Out and About

  

 Well, here I am. I found my blog. So much has been going on here in the Last Frontier. The biggest changes are that our oldest is moving away to start an internship with a media company. Never fear, he is still in Alaska. How amazing is that??? After his summer work on the river he will begin a one year internship learning about video production.  The other big change in our family is that I spent the winter working on getting my teacher certification and I have accepted a position as an advisory teacher with a school district and I will be working with home educating families. Yes, I will still be educating my children at home. Life will be a bit different as I will have the job responsibilities but this is just the fit for our family at this season of life.

Top photo: A waterfall in Valdez, Alaska

I attended a Math for Teachers Course at the end of May and one of our activities for the class was kayaking to Valdez Glacier. Alaskans do a great job when it comes to professional development for educators. 

Expectations, we all have them. Benjamin has expectations that are very different from mine. 

Benjamin asked to build things using cardboard this school year. Things like the Eiffel Tower. My expectations include lots of tedious work, measuring, cutting, gluing, painting; this means projects may not even get started because I may never begin due to expectations.  Benjamin just wants some cardboard and scotch tape. I'm learning to go with his expectations. 

This week we are "rowing" The Giraffe That Walked to Paris. Benjamin is enjoying the blank hardback book we are filling with information we are learning from the books we are reading. 

He plans on selling copies of his book in his Lego store when he is grown up. 

Then he asked to build something so we went with the Egyptian pyramids. 

My expectation was that this would take a long time. No it did not. In just a few minutes he had cut out the sides and they were glued down. A little scotch tape and he is happy and has moved on to Legos or other such fun thing. 

Benjamin is learning geography, history, art appreciation, language arts and much more and Mom is learning to go with the flow, let go and let a seven year old's expectations become mine because his expectations are pretty easy. 

Five in a Row-- The Rag Coat

Five in a Row has long been a favorite of mine. Last year we did other things but this year I am bringing it back and we are working on The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills today. We read this book last year and did a couple of activities but today we finish it up. 

I cry every single time I read this book. 

We have the map out and we are labeling states in the Appalachian mountains. We are also learning about forgiveness, grief, wisdom and kindness. 

North Pole Fitness and Nature Trails

What does home education look like around our place these days? Well, we are down to three students. We have slowly started working back into our studies around here. I really should name our little home academy. 

Monday was the official day of daily school. The girls have started about 80% of their school and Benjamin is at 90. I am waiting for one more box for him. 

I am working on schedules for meetings, classes and Eisabeth has a two afternoon a week job and I have accepted a very part time job with our homeschool program as a K4 person. 

Today Benjamin asked if we could do the fitness trail in our little town of North Pole. So we did. This trail system has five stations in which one can stop and do various warm-ups, exercises and cool downs. Pretty neat. 

The oh so necessary selfie

Mom as the caboose with the crew up ahead

Beaver Springs Slough

I thought I smelled those highbush cranberries. 

I just learned yesterday that North Pole has this little nature trail. Where have I been???

After the outing we returned home to hit the books. Once I completed my teaching tasks I was out in the garden to harvest more green beans. 

Class of 2016

And we have our first graduate. 

He played baseball the day of his graduation party and it happened to be senior day as well. 

I had my husband talk during graduation, I would have cried and it would not have been pretty. 

Instead I was able to laugh at something Benjamin said during the diploma presentation. 

Of course there was food: pork, chicken and side dishes, 

and desserts

I didn't get too many pictures during the party because I was busy enjoying good conversation. 

Looking Back is a Very Good Thing

Tonight I had a few minutes to do something so I decided to work on school shelves. I am very glad I did. You see, the negative self talk keeps telling me that I shoulda, coulda woulda been a better home education Mom. I shoulda, coulda, woulda pushed more and required more and bought better curriculum or even allowed my kids to have less curriculum and more time to explore interests and abilities. Oh, those shoulda, coulda, wouldas. My son met and in some cases exceeded the requirements for the state of Alaska to graduate high school. He is prepared for whatever path the Lord has for him. I am prepared to watch him travel that path. 

