Hands-On-Projects and Fieldtrips!

If you're known us for a while, you know that we are almost always working on a hands-on project, or going on a fieldtrip. These two go hand-in-hand because they take learning to a deeper level. Making something, or doing something related to what you've been studying can help you retain the information.

I've often said "Life is a Fieldtrip!" When our girls were little, we went on a fieldtrip almost every week. Friday was set aside as the day to be out of the house "doing" something. While we don't always go on a fieldtrip every Friday now that the girls are older...often they volunteer at Conner Prairie as costumed interpreters on Fridays. So sometimes they ARE the fieldtrip!

Don't worry, we still get in a LOT of fieldtrips and hands-on projects. Below you'll see pictures of just a few of the places we've been, or things we've been doing over the past year.

If you subscribe to our blog, every Thursday you'll find a "Thankful Thursday" post, many of which highlight our favorite activities and/or places to go.

Remember, this is a blog hop! Click the links below our pictures to learn about how other families use Hands-On Projects!

4-H Archery w/ friends

What could be more Hands-on than ice cream?

Tree climbing- hand and feet-on :)

How about a trip to the Children's museum of Indianapolis with your cousins?

Orville Wright re-enactor

Trip to the zoo w/Grammy Mary

Last Spring, Arlene received her Timothy Award and Emily received her Meritorious Award at Awana

We watched these goats being born at Conner Prairie

Our friend, Mike Marsh, explaining how the Gatlin gun works during Civil War days @ CP

Legos- need I say more?

The swallowtail caterpillar eating our parsley, we consider it a fair exchange!

Another trip to CP

Another trip to the zoo w/Gram

Just a small part of our Butterfly garden we have been adding to for the past 3 summers
Small investment, big rewards!

 Another fun day at Conner Prairie, with our cousins & family

A spelling lesson, or a tasty snack? Why not both!

Arlene's favorite hands-on project- her backpack

Emily modeling at the State Fair Fashion Revue

Waiting to hear Vivaldi @ Symphony on the Prairie

The Gene Stratton Porter home in Rome City, IN


Grandpa (Papa) took us on a fieldtrip to Feast of the Hunter's Moon, near Lafayette, IN

Here are a couple shots of the girls at work at Conner Prairie, "Being" someone else's fieldtrip!

Arlene and her friend Grace

Arlene- 1863

Emily in 1836

Emily "working?" in the Animal encounters barn

Here are some links to our "favorite" fieldtrips spots
http://www.connerprairie.orghttp://www.indyzoo.com/
http://www.connerprairie.org/Plan-Your-Visit/Special-Events/Marsh-Symphony-on-the-Prairie.aspx

http://www.childrensmuseum.org

http://www.indianamuseum.org/sites/gene.html

Feast of the Hunter's Moon

http://www.in.gov/statefair/

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Thankful Thursdays-3/14/13- Readers

Today I am thankful for you, my blog readers! Thank you for joining us this week as we are participating in our first blog hop. It has been a lot of fun. Tomorrow's topic is hands-on projects. I'm going to have to think about how to narrow that down.

I hope you are enjoying some sunshine in your little corner of the world.

Know that I am thankful for you!

Homeschooling in a Crisis

My pocket sized dictionary defines the word "crisis" as 1- turning point and 2-crucial situation, it then defines "crucial" as 1-decisive and 2- trying. I would define our "crisis" as both a turning point AND a trying situation.

Please let me preface the rest of this post by telling you that our GOD is BIGGER than any crisis we will ever face. This knowledge sustained me through some really dark and trying times. God's peace is the only thing that can calm my heart as I re-live some of the thoughts and fears of that day, August 5, 2010.

Each of us will face many trials in this life, but some seem overwhelming to us inside of them. The help and love shown to us by others can be the hands and feet of Jesus in our most desperate times. YOU can be the hands and feet of Jesus to someone TODAY, that is why I am reliving this story. It is not one I want to think about.

At the end of my story, you may think, "well, that wasn't so bad." At the time, in our lives, it was bad, scary, frightening, horrible. Looking back, I see time and time again how God protected us and provided for us. I give HIM all the glory for saving us, carrying us through the storm, and continuing to love us today!



Our story

On the night of August 4, 2010, I had worked 10 hours at my job. Kurt had the next day off of work (quite rare for a Thursday, but I think he had taken a couple of vacation days because the State Fair was to open on Friday.) Because Kurt was at home to take Emily to her volunteer position for the day, and to spend time with Arlene, I did something I rarely EVER do...I turned my cell phone OFF. Not down, not to silent, but off.

Kurt and Arlene dropped Emily off and started home. They took the scenic route throught the country to head home. The car they were driving in never arrived home. Later that day, Kurt and Arlene DID arrive home.

Ours was not a crisis of loss, as I know some of you have experienced. Believe me when I say I pray for you. Whatever crisis you are going through, God is enough.

