Homeschooling With Apologia: Why it's taking us so long to work our way through the curriculum this year . . .

*affiliate links present in this post -see disclosure page

We love LOVE our Apologia - Swimming Creatures - of the 5th Day  (Young Explorer Series)  written by Jeannie Fulbright. We also use the Notebooking Journal along with it. 

We have been taking our time working our way through it and we may or may not be finished with it by the end of the summer. Living near the beach provides the perfect back drop for this study, and we are fortunate enough to get to witness much of the facts, information, and creatures - right up close and personal.  It's been wonderful for our boys to be able to learn more about the wildlife in the ocean - many of which are living right in our own back yard, well, our waterway. It has given them a different perspective about the world around them, a deep appreciation for the animals who live here, and a rich understanding of how they live.

We love the creatures of the sea and it's been fun learning more about them. It's been a favorite at our home for sure. 

We have enjoyed weekly studies in the Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day book and have enriched our studies with field trips to the beach, to the Tampa Aquarium, to Mote Marine Laboratory and more. It made the regular read aloud sessions from our curriculum, all that much more relevant for them to be able to see the creatures in their own environment or live at the aquarium. One of my favorite parts of accompanying our studies with the many field trips and outings, was the opportunity to discover how much information the boys have retained from our reading. You know what? They've retained a lot! On our visits, they've been able to answer questions posed by me and also by the various docents or guides at the aquariums. It's that much more exciting for them when they are able to share valuable information with others. They surprised more than one of the spokespeople at the Florida Aquarium as they explained the difference between benthic and necktonic creatures and as even the youngest of my boys correctly identified species and answered questions intended to educate the audience. It made for some great opportunities to respond to "how smart they are" comments and smile and say, "Yes,  We homeschool!"  (you know you love it when that happens - it can't be just me!!! Right?) 

We've studied fish, sharks, sea horses, sea turtles, manatees, sea lions, and dolphins - Our favorite! Of course, the boys love the sponges, the sea stars and even the mollusks.  Maybe the sea turtles are our favorites. Of course, the manatee are very sweet. Dolphins sure are smart. It's so hard to pick a favorite. 

From dolphin watching to sea lion shows - we've fully enjoyed studying the wildlife of the sea with Apologia as our guide. The boys listen attentively as we read aloud from our Swimming Creatures book and learn details we've never known about our little wildlife neighbors.

As tough as it may be, we have stayed the course. We have faithfully tracked down the manatees - cow of the sea . . . . . and studied it in it's natural habitat. THIS was an interesting day - right in the middle of mating season. She forgot to mention that in the book - and I walked right in to that trap! But, seriously, it didn't seem to phase the boys and they will now recognize bugs, butterflies and other various species and announce that they are wrestling or mating. We shall fill in the rest of the details at a later date. 

It's such hard work, reading . . . and exploring . . . tracking down the wild sea creatures . . . like blue crabs and even taking on the tough task of fishing  searching for further specimens. 

I'm sure you must be feeling quite sorry for us at this point, as you realize how dedicated we are to our studies. You are probably beginning to understand why it is taking us so long to work our way through the Apologia Swimming Creatures Science curriculum. I assure you, it is not the text. It's all this intense research.

 By the way - we are also working our way through the Who is God? series. We use it as our bible study and plan to continue on through Who am I?  

Dedicated as we are to the beach wildlife studies, 

we do actually do some book work while we are at it. The Apologia Zoology Notebooking Journal is a fantastic resource for recording what we  the boys are learning.  But, the value of the first hand experience they are getting as we are out  for a swim  in the field doing intense research . . . . is invaluable to their education and it makes for happy, smart mommy  little boys. 

And now you know, why we choose to study on through the summer. . . .  . As tough as it is . . . . . We are willing to make the sacrifice. After all  . . . . somebody's GOT to do it! 

I do hope you enjoy your summer. You can be sure we will be here . . . slaving away on our research! 

