Pumpkin Patch 2009

Harmon's Pumpkin Patch 2009

Thursday morning we all met at the pumpkin patch. The kids were so excited. While we waited our turn they made good use of the time, finding praying mantis on the sunflowers. These kids love nature. The girls are not to be outdone by the boys. Our tour started ot 11:00. After the haunted hayride, we all learned a lot from Jim about agriculture. He talked about the crops grown in South Carolina. Squash, zucchini, tomatoes, gourds, corn, cotton, sunflowers and peanuts. There was a lot of good information on cotton. The different products that come from cotton. Sarah knew who invented the cotton gin. Yea. We learned how corn is pollinated by the tassels to the silk. We also learned how to prevent pollination and how to cross pollinate. Sarah was interested in the different colors of corn and how that can be done. Then it was on to the corn maze. How funny. We went back to the barn and ate our picnic lunches and tasted pumpin juice. We spent the afternoon at the playground and seeing the animals. What a perfect day to be out in nature.

Lowes 10-24-09

Up this morning and out to Lowe's. Sarah enjoys this workshop and earning her patches. What else would we do on a wet, rainy Saturday morning? Some of life's greatest joys come from taking Sarah to things that are free. There truly is no greater joy than seeing her happy. Thank you Lord for all the opportunities you have allowed me to share with Sarah.

Congaree Campfire Chronicles 10-23-09

Last night we went on the most fascinating outing imaginable. We went to Congaree National Park and participated in a living history program about the Congaree swamp history from the 1500's to the present. We started our two hour hike at 7:30 pm winding through the swamp and observing reenactments. The smudge dance ceremony of the Catawba Indians. Moving along to the escaped slaves. The desire for freedom was so great that they were willing to enter the swamp in an attempt to reach freedom. Sarah was quite taken with the Swamp Fox Militia. She had lots of questions about the Revolution. The loggers who told of fourteen hour days for fifty cents daily. Everyone enjoyed the story of corn mash becoming moonshine. Surprise...surprise. We observed hunters and fishermen. The information about how much effort went into making Congaree a protected site was interesting. Our Park Ranger was great. At the end of the tour the kids all had lemonade and roasted marshmallows at a campfire. There were several interns and park rangers since we were the last group. It was really great because they all sat and talked with the kids. They answered questions about rocks, animals, research and conservation, and being a park ranger. What a great night. It was even better because Sarah had so many of her friends there. Thank you Lord for so many unexpected blessings.

State Study 10-23-09

State study at Kari's. It is really awesome watching these kids learn together. Today we had a couple of others visiting. They just move over and welcome them. Kari and April read about the state and the kids look through various books and find important information about each state. Then they fill in their notebooks. Maryland and West Virginia. We talked about Babe Ruth, Daniel Boone, Harriet Tubman, among others.

State Fair 2009

On Thursday night I let Sarah drag me out to the fair. She took one of her friends with her. Since I love the sights, sounds, and smells of a fair it wasn't hard for her to get me to go. Just as you entered the fair they had lego booths where the kids could build things. Imagination at its best. We visited the exhibit buildings next. The Congaree Swamp was the theme this year. The sand sculpture was amazing. There was so much to see and learn. Trees are really amazing. So many animals depend on trees for their existence. The Park Rangers were on hand and answered many of Sarah's questions. We learned of a lot of programs available. We visited the crafts building next. So much talent . There were beautiful arts and crafts. We watched the marrionette show. We had learned of marrionettes earlier this week when studying about France. We saw a few other shows then on to the rides. Sarah has no fear. She will ride anything. They rode for hours. The look on her face certainly makes it worth it all.