Our crisis was one of survival.

As Kurt was preparing to cross the state highway, he did not see the approaching car.

CRASH!

Only God's protecting hand allowed me to still have a husband and younger daughter. Everyday I pray for the safety of each of our family members. This was a day when God answered mightily.

The SUV inpacted the right front wheel well of Kurt's car, sending the right front tire (and attached axle) one direction, and the car with its precious cargo the other direction.

(When I went to the junk yard the next day to retrieve the important papers and tags from the car, I wanted to weep, but I was too shocked at what I saw. I had to crawl through the driver's side and stretch to wrench open the glove box. There was an untouched space in the front passenger's seat JUST BARELY bigger than Arlene. I saw first hand how God's angels had wrapped themselves around Arlene and protected her!)

Even before the EMS personnel arrived to help, a car drove by, the driver recognized Kurt's car, and stopped to help. In the car was one of Kurt's former co-workers. Kurt later told me when he saw Tony, he was not sure if he was dreaming, in Heaven, or seeing reality. (Just a few months before Tony had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and told to get his house in order because he wouldn't live long. God allowed him to be our help on this trying day.) Tony tried calling both my cell (which was off) and our home phone to reach me and let me know what had happened. When he couldn't reach me (I was DEEP ASLEEP), Tony had the presence of mind to call one of our mutual friend's houses. The husband was working from home and drove over to our house and pounded on our front door until I woke up and answered. When I opened the door and saw Mike, he said, "Carol, I'm here because Kurt and Arlene were in a car wreck, they are going to be OK, but they're on the way to the hospital, do you want me to drive you?"

Um, what? NO! What? Wait,... um..."give me a minute to get dressed, I'll follow you."

In the time it took me to head upstairs to put on jeans and find my shoes, I had an amazing thought. Mike had come to my door, not a police officer. They were not dead. Life would go on, but it would not be the same.

We actually arrived at the hospital before the ambulance got there. As soon as they had wheeled Kurt into the ER and done the initial transfer, they let me in. My husband was alive, my baby girl (aged 10) was alive, but they both looked awful.

Arlene had not suffered any broken bones, but had some nasty abrations along the right side of her neck and face from both her seatbelt and the airbag. Kurt had broken his leg. He had fractured his tibia. Not a compound fracture, and as we found out the next week, not requiring surgery, but a broken leg nonetheless.

God's mercy was evident both then and in the weeks to follow.

After a few hours, xrays, a temporary leg brace, and a referral to see the Orthopedic Friday morning, we went home. I called Mike and asked him to please come over once more and help get Kurt into the house. My 6'4" husband was on crutches, and there was no way I was going to be able to help him navigate the 3 stairs to get into the house.

We(I) spent a lot of hours the next 6 months on paying bills, talking with our insurance agents, billing staff, EMS supervisors, etc.

The girls spent a lot of time with their friends. Our church and home school friends were SO GRACIOUS and willing to take the girls. Kurt was on some pretty heavy meds those first two weeks. It was best for all involved when the girls got our of the house each day. They had fun playing, and doing their schoolwork at a variety of friends' houses. I had time to sleep (occasionally,) help Kurt, go to work, and do all the other things that still needed done.

We had so much food brought over that we had to freeze some. All from one fb post, and one email I sent. Our friends showed us love.

How did we homeschool through all of this? (Kurt was off of work for 11 weeks until he could be released to walk without crutches.) We did the next thing. Whenever the girls went to a friend's house, I sent along a backback with some books. Since we are generally Charlotte Mason styled, we have lots of living books, so I just kept picking history or Lit books and having them read. Eventually, in November we got back to math. We pretty much skipped grammar that year. Science was mostly things they could do on their own.

After two weeks of the girls spending each day with a different friend (some days they all went to the pool and skipped school, that didn't hurt Emily or Arlene's feeling any,) they stayed home. Daddy was switched to a lower dosage pain killer and they became his nurses. I continued to go to work, but during the day, instead of at night.

I was overwhelmed, but God wasn't.

I was stressed out, Kurt was stressed out, Arlene was going to the Chiropractor 3 times a week to adjust the misalignment of her spine from the pull of the live-saving seatbelt, Emily was afraid to go anywhere without us. Oh yeah, did I mention that Arlene was afraid to ride in the car? Every time we approached an intersection she tensed up. I encouraged her to sit inthe back and read a book, trying to keep her focus off of the other cars.

Kurt and I had a lot of fights. Yup, it happened. Thankfully God was bigger than anything we faced. HE held us together as a family. HE provided for all of our needs. HE gave me the words I needed to communicate with all of those billing people. HE sustained us in ways I had never experienced before.

If YOU are homeschooling in a crisis, if you are at a turning point, or in a trying situation, please let me enourage you to "do the next thing." Your children will survive if they don't learn any grammar this year. They'll even survive if they don't do any math lessons for 6 months.