*also linking with Blogging Through the Alphabet:
"Mm" is for Moving at our own pace! 
and Heart for Home 

We will be participating again this next year: 

Check out all the wonderful Blog roll Year -End Posts here 

Real Refreshment - for moms

I'm still on the road from our weekend at the Real Refreshment Retreat in Atlanta. It was such a blessing to spend time with old friends, to meet new ones, and to connect with those we have met online. Being able to hug and sit with women I've prayed for and women who have prayed for me - it's just a special thing. It's a powerful experience. I'm blessed to have had the opportunity. 

I've taken a detour on the way home for an adventure with the kids - surprise! (shocked, I'm sure)

As I reflect on the amazing time we spent - there are a few particulars that come to mind: 

Heidi Saint John. Heidi Saint John. Heidi Saint John. 

Did I mention I thought Heidi Saint John is awesome? She is. Truly. And very sweet. And funny. 

Really funny. 

You can see her at TTD in May as well 
(I can't wait to hear her again in TN) 

She gave a heart felt talk that was down to earth and jam packed full of goodness that I needed to hear. 

I know others felt the same. She encouraged moms, homeschool moms in particular - to stick together, to give each other grace, and to encourage each other. She also had a lot to say about generational curses. If you aren't familiar with that - it's the notion of the "sins of the fathers" being passed down in families. Many times it's dealing with abusive kinds of traits and habits that end up getting passed down in families. 

I had a comment from an Instagram friend when I posted the above pic that she had once taken her son to a counselor (Christian counselor) who told them basically, that they were doomed to fail because of the generational curses being passed down. She now knows better as she has become a Christian and has studied her bible (thankfully) but I was so sad to hear of someone being irresponsible enough to discourage someone looking for help. Good grief! Our God is so much better than that! He is full of love for His children and He has wonderful plans for us. 

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,

  "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give 

you hope and a future.               Jeremiah 29:11

Isn't that better news? The God of the universe loves us and has plans to prosper us with hope and a future. Heidi Saint John shared some of her personal story of how she overcame (through the power of God's love) an abusive past. She encouraged us that with the power of Christ - those bonds of sin are broken and we are FREE to walk in grace and love. Powerful stuff. 

Another great reminder for me this weekend: 

What an awesome reminder that He can take the character traits of our children (even the ones we find difficult - sometimes especially the ones we find to be difficult) and turn them into a powerhouse for the Lord? That's right. God of the universe. He can handle our children, and He can help us handle them - to train them for Him. It was a terrific reminder that the foundation we are laying in the lives of our little ones will go a long way in determining their future. It's important that they are grounded in truth, and grace, and love. 

The Apologia ladies were wonderful as always. Each speaker did a fantastic job and each were a blessing to me and the other women I spoke with. According to the web site, "The Real Refreshment Retreats are designed to recharge your spiritual batteries" and I must say - it did exactly that for me. 

On a final note - we were reminded to find joy in the "normal" things of life - Rachel Martin  

spoke about how when people go through tragedies in life - they would give anything to get back to the "normal drudgery" of every day life. Moms who have lost their children would give anything to hear them bickering with each other, or to step on their messy Lego's. It's a profound thought and a sobering one - also a true one. We are not promised tomorrow. We must live today, and live it well. 

With that - I am off to scratch the back of a little boy needing my attention, and to make plans for our day tomorrow. We will enjoy our adventure tomorrow - and every day thereafter, as I am determined to find joy in each one and to share that joy with my children. 

These are the real gifts in our lives. 

1000 Gifts and counting: 

Back scratching-  boy cuddles - little hands reaching to hold mine (even though they are getting bigger)- road trip adventurez - girlfriends - prayer warriors - family babies - new baby smell - time with extended family -  special  cousins and making memories - time to be refreshed and encouraged. 

