Things...

This year has been super busy. I had an operation before Christmas which really slowed my computer time down. We are in the depths of our Canadian winter and I have switched our homeschool focus back onto the books more. I really have neglected this blog and I want to change that. So I am going to start by sharing some photos of this years projects.

Kids made arrows for history using purchased arrowheads and crafting feathers.
Not as historically accurate as a real arrow I know but I didn't want the kids to hurt themselves chipping arrowheads from rocks.

For a fun quick craft the kids collaborated and made a teepee using craft sticks, brown paper and tape.
Can kids ever get through a craft without tape?

They decorated the outside of the teepee with drawings.

Craft idea for a viking ship found on a website www.looledo.com
I made my own templates for the heads and tails so they were more original.

The kids had great fun decorating the shields and playing 'Berserkers' afterward.

Viking family paperdolls added to our unit on Vikings.

In science we coloured the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's coloring book on birds.
I will say the book was extensive and we still need to finish the additonal work but after two months on birds we all needed to move on. Bird study can become very addictive.

While studying our birds we made trace maps of their ranges in North America on clear overlays.

Using Crayola's coloring pages helped us to study the provinces in Canada. We are still studying the provinces until such time as I feel they can recall them all. It is part of a year long study on Canada.

I now find myself in the depths of an even bigger project. Pulling off a new homeschool convention www.northernontariohsconvention.com is a labour of love. I want it to succeed and grow into a yearly event. It is shaping up nicely thanks mainly to the volunteers who are helping to nuture this endeavour.
As part of the convention we have decided to add a display area to showcase family projects of what homeschooling means to their families. Our family's submission is currently being worked on by myself while the kids work on lessons. When I finish my part they get to take over to see it through to completion. It has been a major distraction in the classroom as of late to see the next part I add to it. I can't share specifics just yet but will later on. Needless to say between housekeeping, project making, convention responsibilities, and life in general there is never a dull moment.

Ah yes also I have decided to start a special project with my daughter. Many years ago I found a blog post by another mom called 'Year of the Dollhouse'. In the post she described how she came up with the idea to spend the year working on a homemade dollhouse out of recycled goods with her daughter. Now she went on to say  she made something new everyday. I am not sure how practical that will be for us in our daily shedule. But I would think we can attempt weekly at least. And I intend to include a mother/daughter journal in which I will write an account of the work done on it. On the opposing page my daughter can design aspects or keep her own notes of our progress. Which reminds me I am supposed to be getting my hands on cardboard for starting it this week. So I must away and get that done.