Weekly Wrap-Up ~ Did You Know?

Did you know ... that when you have the public school 2nd grade teacher who was named "Teacher of the Year", who is super fun and energetic and encouraging, that Homeschool seems "kinda boring"? On Monday night Eli had a meltdown about going back to school on Tuesday. In fact, it was so serious that he was having trouble breathing and we had to break out a paper bag for him. It was so strange! Because he was up so late, I kept him home from school on Tuesday. I copied all of Brynne's work and he did a real day of Homeschool with us. It just so happened that this day was the one where I leave for a couple of hours over lunch to go to a Bible study with a friend, so the day was pretty light. At the end of the day I asked Eli what he thought of Homeschooling. He said, "Well, it's kinda boring." He wanted to go back to school on Wednesday, so he did. Honestly, his teacher is that great! I have told her that if she would follow him through completion of high school, that I would keep in him in public school. Obviously, it doesn't work that way. Rick and I are seriously considering bringing him home starting next year. Looks like I'm going to have to vamp up the excitement level, if I want him to be happy, though!

Did you know ... You can go to a Vocational-Technical school in our area FOR FREE as a homeschool student, starting your junior year, with transportation provided, AND participate in a 3D Animation program, which would be totally fun? Did you also know that you can dual enroll with a couple of local colleges and use your VoTech hours to build a transcript at those schools for only $8 per credit hour? Yes, Dawson learned some very interesting things at the meeting we attended on Wednesday. He is planning on applying for VoTech to start attending part-time his junior year.

Did you know ... that Louis Pasteur invented the Rabies vaccine? That was something Dawson announced to me this week while researching information for his Pizza Box Biography project on Louis Pasteur. (Remember last week I said he was really interested in Pasteur, so we decided to camp here for a while.) He has really enjoyed his research so far, and this project I found will allow him to use some of his creativity instead of just writing an informative paper. I will be doing a full post on the project upon it's completion.

Did you know ... that the yummy Amish Friendship Bread you have eaten is really an experiment in Fermentation? We usually receive the bread starts from a neighbor, take care of it for the required 10 days, and then make our bread. This time, however, Dawson made his own start. It certainly fermented! I can't wait for the next 10 days to get over so we can eat some of that delicious bread!!

Did you know ... that our public library is my most important homeschooling resource? Our local library is linked up with about 15 libraries in the area, so the books are unlimited. I do all of my searching online and request books throughout the whole system and they are delivered to the local branch. The sweet librarians at my local library collect those books and have them waiting on a shelf for me every week. They don't get paid near enough! There is also a Book Sale shelf where books are anywhere from 50 cents to 1 dollar. Recently I purchased Slaughterhouse Five, A Wrinkle in Time, and Johnny Tremain for 50 cents each for Dawson to read in a Literary study. I find books there to purchase every week! Awesome!

Did you know ... that I cannot think of one thing Blog-worthy that Brynne did this week? We planned to really get started on our Dogs unit this week. But, with Eli home on Tuesday and us going to the VoTech informational meeting on Wednesday and then having Co-op today, it just didn't make sense to jump in with only one good full day of school. So, we are officially starting on Monday! She has pretty much just done her daily basic work of grammar, copywork, spelling, math, and reading books. Otherwise she's tagged around with Dawson and I, watching him do experiments, listening to our read-a-louds, and even watching North and South. Oh, and she's been playing Starfall and Stack the States whenever she can, and also some coloring.

Did you know ... I was awarded one of the 100 Top Homeschooling Blogs by TeacherCertificationDegrees.com with the likes of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers (who hosts this wrap-up), Adventures in Mommydom, Our Side of the Mountain, Handbook of Nature Study, and Homegrown Learners, just to name a few? What? My little blog? I seriously feel like a losing Academy Award nominee who says, "It was just an honor being nominated," because the company I am in is that amazing!

Here is what was said about Journey to Excellence:

"Attorney turned homeschool mom Nicole discovers that the “Journey to Excellence” involves different learning paths and paces for her family, while ‘reading & doing’ through hands-on activities and a rich itinerary of field trips brings lessons to life in ways worksheets can’t and schedules are always a work in progress."

Did you know ... that this is all I have for you this week? But, if you want to see some other exciting homeschooling weeks, then visit Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.