See this folder? It contains his 8th grade writing assignments. I feel as though I have been a writing failure and that we didn't do enough writing. Guess what?? He did do more writing than I thought because I forgot what we had used and when. What a blessing that long left on the shelf folder has been to me tonight. I am thankful and I blessed. 

State Conference, Mom Weekend, Ravi Zacharias

A friend organized a trip to the state homeschool conference in Anchorage. All I had to do was pack and bring money, ya can't beat that. 

We realized it must be summer because road construction has begun on our Alaska highways. 

We happened upon a tiny house on display so we toured and took a selfie. 

Trips to Anchorage mean eating in restaurants we do not have in Fairbanks. How about Texas Roadhouse with anAlaskan  twist? Great service by the way. 

I left with two to go cups, one water and one tea. 

Anchorage has a great homeschool store with exceptional service. Love Chickabiddy Books! 

After closing down the store we went back to the hotel to research what we needed because we were going back the next day to complete our shopping. 

We hung around for the Sunday not going service at a church in Anchorage because Ravi Zacharias was speaking there. I am so glad we did. 

Then we loaded all of our stuff into the car and headed home. Looks like we did some shopping while there. ☺️

We saw Denali on the way home(right under the cloud). I also bought a selfie stick which came in handy for Denali pictures. 

I had no idea how much I needed this trip until I was on this trip. I was in great need of Mom refreshment.  

Completing

Benjamin and I finished Sonlight's First Grade Science. Yippee for completion!!!!!!

March

Benjamin working on a project. He really needs a haircut. 

This is how the school box looks in March. Where did the pencils and crayons go? Somehow, we manage. 

Christmas Caroling

One of the local homeschool Moms has scheduled a home school Christmas Caroling event for the past few years, and we managed to make it this year. Here are the girls and I waiting to go to our caroling location. 

Listening to instructions 

The organizer said there were twenty families and about ninety-five carolers. 

After singing the kids got to hand out candy canes to the residents of this care facility, I maneuvered Benjamin over to a precious lady I had spotted while we sang. 

Going Back

Y'all, I let myself second guess myself a couple of years ago and we stepped away from a math curriculum. This year two of my kids are going back and who knows I may take everyone back. 

Home Education

So many wonderful things going on in this collage. Everything from THM ice cream to a science volcano. Oh, and an old, sleeping dog. I love that dog. 

I did something out of my element for Benjamin this school year, I ordered Sonlight science for him. He loves science and especially science experiments. While Sonlight isn't heavy on experiments there are enough optional activities to keep my little guy happy in the area of science. 

I almost have my eyes closed here but let's keep life real here. Benjamin is outside in short sleeves and I am all layered up. Alaskan kid vs. Mom. He wins. 

Sonlight science does use the Usborne Children's Encyclopedia which makes me thankful for all of the Answers in Genesis materials we have purchased over the years. 

Collage

We are finally settling into a learning schedule, I think. 

Last week we had our back to school ice cream social and Benjamin enjoyed a few hours on the playground and eating ice cream. 

Emmy and I enjoyed some time outside in the sunshine on Saturday morning. 

I take a Sunday selfie and post on Instagram so I added that to our collage as well. 

Back to School

We are back to school and the garden is almost harvested and moose hunting is just around the corner. 

Pictures, in order: 

Levi

Tummy tucking ice cream

Emmy, the duck fetcher and me

Emmy, Benjamin and me

Benjamin at work 

Fall means slowing down and knitting again

Me again, I am really working to record my progress along this journey

Random end of the day picture, I am still working on organization and my school workspace

Wood Work

Elisabeth has been interested in working with wood for some time and this past year she has been slowly learning, gathering needed tools and experimenting with wood. She has shown an interest in creating rings out of wood. Here is the ring she made for me.

 

Here is a ring, before staining, that she made as an item to be auctioned at a fund raiser she and her leadership team mates are having to raise funds for an upcoming trip to Boston.  

 

Here is the completed ring.  

 

She also made a gift for our homeschool teacher with her wood burner.