Reading Hour

Winnie had her first library reading hour of the fall this morning. She was a huge ham, as always, and had a blast mildly disrupting reading hour and Ms. Debbie.

We are very excited about HS park day tomorrow. I love Antioch Park this time of year.

We also REALLY want to do this Unschool Conference in February. Water Park for 4 days and unschool conference. Fun! Not sure we can get the money together by then, but hopefully.

My Movie Makers

Yesterday afternoon Zhara and Angus decided that they wanted to start working on a stop action movie using their Lego guys. Today Zhara and I researched more about it, after Adam helped them some last night with it. We found this awesome website full of tips and other Lego movies. She is so excited. She and I have laughed and laughed at the movies on there. Zhara has decided that she needs to make a Lego music video to Superfreak. LOVE IT!!!

We also found this awesome "How to" tutorial on making Lego brick films.

More to follow on our movie making adventure.

PE Day

So today we did some work around home and then packed up the kitten and took her to the vet for her check up. There the kids learned a lesson about why we shouldn't use a Johnson County vet. Holy Smokes, expensive Batman, just for shots. So then we came home, found a low cost spay and neuter clinic and will be taking Lola there on Thursday for the actual surgery. It is, I kid you not, more than $300 cheaper. Money lesson learned.

We came home, had lunch, and then decided today was a day where we really needed to get out and do something, so we went to the indoor pool at the community center. We had a good time at "PE."

Tonight Angus has drum lessons. Tomorrow Winnie has her first reading hour of the fall at the library. Zhara will likely work on doing her research for her Kansas worksheet that we have been working on. Never a dull moment.

Ren Fest & Bill Nye

Yesterday we went to the Renaissance Festival with Adam's dad and step-mom. Not my favorite place in the world, but the kids had fun, and Zhara has decided to be a fairy for Halloween, and Angus a knight. Pictures to follow at some point. No offense to those of you who adore Ren Fest... it's just not my thing.

We went to the library while Angus was at preschool this morning, and picked up the Bill Nye video we had requested on Germs, as well as a bunch of new books. It was good. The kids really liked watching it. Then while I was putting Winnie down for a nap, Angus and Zhara watched a National Geographic kids video on Dinosaurs.

Zhara beat the 3rd-5th grade math program yesterday. There are still some things she can do on it, but wow. I hope she isn't so far along now that the Singapore Math books I ordered (that still aren't here, yet) are too easy. Sigh.

Zhara has decided this is the list of things she would like to learn about this week:

fashion in Paris
how homes are heated
why honey bees are dying
working in the US/State/President workbook we got over the weekend at Sam's

Sounds good to me. Okay, off to help her with the workbook, then to the park, and music lessons.

Tomorrow we take the kitten to the vet for a check up. We will call it an impromptu field trip to the vet's. It has to be better than last time when the kids had to be there when the other cat got put down. Ugh, that was awful.

Train Building

Lessons in physics, geometry, engineering, mathematics, and team-building.

This morning, after we did a little cleaning and the kids played on the computer and watched TV, they decided to build an elaborate track set up. Everyone helped. Zhara definitely was in charge, though.

Angus working on some track layout.

Getting Advice from Winnie

Sometimes you have to call in the experts for engineering advice.

New Hair

My little blue girl with her new black and blue do:

School Doesn't Stop for Saturday...

At least it doesn't when you're unschooling, I realize. Today Zhara has been writing two stories -- one called "The Thanksgiving Turkey who does Math" and the other about "The Bunny of Multiplication." Apparently animals also REALLY like math.

Last night the older two went with Adam to the store to buy the Wii Fit we have been saving up for. Playing our good friend, Kerri's, has made us want one, too. We had a good time trying it out last night. This morning Angus amused us by showing us how to hit soccer balls with your head and how to trick the Wii when running by bopping the remote up and down and making your on-screen self fall down. He thought that was hilarious. He has also created a Mii named Ted that he is using as himself. Sometimes that child absolutely cracks me up.

After a tiring afternoon of running errands, Zhara and I started making soap to sell at the open house I am doing November 4th. It needs 4 weeks to cure. We are making more of the oatmeal lavender that we loved last time and also a chocolate and rose. She helped measure out the fats. I did the lye and water/herb combos. Then we discussed melting temperatures and chemical reactions. When you think about it, soap making is an EXCELLENT lesson in chemistry.

Now we are waiting on the solutions to reach their ideal mixing temp and I promised Zhara we would color her hair with the crazy semi-temporary hair color we got today. It should last for a couple of weeks and then slowly wash out. She is doing blue and black. Photos to follow.