Hogwash!!!!

So today we find out that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the movie whose trailer has already been released, the one whose trailer is on this very page just a few posts below, the movie which this family has anxiously been awaiting for months and months, the movie whose released date was circled on our calendar with lots of stars and happy faces............

has been delayed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the sorry excuse they are giving!

Warners president Alan Horn said in a statement that part of the reason for
the shift was the writers strike, which left the studio in a bit of a dearth of
tentpoles.

"Like every other studio, we are still feeling the repercussions of
the writers strike, which impacted the readiness of scripts for other films --
changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of
opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of," he said.

HOGWASH!!!!!!!!!!

I am sooooooooooooo upset!

Read article here if you want. I am off to look for some ice cream.

Planning!!!!

I am knee deep in planning. I am finally feeling the pressure to get going on this. Baseball has ended and summer swim team (more on that later) is over this Friday. I see the light at the end of all this driving. I tried today to just lay around and not do much but reading the WTM boards always fires me up. Many have already begun the school year. The nice weather we are having makes it even harder to think about schooling. But I must be disciplined if I expect to geth through this year.

Here is what we are planning on accomplishing:

Baby Peep

History - finish ( HA! more like start) SOTW 1 and maybe get to SOTW 2 along with Ancient History Portfolio Junior. We have used the parts that correspond with the SOTW chapter we have read and he has really enjoyed the more hands on stuff. He is my crafty child and I am so. not. crafty. But we must adapt!!!

Math - almost done with Singapore Math 1B. Complete 2A and maybe 2B

Science - ????????

Grammar - First Language Lessons 2. We have a few more lessons to complete 1 and then can begin 2.

Writing - Writing with Ease with my own workbook. I looked over a friend's copy of the WWE workbook and I did not like it. The text is perfect and I used the instruction in that to giude my own creation. Their workbook used a different book every week for narration and copywork. Baby peep and I want to read the books he uses for copywork and I could not handle a-book-a-week schedule. I created my own workbook integrating our grammar, read aloud, and writing goals. It should be fun.

Phonics/ Reading Instruction - McGuffey's First Eclectic Reader is what we are sticking too. We have tried several things and I wish he would enjoy Phonics Pathways but he is mostly overwhelmed despite my best efforts. Reading for this child has been a true struggle. Not that he is not able, he just has no desire. Unfortunately for him I am not comfortable waiting until he wishes to learn. He has made HUGE progress this past year but is still not where I would like him. He knows my goals for this year and has agreed to try to meet them. He knows it will entail alot of hard work but he is always up for a challenge. Because of his personality, I have to bargin and introduce goals as if these were his ideas and not mine.

Spelling - Last year I ignored this mostly but this year I must address it. I can not wait to find myself with a poor speller. It is a mistake I made once and will not repeat. He does seem to be a more natural speller but I am not willing to take my chances. I have looked over the All About Spelling materials once more and believe I can get through Level one and Two with him. I still have to plan it out somewhat and get myself familiar with this system. Everyone on WTM boards that uses it says it doesn't take more than 10 minutes but for us it was taking way longer. I need to study it again. I did get the magnets for the letter tiles so I hope this helps.

Art - Atelier Art. I finally took a long look at this at the curriculum fair and I had to get it. Baby Peep is the artist but they have all really enjoyed the two lessons we have done. I can't wait to make this a weekly thing. We have invited friends to do it with us and we are excited to start.

Latin - I am still undecided about Latin in general with this child. He is still not fluently reading so I think Ineed to focus on that but he has been asking when he will start Latin. Now that I have a program I LOVE to use when they get to about 9 or 10 I need to decide if I should start now or wait another year and do Minimus at age 8 or do Song School Latin at 7, then Minimus at 8 with Latin Prep at 9.

Decisions....decisions....decisions.....
Middle Peep and Oldest Peep to come........

Beijing Olympics 2008

Olympic Fever is raging at the Peep household!!!!

