<br /><br />During our Mom school time, we are learning about Greek and Latin derivatives using <span style="font-style: italic;">English From The Roots Up.</span> The girls really enjoy this part of their day. Since both the girls are in Girl Scouts, I had them memorize <span style="font-style: italic;">The Girl Scout Promise</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Girl Scout Law</span>. Gianna has currently finished her <span style="font-style: italic;">Silver Award</span> and Leanne is in the process of completing her <span style="font-style: italic;">Bronze Award</span> through Girl Scouts. We also spend a lot of time discussing the books we read. It is amazing where our conversations take us!<br /><br />So, you see, home schooling is not just for the kids. We adults get a second chance at a higher education, right alongside our children! How awesome is that!<br /><br />I will do my best to post weekly updates on where our studies are taking us!Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-70667522041422618032009-10-07T13:07:00.000-04:002010-07-01T11:02:36.931-04:00I know this should be no surprise, but it has occurred to me that I am in school right along with my daughters! Since we have been schooling at home, I have learned many new things. For example, I have gotten much better at math. Okay, not really, but I have "brushed up" on my pre-algebra. I have relearned what nouns, adjectives, prepositional phrases are and I have learned to diagram sentences. In all my public school years, I was never taught how to diagram sentences. What I will do with this new skill, I do not know, but that is not the point.<br />I have read some pretty good books. Way too many to list when it comes to homeschooling resources. One of my favorite happens to be <span style="font-style: italic;">A Thomas Jefferson Education.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span>We spend a lot of time on the couch reading. Here are just a few of the books we have enjoyed as read alouds:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Red Sails to Capri<br />The Westing Game<br />Pollyanna<br />The Life of Gladys Allyward<br /></span><br />We are currently reading:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Adam and His Kin<br />The Candy Shop War<br />Mathematicians are People Too </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Book of Virtues</span><br /><br />Leanne is currently reading <span style="font-style: italic;">Where The Red Fern Grows </span>after completing <span style="font-style: italic;">A Wrinkle in Time. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></span>On her spare time, she enjoys reading anime and manga comic books. She is currently learning to speak Japanese using a book called <span style="font-style: italic;">Japanese in 10 minutes.<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span> Leanne loves to draw and spends much of her free time drawing characters for her future anime comic book. She is a very talented artist! She is also part of a home school PE group called SAINTS that meets every Monday for 3 hours where they play all sorts of sports. Math is probably her least favorite subject. She is working out of <span style="font-style: italic;">Teaching Textbooks 5</span> and is continuously working on memorizing her multiplication tables. Leanne's vocabulary and spelling are being challenged everyday by using <span style="font-style: italic;">Wordly Wise 5 </span>and her language arts curriculum<span style="font-style: italic;">, Total Language Plus</span>. Her handwriting is always improving through copy work and dictation. Although, grammar is also taught through <span style="font-style: italic;">TLP</span>, Leanne is also working out of <span style="font-style: italic;">Analytical Grammar.</span><br /><br />Gianna is working through a curriculum for high school girls called <span style="font-style: italic;">Far Above Rubies.</span> Although, I am having a difficult time communicating with the author of this curriculum, we are thoroughly enjoying it. The curriculum is centered around <span style="font-style: italic;">Proverbs 31.</span> In the first unit, Gianna is learning what it means to be a virtuous woman. She is reading <span style="font-style: italic;">Little Women</span> and will be asked to write a character sketch on each of the sisters in the novel. She is also studying the women of the Bible and will be asked to do the same character sketch on one of the women she reads about. So far, she has chosen Queen Esther in the Old Testament. She is also enjoying logic by reading <span style="font-style: italic;">The Fallacy Detective. </span>She is doing her last year of grammar with <span style="font-style: italic;">Analytical Grammar. </span>Gianna is very creative. She has been taking Ballet for 10 years and also plays the Flute. She will soon be enjoying the art of Calligraphy, to go along with her beautiful drawings. I can truly say that without a doubt, Gianna's least favorite subject is math. She is in pre-algebra and isn't very fond of it. She is using a curriculum <span style="font-style: italic;">Chaulk Dust </span>and<span style="font-style: italic;"> Kiss My Math.</span> She seems to be really enjoying <span style="font-style: italic;">Kiss My Math<span style="font-style: italic;">. </span></span>It is a book that was written by a former movie star in the late 80's, Danica McKellar. Mckellar relates math to every day life, which seems to help Gianna. At this point, whatever works!!<br /><br />Both the girls and myself are enjoying taking an online Florida Science class with Catie Frates, a very energetic and passionate Science Instructor. Our science has thus far taken us back to Genesis and the Global Flood. We are currently learning about Natural Selection and Adaptation from both a Creationist point of view and an Evolutionist point of view. Very interesting stuff! We look forward to getting to all the plants, animals and the geology of our state.<br /><br />During our Mom school time, we are learning about Greek and Latin derivatives using <span style="font-style: italic;">English From The Roots Up.</span> The girls really enjoy this part of their day. Since both the girls are in Girl Scouts, I had them memorize <span style="font-style: italic;">The Girl Scout Promise</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Girl Scout Law</span>. Gianna has currently finished her <span style="font-style: italic;">Silver Award</span> and Leanne is in the process of completing her <span style="font-style: italic;">Bronze Award</span> through Girl Scouts. We also spend a lot of time discussing the books we read. It is amazing where our conversations take us!