Linking with: 

 Bigger Picture

Miscellany Monday  Better Mom  Modest Mom  God Bumps Welcome Home  The Wellspring

#ifellowship Seeds of Faith - Thought Provoking Thursday - Hear it on Sunday  Gratituesday   Soli Deo Gloria    From My Mountain View     Titus 2's Days  

Raising Mighty Arrows - Good Morning Girls - 1000Gifts   Thankful Thurs Kids in the Word  Thursday Quick Tip   What Works Wed   Works-4-Me  

Preparing for new AdventureZ

start:

Spring is in the air and as we relax and recover from recent adventurez
we look forward to the next leg of our "travel season"

We love our adventurez
We love getting out on the road to explore the world around us
We love getting in touch with nature and visiting friends, family, and museums.

Our last week was full of fun adventure 
with camping and swimming and much much more

We prepare to hit the road for a retreat for mom at RRR in Atlanta 
We plan adventurez for all along the way

But this weekend was a time for REST
it was a time to relax and replenish (and do laundry)
Quiet, lazy family time is what takes place between our wild adventurez
We read, watch movies (I mentioned laundry - right?)

We REST

For tomorrow - we are off on another adventure 
to see the world and live life to the fullest!

Hope to see you in Atlanta!

stop

Movies, cuddles, writing, rest . . . 

and LAUNDRY

Linking with: SandraHeskaking
     

What not to bring to the Real Refreshment Retreat with Apologia

Soon I'll be packing up and heading off to another Real Refreshment Retreat!  I'd LOVE for you to join me for this wonderful time of fellowship and rejuvenation for women from all around the country. Just in case you are wondering - I've made up a list for you of some things I found were NOT needed at the retreat:

1. Fire wood - The Westin Hotel in both Baltimore and in Atlanta both come with their own heating and air system. The rooms even have a mini- fridge available and microwaves in the refreshment center,  so there is no need to build a fire.

2. Blow up mattress- Check out the super comfy beds from the Westin here (REFRESHING) You'll have a hard time pulling yourself up out of these amazing beds - but the encouragement from friends and the wonderful speakers during the event will get you up and at 'em for sure.

3. A rotating fan - see #1

4. Kayaks - It's hard to leave home without them, but they will not be needed for this adventure.

5. A huge cooler full of food - I may or may not part with mine for this trip (we do like to haul our own food) but the yummy food at the Westin is a special treat and lunch on Saturday is included with your ticket.

6. Your men folk - this retreat is for the ladies, but the Bell hops come in handy for help with your luggage.

7. Coffee pot - they have them RIGHT in your 4-diamond room and there is also a STARBUCKS right there inside the hotel.

8. Fold out chairs - each room comes with several of their own and even a work desk including a space for your laptop (there is a fee for the wireless high speed internet service).

9. Life vests, fishing poles, helmets, water shoes, dry bag, and wet suite - see #4.

10. Smith & Wesson - there is a safe in the room where you can lock up your valuables and the good folks at the Westin hotel take great care of you so there is no need for packing heat. I did mention it is a luxury 4 diamond hotel - right? Swanky! 

RRR~ Sponsored by Teach Them Diligently - We'll be packing up to head to TN in May - you don't want to miss this fantastic homeschool convention - for the whole family
 - Family tickets just $45 until March 15 - Register by clicking the Featured Speaker box below:



linking with Apologia blog link 

Our homeschool week - spontaneous adventures

In my life this week…

We took our Apologia Swimming creatures study to the beach! 

"C" is for Cool Adventures! 


In our homeschool this week…

We did our new Frigatebird unit study I made last weekend! See the Freebies at the end to download your own free unit study - we used various maps for each boy- Parker used the Atlas, Walker used a sticker world map, and Spencer used a puzzle world map - all to locate the oceans where you will find Frigatebirds!