Read your BIBLE! Read in Psalms and cry out to God. He hears you, knows your pain, and sees your future. If you are looking for something else of quality to read while you're waiting on the Doctor, or waiting for the phone call about ______, may I suggest "Through Gates of Splendor" by Elisabeth Elliot or "In His Steps" by Charles M. Sheldon.

Know this, even if your car never makes it home, God still knows your pain, He sees you, He is offering you comfort, it is up to you to accept it. This crisis will pass. Another may take it's place, but in the end, as Christians, we know a better ending is coming!


To read more thought about Homeschooling in a Crisis, click here, or any  of the links below.
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Toys, Games, & Puzzles

Do you educate your children out of a box? We do! (And we love it!)

While you might think I'm referring to a boxed-curriculum, rest assured, I'm not. I'm talking about lots and lots of boxes! Today's focus is on toys, games, and puzzles. Since it's still in the 30's and snowing outside today, I'll save the toys part for another day and skip straight to the games and puzzles.

Do your closets look like ours?

Or maybe you have a shelf like this?

We have always been rather creative in our home schooling journey. Sometimes out of neccessity, sometimes our of choice. Games and puzzles help us to learn while having fun. They can also be an incentive to get harder assignments completed in a timely manner.

We still have a laundry basket full of puzzles, even after repeatedly giving some to other families. My Mom has a whole bookshelf full of puzzles, and the girls enjoy doing puzzles at Gram's house, or borrowing one to bring home and do here if they spent all of their visit at the zoo and library.


Games have always played a prominent role in our learning. There are SO MANY great ways to use games to learn. Monopoly is great for math (& social skills, learning character, and economics!) Scattergories is a fun way to work on vocabulary, without stressing about spelling...as long as you get the first letter correct. Yahtzee uses basic addition and multiplication skills, as well as identification and grouping skills. LEGO brand games like Creationary and Heroica allow children to play and learn, to express their imaginations, and to learn to discuss, adjust, and follow rules.

Sometimes you just need a break from the humdrum of your math book. (Yes, we DO use a math curriculum, but daily work in the book can get boring.) 2 years ago we were at the Midwest Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati and discovered a game called "CIA:CYBEROPS." Each player has a deck of cards and is involved in using basic algebra to advance in the game. You are either a computer programmer or a hacker, and you adjust your card computer's counters by answering the basic algebra question and then using the answer. If your child has mastered the multiplication tables, you can help them along in the game by explaining the algebra, then letting them do the figuring.

Trust me, my description doesn't do it justice, our girls LOVE playing CYBEROPS for math. If you want to know more, visit their website: http://ciacyberops.com  
The girls played the game at their booth and had so much fun that Daddy bought them each a deck and counters. Before the convention was over, they had gone back and gotten decks for him and me as well. 

There are several games that can help you understand history, like 'Made for Trade,' or 'Risk.' Just don't start either of them near bedtime!

This year we have been studying both US and World Geography. The girls have been taking breaks from drawing maps and playing with a puzzle that Kurt saved from his childhood. It had the US on one side, the world on the other.

However you slice it, games and puzzles can add a lot of fun AND education to your life...you kids might like them too! Don't discount games and puzzles as an occasional thing, use them often! You'l all be glad you did!

To read about how other families use Toys, game, and puzzles to teach creatively, click here, or click on any of the links below.
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Schooling in the Kitchen- messy, yummy fun!

Where did your kids learn fractions? At home, at play, at Grandma’s? Ours both got their introduction to fractions in the kitchen.

Want extra cookies? Double the recipe! Want to make a bigger pizza crust? Increase the recipe by half. Want to make a pumpkin pie but only have 2 eggs and 2 cups of pumpkin? Half the recipe you use for 2 pies.

How does this all work out? 

Messily!

But it is SO WORTH IT!!!

Our girls often help out in the kitchen now. They are 14 and 12, and have been helping for several years. Emily may still tell you she can’t cook, but she can make a mean loaf of bread! Want pancakes? Daddy needs to make a double batch. Tacos for dinner? Arlene will make the tortillas all by herself. The very first time I made them, she helped me, by the next week she was making them herself and doing a better job than I was! (Now if only she would remember to turn on the exhaust fan BEFORE the smoke alarm goes off-LOL! In her defense, it is a really picky smoke detector!)

Besides baking, which is our favorite (Arlene makes the BEST biscuits,) there are a lot of other ways to do school in the kitchen. Ever heard of a budget? Good, now teach that to your kids. Don’t overwhelm them with everything at once, but teach them some basics at an early age. Arlene learned that if we saved enough on the grocery list items by finding and using coupons wisely, then I would let her pick out a special treat for dessert that wasn’t usually in the budget. I’ve often taken the girls to Trader Joe’s and told them they have X dollars to spend on pasta. That makes them think about if they would rather have more days’ worth of pasta, or have less meals and choose a more expensive style like tortellini. They often make a pot of pasta for us for lunch, so it can be a hard decision to make. Arlene is not a big fan of PBJ, so she leans towards quantity, while Emily leans towards a higher quality/ specialty.