<br /><br />So, you see, home schooling is not just for the kids. We adults get a second chance at a higher education, right alongside our children! How awesome is that!<br /><br />I will do my best to post weekly updates on where our studies are taking us!Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-80164266898627539582009-10-07T11:50:00.003-04:002009-10-07T13:12:10.142-04:00I know this should be no surprise, but it has occurred to me that I am in school right along with my daughters! Since we have been schooling at home, I have learned many new things. For example, I have gotten much better at math. Okay, not really, but I have "brushed up" on my pre-algebra. I have relearned what nouns, adjectives, prepositional phrases are and I have learned to diagram sentences. In all my public school years, I was never taught how to diagram sentences. What I will do with this new skill, I do not know, but that is not the point.<br />I have read some pretty good books. Way too many to list when it comes to homeschooling resources. One of my favorite happens to be <span style="font-style: italic;">A Thomas Jefferson Education.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span>We spend a lot of time on the couch reading. Here are just a few of the books we have enjoyed as read alouds:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Red Sails to Capri<br />The Westing Game<br />Pollyanna<br />The Life of Gladys Allyward<br /></span><br />We are currently reading:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Adam and His Kin<br />The Candy Shop War<br />Mathematicians are People Too </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Book of Virtues</span><br /><br />Leanne is currently reading <span style="font-style: italic;">Where The Red Fern Grows </span>after completing <span style="font-style: italic;">A Wrinkle in Time. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></span>On her spare time, she enjoys reading anime and manga comic books. She is currently learning to speak Japanese using a book called <span style="font-style: italic;">Japanese in 10 minutes.<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span> Leanne loves to draw and spends much of her free time drawing characters for her future anime comic book. She is a very talented artist! She is also part of a home school PE group called SAINTS that meets every Monday for 3 hours where they play all sorts of sports. Math is probably her least favorite subject. She is working out of <span style="font-style: italic;">Teaching Textbooks 5</span> and is continuously working on memorizing her multiplication tables. Leanne's vocabulary and spelling are being challenged everyday by using <span style="font-style: italic;">Wordly Wise 5 </span>and her language arts curriculum<span style="font-style: italic;">, Total Language Plus</span>. Her handwriting is always improving through copy work and dictation. Although, grammar is also taught through <span style="font-style: italic;">TLP</span>, Leanne is also working out of <span style="font-style: italic;">Analytical Grammar.</span><br /><br />Gianna is working through a curriculum for high school girls called <span style="font-style: italic;">Far Above Rubies.</span> Although, I am having a difficult time communicating with the author of this curriculum, we are thoroughly enjoying it. The curriculum is centered around <span style="font-style: italic;">Proverbs 31.</span> In the first unit, Gianna is learning what it means to be a virtuous woman. She is reading <span style="font-style: italic;">Little Women</span> and will be asked to write a character sketch on each of the sisters in the novel. She is also studying the women of the Bible and will be asked to do the same character sketch on one of the women she reads about. So far, she has chosen Queen Esther in the Old Testament. She is also enjoying logic by reading <span style="font-style: italic;">The Fallacy Detective. </span>She is doing her last year of grammar with <span style="font-style: italic;">Analytical Grammar. </span>Gianna is very creative. She has been taking Ballet for 10 years and also plays the Flute. She will soon be enjoying the art of Calligraphy, to go along with her beautiful drawings. I can truly say that without a doubt, Gianna's least favorite subject is math. She is in pre-algebra and isn't very fond of it. She is using a curriculum <span style="font-style: italic;">Chaulk Dust </span>and<span style="font-style: italic;"> Kiss My Math.</span> She seems to be really enjoying <span style="font-style: italic;">Kiss My Math<span style="font-style: italic;">. </span></span>It is a book that was written by a former movie star in the late 80's, Danica McKellar. Mckellar relates math to every day life, which seems to help Gianna. At this point, whatever works!!<br /><br />Both the girls and myself are enjoying taking an online Florida Science class with Catie Frates, a very energetic and passionate Science Instructor. Our science has thus far taken us back to Genesis and the Global Flood. We are currently learning about Natural Selection and Adaptation from both a Creationist point of view and an Evolutionist point of view. Very interesting stuff! We look forward to getting to all the plants, animals and the geology of our state.<br /><br />During our Mom school time, we are learning about Greek and Latin derivatives using <span style="font-style: italic;">English From The Roots Up.</span> The girls really enjoy this part of their day. Since both the girls are in Girl Scouts, I had them memorize <span style="font-style: italic;">The Girl Scout Promise</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Girl Scout Law</span>. Gianna has currently finished her <span style="font-style: italic;">Silver Award</span> and Leanne is in the process of completing her <span style="font-style: italic;">Bronze Award</span> through Girl Scouts. We also spend a lot of time discussing the books we read. It is amazing where our conversations take us!<br /><br />So, you see, home schooling is not just for the kids. We adults get a second chance at a higher education, right alongside our children! How awesome is that!<br /><br />I will do my best to post weekly updates on where our studies are taking us!Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189266700806969585.post-47872632995393821952009-10-07T11:45:00.002-04:002009-10-07T11:46:52.648-04:00Busymom2girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17604309959376196853noreply@blogger.com0