Elf is back - Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Lego Advent Calendars are a HIT!!

Gratitude letter - to Mommy from Son

The Big Gobble: Thanksgiving with Friends and Family 2014

So very thankful for each other.  So very thankful for peace, health, and happiness.

Debate Tournatment Day 2

Today, Haley and her teammate won 2 out of 3 debates:  one as the affirmative; one as the negative.  This is AWESOME for a novice team.  The low cut-off age for competition is twelve.  Haley is 12, Gabriel is 13.  So, hats off to these two students, and their fathers who worked LONG hours sitting at Club meetings, arranging evening and weekend meetings to go over evidence, and for staying all day with the team to coach and make real-time modifications in their arguments and techniques!!  Kudos!!  

Debate Club Photos

The Debate Club

Team Policy teams and the coach.

STOA Team Policy Debate Tournament Day ONE

"Training the next generation to think, speak and engage the world around them."

Homeschooling = Happy, healthy, and balanced education

What do you want to be when you grow up? Happy and healthy.

How to be happy: Education. Nutrition. Time in nature. Contribution and service. Relationships. Recreation. Relaxation and stress management. Spirituality.

Traditional school does not teach children how to be happy and healthy. Isn't that the point of life? ‪#‎Homeschool‬

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/01/07/this-is-what-happens-when-a-kid-leaves-traditional-education/

Hana starts playing team basketball - first practice

Equestrianism

Throwback Thursday.  Learning/practicing riding horseback.

Time for CHESS

Re-introduction to chess with videos, books, and practice.  Haley was on the chess club in Public School.  Ian was exposed this summer at The Hockaday School as some of the children played chess to pass the time at Computer Camp this summer past.

Figure we'd start to incorporate more chess into our lives.

End Afterschool Guitar and PE

On Tuesdays and Thursdays the kids go to Hybrid school.  The plan was for Haley to take afterschool Spanish.  In anticipating the later pick-up, and considering the other 2 children had the space in their days, we signed Ian up for guitar.  When the decision was made to take Hana out of gymnastics, we maintained her physical activity with afterschool PE.  Doing afterschool PE also allowed her to try different sports in a group setting, which is something she craved that gymnastics didn't allow.

However, there was no afterschool Spanish offered for Haley.  So our initial plan to have all the children stay until 4:30p didn't pan out.  Haley is out at 3p, and the smaller kids end up staying there until 4:30, resulting in 2 pick-ups, and "wasted time."

Additionally, Ian has since started bass (and continues private guitar lessons with Ben).  Ian initially found the afterschool guitar exciting (since many boys play guitar and he was a bit better than most of them).  But he has since become frustrated with the teacher, and doesn't like the class.

Hana has been signed up for youth basketball, and her team coach has the first practice scheduled next week, Thursday.  However, this presents a conflict for us with Haley doing debate on Thursdays and Ian doing swimming.

So we have had to make adjustments - stop afterschool PE and guitar.
Try to move Ian's swim practice up an hour (which we CAN do now that he won't have afterschool guitar).  If Ian can do swim practice earlier, that will allieviate the "conflict" that Hana's basketball will present on Thursdays as Ian will swim, followed by Hana's basketball.  Haley can still do debate, and as the season progresses, she won't require a parent to sit with her during all the club meetings for 3 hours each week, in addition to the 2-3 hours she has doing 'team work' with her teammate.  This will free up even more time for the parents, especially since the plan is for Ian to start water polo and private enrichment swim instruction as the weather warms up in the Spring....

So we'll see how this 'new' plan goes....

Fencing Tournament

After ROCKING her Fall Festival competition Haley rushed to participate in her very first FENCING TOURNAMENT.  Some of her competitors were older, had more training, and all but 1 were male.  She WON GOLD.  #Champion

If you call for her, expect her and BE READY.  :) 

Music Teacher Association Fall Festival and Honors Recital 2014

Adjudication:  Haley, That was a "WOW" performance in every way!  You took a breathtaking tempo, and your tone and interpretation were great.  You play with confidence and flair, truly a winning combination.  Awesome performance and teacher!!  Superior +

Audiobook

VERY helpful tool to help the children digest more literature than they would be able to "suck in" on their own.  Loving Audible!!

ABC Mouse

Trying a trial of ABC Mouse.  Although its designed for kindergarten, I feel that the entirely of their 'curriculum' would offer learning opportunities in many areas that perhaps kindergarten didn't cover.  We shall see...

Junior Cotillion Dinner with Dad

Debate Team Preparation

Haley has been diligently preparing for her first team policy debate tournament next week.  Her and her teammate have been meeting 3+ hours/week WITH the club, and then an addtional 2+ hours outside of the club each week.   In between these 2 meetings they each engage in HOURS (6 hours/week) of 'reasearch' and 'evidence gathering' with their fathers' help.  

This has occupied quite a bit of time, but totally worth the discussion and dialogue that ensues with 'evidence gathering' and preparing an 'argument.'  Having a partner keeps everyone 'on task.'  However, looking forward to next year when Haley will do Lincoln-Douglas debate and the evidence gathering is less onerous.  

Friends, parties, petting zoo and pony rides...

Theme:  Frozen

Petting zoo:  All the animals gravitate to Ian.  He has always been very calm energy and animals take comfort in his presence.

Pony rides:  enough said

Jump house:  is great exercise

Cake and party food:  indulge

Fall Piano Recital

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16nsxFg0008