If you haven’t yet involved your kids in learning in the kitchen, may I ask what is stopping you? If you’re saying “they are too small, or they make too big of a mess,” then let me encourage you that they are bigger than you think. If you’re not willing to let your 8 or 9 year old use the stove with your supervision, then when are you going to trust them? Don’t make the mistake of waiting until they think only Mom can make dinner (or even lunch!) If you’re apprehensive about your child using a knife, get a ‘ my safe cutter’ from Pampered Chef and teach them the proper technique before you give them a knife. 

Each child matures at a different pace, but you can help them SO MUCH by involving them in learning in the kitchen. 

Now, about that mess you said they make... teach them how to clean up after themselves! If you’re not teaching your children about how to cook and clean in the kitchen, you’re cheating them out of valuable life lessons, AND you’re unnecessarily stressing yourself out.

So please, involve your kids! It’s lots of fun, and you get to eat the projects when they’re done! YUM!
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Delight-Directed Teaching and Learning - Horses

Delight directed (DD) teaching and learning can happen anywhere, at any time. The basic premise as I understand it is this: follow the bunny trails that present themselves, and teach what your children WANT to learn.

This is not to say that DD learning can’t have some guidelines, but rather than center on boxes to check, you focus on the joy of learning about what your children are interested in at this moment/ season of their lives. One example of DD learning for us was Horse Camp. The summer before Horse Camp was the first time our girls had gone away for church camp. They spent a lovely, full week at camp with other kids from both our church, and other churches around this part of the state. The next summer, Emily was joining a volunteer program, and Arlene was looking for something to do. An email came from camp saying they had added a new, limited size camp, all about horses. Well, Arlene had been reading a lot about horses, I think she was in the midst of “Black Beauty” when I called upstairs. “Hey Arlene! Do you want to go to camp again this summer?” “Sure Mom, is Em going too?” “Nope, just you” I replied. “Do you want to go to horse camp?” Arlene precedes to run downstairs and try to take over the computer (she was almost 10). We signed her up ASAP. 

She spent 5 days learning, breathing, and cleaning up after horses. They had some other fun animals to learn to care for as well. It was Arlene’s first time tent camping. (The cabins were full of the usual summer campers.) She learned so much that week, about horses, about missions, and about herself. She had been kind of reserved, not quite shy, but definitely not the chatterbox her older sister was at her age.

At the end of the week we went back to pick her up, Arlene talked the whole 45 minute drive home! (Well, except the two minutes she spent wolfing down the snack I brought her.) She told us about the horses, (a halflinger and a miniature), about riding the horse, riding around camp in the pony trap, about mucking out the barn, and about how the camp missionaries always wanted to eat dinner with them. (Horse camp made their own dinner over the campfire, everybody else ate in the mess hall.)

This small sacrifice on our part (to come up with the $ for camp) has given her the confidence to know she can learn whatever she sets her mind to. It has been almost 3 years since Arlene went to horse camp. She still has the binder she made with all her sheets and drawings about horses. She is not afraid to talk to anybody about horses, and she asks really good questions about what she doesn’t know. After camp, Arlene continued to learn about horses. She still enjoys an occasional science or fiction book about horses even today. She loves to go to the State Fair and identify all the horses she can remember.

We have done other DD things over the years, too many to count. For many of our friends, DD learning looks like a unit study, where you immerse yourself into whatever you are studying that week/ month. Reading about the Egyptians? Mummify an apple, make & eat flatbread, get takeout from the Egyptian restaurant, wear sandals all week, make up your own hieroglyphics, paint. If you read about it, do it (Ok, within reason- PLEASE DON’T mummify your family cat! LOL!)

Some families tend towards a workbook/ textbook heavy curriculum for year round learning and save DD for their weeks between semesters, or over the summer. However you choose to add some DD, add some. Maybe your child is crazy for dolphins...visit the zoo, watch “a Dolphin’s Tale,” study the kind of fish that live where dolphins swim. The possibilities are endless.

Depending on your current educating style, it might take more or less prep time to do DD. What it probably WILL require is for you to loosen up! Let go of the ‘must do’s’ and find some ‘want-to-do’s.’ Take lots of pictures when you do DD learning, not because they’ll all be stellar photos, but because it helps you keep track of what you did. Then later, when the kids are playing in the yard, or reading a book, you can look at the photos and figure out which activities to record for math, literature, PE, etc. in your planner so you can fill out your boxes!
 Click here to learn more 

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