I loved everything about the opening ceremonies. I, of course, had high hopes when I heard who was organizing the ceremonies. Zhang Yimou is one of my absolute favorite film directors. My favorite movies by him are Hero, House of Flying Daggers, To Live, Raise the Red Latern and Curse of the Golden Flower to name a few. If you have not seen his work before, run thee to the movie store. His movies are visually stunning. His attention to color is breath taking.

True to his life's work, he awed the world over in the Beijing 2008 Opening Ceremonies. In particular the planning to even the smallest detail is remarkable in my opinion.  If you missed them, you may be able to view them at the NBC site. They are running an incredible amount of coverage online as well as on all their channels.

Not only do we get a great opening ceremony, but almost right away we get to see one of our favorite sports......swimming! We are huge Michael Phelps fans, and tomorrow evening we will be watching one of his many races. He will ultimately compete in 8 events: 200m free, 100m fly, 200m fly, 200m IM, 400m IM, 4x100m free relay, 4x200m free relay, 4x100m medley relay. That is a heck of alot of swimming that will be done fast. Don't blink or you may miss it!

Birthday fun!!!

When it was time for Middle Peep's 10th Birthday Celebration Bash, he had a hard time deciding. His actual birthday was when we went camping but not all of his friends were going camping so he did not want to have a celebration then. The kids that did go camping were so very sweet and organized a celebration for him. They planned it, they decorated, and they gifted him with a very nice and super sweet birthday party surprise.

He still wanted a party because after all, you only turn "two whole hands" once! This past Saturday we celebrated at a very neat place. This place may look familiar if you visited the Classical Ed Our Way blog back in December. Anyone recall the jet packs??? Middle Peep has begged to return here every day since that one day. Well, how could I say no (even though I still have jet pack remanants left at my house and how I wish I did not). Below you will find some birthday fun!

A very kind friend offered Middle Peep a Pokeman Ball Cake!!

Sports all the time around these parts!

Click to enlarge for a better view

So we went camping.....

and if you know me at all, you know this is not my thing! I do not like camping. I do not like organizing for it. I do not like packing for it. I really, really do not like all the cooking over an open fire crap stuff and especially the sleeping on the floor. I do not like rain! Really, Really, Really DO NOT LIKE RAIN! I do not like being cold and uncomfortable when I have a perfectly warm and oh so comfy bed at home! And this trip I did discover one more thing I dislike. ALL the laundry you do when you return home!

Before we set out on this adventure, while discussing with my fellow campers the whole camping situation, someone said they might bring their crock pot to keep some cider warm for the kids. Well, this got me thinking! I could bring my crock pot with a pork shoulder for one of the meals. Someone else suggested we go into town one morning for warm pasteries. These are my kind of people! I thought I could just bring my toaster oven for warm biscuits at breakfast time! I can proudly say that I did cook the pork shoulder over the fire "pit". I set the crock pot over the pit grill and plugged it right in. By dinner time I had the whole area smelling yummy! I should have gotten pictures of it but with all the fun and cooking I completely forgot! Anyway, below are some shots of our adventure.

For those who live in this area and were NOT on the trip try to guess where we are camping! So far my readers have guessed Mt. Shasta, and the beach with our tide pool adventures. What say you readers of this site?

My final clue......

So why have we been MIA

Basically no school is getting done despite my best efforts. We have done math perhaps 3 or 4 times in the last three weeks. We are living our days in the car between dr appointments, baseball games every night, swim practice and swim meets. While driving it is impossible to take pictures! I do have some baseball,s wimming, and camping.....YES....CAMPING pictures to share later this week. For now, we have a Baby Peep funny to share with you all.

Me: Guys, you have to pick a song to sing. Musical friend wants to hear your singing voices.
Oldest Peep: I am NOT singing. eyes rolling far into her head
Middle Peep: Do we really have to? What kind of song?
Baby Peep: I want to sing too!