Places we are going and people we are seeing …

Believe it or not - we ended up at Disney for a spontaneous adventure this week. We didn't visit the Magic Kingdom or other parks - but we did get to visit the various resorts and incredible pools. Thank you so much to our sweet homeschool friends who included us in their adventure. What a fabulous treat that was! You are awesome- We all had such a great time! 

"C" is for Cool Homeschool friends! 

I’m cooking…



Walker learned to break eggs in our Kids in the Kitchen post this week 
and we shared an apple recipe here - get your own free Apple unit study below - Celebrate Autumn with Apples - yummy food - and more fun for all ages in this freebie. 

"C" is for Cooking 

We are reading …

The boys participated in the monthly book club this week sharing the various books they've been reading. 

In correlation with our Swimming Creatures study - we also read books by Suzanne Tate like Rosie Ray

We used more of our homemade flash card games to study word families - in keeping with the sea creature theme, the beach, sun and fun! 

Freebies and Favorite Resources …


"C" is for Cool Unit Study and . . . . . . . . . . . "C" is for Cooking with Kids 

      

Waddlee- ah - chaa! Free Smoothie recipe for Kids:

   
Linking with - Holy Spirit Led Homeschool , The Imagination Tree , Creative Family Fun ,
Sun Scholars  , Camera Phone Friday, Favorite Resources this Week, Homeschool Freebie Fridays, Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers  ABC blogging, Collage Friday, Educating Laytons ihomeschoolnetwork Mommy Teaches   homeschool fridays  friday faves Read.Explore.Learn Geography Fun Field Trip Friday InstaFriday mercyINK

Notebooking - A Happy How-To in Homeschooling

Jeannie Fulbright of Apologia suggests:

 "You can transform any course into a first class educational experience with notebooking"

I tend to agree! We've participated in some form of notebooking or lapbooking since I began homeschooling my son some 6 years ago - and now they have multiplied and there are 3 boys in our little classroom. Well, it's actually quite a large classroom - as we spend a good deal of time in the great outdoors.

Notebooking has indeed transformed our courses. Along with using the notebooking journals from Apologia we also do lapbooking and make our own nature journals.

The boys each have a composition notebook which we have decorated with scrapbook paper and  personalized. They use pencils to sketch nature scenes - either on location - or something we bring back to the house (like weeds pretty flowers picked for mommy) or an interesting leaf - bug - plant.

They carry their journals on many of our adventures as we explore God's Creation. Something else we have begun doing more of - is a more "official" kind of notebooking. I like using three ring binders to organize much of our studies after the work is done.  The kids enjoy using their clip boards (very official) to do nature studies. We are finding it particularly useful with our notebooking in the outdoors.

One of my favorite resources for notebooking is a fun little place called The Notebooking Fairy 

My friend Jimmy does a wonderful job of both providing brilliant (and even FREE) notebooking pages as well as explaining and teaching you WHAT to do with them. Most recently we put her super cool Dolphin notebooking pages to work for us. I found them free on her blog of course - under "printables".

Even though I've been homeschooling for quite awhile - I learned a LOT from her ebook - 

Notebooking Success is loaded with creative ideas for your notebooking pages. You'll learn HOW to use the technique to it's fullest potential, WHEN to use them to get the most benefit for your learners, and WHY they are great for every subject and most every student - regardless of grade

 or age of the child. 

You'll find an easy to follow guide that will enrich your homeschool studies. It's not a curriculum or a workbook - but a method of teaching you can use for all ages! Whether you are an experienced homeschooler or just getting started - You're likely to- like me-  become a fan of  the ebook: Notebooking Success. 

It's On SALE for just $5.50

BUY HERE 

»»Free Bonus — Grade Specific Reference Sheets

»»Free Bonus –General Notebooking Pages

»»Free Bonus – 50 Things to Put into a Notebook

*this post contains affiliate links which means that if you purchase I do make a buck or two - however - I do not recommend products that we don't use ourselves and approve - 

I was given a copy of the ebook from NBfairy to review - the opinions are my own