Monday 10-19-2009

Monday was a full day and one of those days that I took no photos. We had co-op classes. What a long day. Especially after working all night on Sunday night. I love teaching the geography classes. I love the excitement of Great Britain. Even some of the children who are normally very reserved joined in yesterday. The sheep craft was so cute. Sarah has decided to do a study hall class and work on Math instead of going to art class. I made her stay in art class for 3 extra weeks before I allowed her to go to study hall instead. She is much happier now and is completing her work and that is what matters. We will add an artist study quarterly to our workload at home. After lunch we headed to Kari's for Girl Scouts. The girls decorated a hat. They only need one more project to earn their badge. The race was on to make it to Drama class on time. We did. The kids really enjoy this class. The fact that it is free is a nice bonus. I think it's important to be able to creatively express yourself. I want Sarah to have a well rounded and diverse education. She is really thriving this year and she needs that. This homeschooling group is like family and that has really helped Sarah tremendously. We ended the evening with supper at Cicis then home to bed. Thank you Lord for a good nights sleep.

State Museum 10-14-2009

On to the Dinosaurs. The kids loved the pit with the fossil of the dinosaur. Sarah's imitation of the Egyptian dance. The kids had a lot of fun in this room. Next week there is a new exhibit on Dinosaurs.

We spent some time studying the habitats of South Carolina. The kids enjoyed trying to find the different animals in each habitat. We also got to see the exhibits showing the beaks and teeth of the different animals and the uses of each. We talked about the producers, consumers and the food chain. We reviewed the carnivore, omnivore, and the herbivore. Of course we had to watch the gross movie about the decompsition of a mouse. Joy...Joy...Joy...

State Museum 10-14-2009

Today was a cold rainy day so we went to the State Museum. There was so much to see and do. We stated out in the Prehistoric South Carolina, where we learned about fossils and saw many examples of them. Sarah was very fascinated with all the different ways that they are formed. It was interesting how much she remembered from studying Ancient History andarcheology. They have a huge amethyst. Moving along to the next exhibit.

October 10th at Lowes

Saturday morning at Lowes. They are so nice to the kids. Sarah decided that her ball toss needed something.Of course, pink and purple paint. Just beautiful.

Rhode Island and Vermont

Sarah, Savannah, and Hope hard at work looking up the information. Sarah had studied during the week and knew a lot of the information. Today we made waffles and had maple syrup. Who would have guessed it takes forty gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup.

Park Day

Sarah loves park day. The kids played really well together this day. I think it's the merry go round.

Library Research Class

Sarah attended a Library Research class at the Public Library with her friends.
The Instructor showed them around the library and then taught them all how to
use the resources to locate information. The ability to research and find information
is vital to learning on your own. There is so much to learn and so little time to learn
it. The ability to research and find information allows you to learn anything you're
interested in learning.

Firefest

After Lowes we went to Camden for the Fire Fest. Lots of exhibits about fire safety. Sarah, Ben, Rachel and Aaron did the climbing wall several times. We walked around and at looked at all the different trucks and equipment. The one fireman showed and explained all the different equipment to the kids with lots of patience. The camera they all want to look through costs $12,000.00 dollars. It is used to detect people in buildings. What technology. The ability to tell the difference between the flames and people trapped in the flames.

Fire Trucks

Saturday mornings at Lowes. Building a fire truck before we head off to learn more for Fire Prevention Month.

New York and New Jersey

Friday afternoon state study. We meet with other families and study two states each week. The children range in age from six to thirteen. We have a stack of books about each state and they take turns looking up the state facts and interesting facts about each state. After filling out the sheets for their notebooks we have snack time. The snacks and crafts are about something realting to the states we studied. This week we had apple slices with caramel, peanut butter, nuts and sprinkles along with apple juice. Then the fun begins as each child uses play dough to make a Statue of Liberty model. They all did quite well. I was impressed with the creativity they each displayed. Hope did her best impression of the Statue of Liberty with her crown and torch that she wore all afternoon.

September 15, 2009 at the Zoo

Today is a sad day for Sarah and I. We will make new memories and enjoy this day. A trip to the zoo is just what we needed. See my flower. We toured the garden first and then Mom and I followed Sarah around as she ran from place to place looking at all the sites. It amazes me how much she has learned from the zoo. She loves animals and has a thirst for knowledge about them. Today we spent about forty five minutes with the Meerkats. She is crazy about them. They are very interesting. We just wondered around for the afternoon and enjoyed ourselves.