Me: Come on guys. You all have very nice voices and if musical friend gets a group together you are going! Like it or not. So start liking it!

(We have had this conversation over and over and I am at my wits end on how to get them excited.)

Oldest Peep: I can't sing and I don't want to sing in front of people. It is scary.
Middle Peep: I am shy. What kind of song do you want us to pick?
Baby Peep: I want to sing!

Oldest Peep: I am scared.
Middle Peep: It is scary. I could sing a Blake Lewis song.
Baby Peep: Yeah, mom! I am stage frightening like oldest peep. (No, they don't call each other peeps.)

We just laughed and laughed and laughed. If you know Baby Peep you realize just how frightening it WOULD be for him to be on stage. He meant to say he has stage fright like Oldest Peep. Exactly the reason I will drag push them gently to join this group. When looking at what each peep said in the car you clearly see their personalities. Oldest peep always quick to say no and stay there until I blow my top so to speak. Middle Peep will share his fears but will aim to please. Baby peep always wants in the fun...no matter what the idea.

We can't wait!

Wordless Wednesday

Writing With Ease

I finally received my copy on Wednesday. I finished reading it yesterday. Now there is not much to read since it is mostly a week by week guide. I did skim the pages for year two,three and four but really only spent time in the introduction and then year one. I opted not to purchase the workbook and am up to week 15 in planning our own based on the guidelines in WWE. It lays it all out simply and clearly. We will also use the books he is doing copy work from as our read alouds. Now I don't have to plan another list! I am all about efficient. The only thing that worries me is that the workbooks have integrated grammar from FFL. We are almost onto FFL2. I will have to figure it out. This of course is for Baby Peep. I still plan on switching him over to Classical Writing in 4th grade. I can't wait to see how that works out.

Outdoor Hour Challenge #16

Once many year ago, we had a garden when we first moved to the South. I still had tomatoes in December! Then we moved to a house with an almost completely shaded house. I had no place for a garden. Seven years later we moved to a new area with a different growing season. I almost did not start a garden at all because we had no Spring and I was not sure it would ever warm up or the sun would ever come out. But it did and I quickly ran to get seeds. I forgot all the research I did all those years ago and just threw seeds into the ground and hoped for the best. Below is the fruit of our labor.

Well, I can say we have pumpkins growing pretty well.


Baby Peep's



Middle Peep's



Oldest Peep's


The carrots did not do so well, but at least we have two! (We planted 2 rows of 5.)



The sun flowers are all finally growing. This part of our yard, due to the fence, doesn't get direct sun as I thought. Despite that they are growing pretty well..........I think.............











The tomato seeds never did come up. Neither did the mint I planted near by. So I went and bought 2 tomato plants. They are holding up. One had tiny tiny buds while the other is definitely flowering. One is a cherry tomato plant and the other is a Big Boy.

Cherry Tomatoes



Big Boy Tomatoes



After finding the tomatoes I found strawberry plants. I really thought it was too late to grow these but since the nursery had them I bought two and crossed my fingers. Last week it was really hot and I guess I was not watering enough because the leaves started to dry out. We have now doubled the water they get and they seem to be coming around.





Lastly, we have 4 cucumber plants. I am not sure we will ever see cucumbers but we have enjoyed seeing them grow. I think the growing season for them will end before we actually get any.








The 2nd to last cucumber is being eaten by something. This bottom one shriveled up today. I don't understand why!



We planted some herbs but NONE have turned out. We will try them in containers next. However, we are not discouraged. We plan on getting manure, fertilizer, and lots of top soil and raising our beds for fall. We want to try spinach, carrots again, potatoes, Echinacea, broccoli, blueberries and we will see what else I find to try out.

Bee Study

Baby peep and I have been slowing working through a bee lapbook. I did not think he was getting much out of it but one day while reading about the hive he pulled out some manipulatives and built the following:


Middle Peep just had to join the fun as well!