New Blog!

I'm starting a new blog for homeschooling: www.creatingsomethingbeautifulhs.blogspot.com. (There is a link to it on the left side of this blog.)

Why, oh, why would I do this? I have enough trouble regularly posting to one blog. How will I keep up with two blogs?

I have a few reasons for starting a separate homeschool blog. First, it makes a nice place to document our homeschool journey for my records. Pennsylvania is a pretty demanding state as far as reporting goes, so having a separate, organized place to write about our homeschool helps ME. It's like an online journal. This blog, to be honest, is quite unorganized since I didn't really know what I was doing when I started it, and I haven't been consistent about using labels and such. That makes it very difficult for me to find homeschooling posts if I want to. A fresh start for this will be good. Second, I know I have learned a lot about homeschooling by reading about the experiences of others online, so maybe I can help some others in this same way. I've had many others ask me questions about homeschooling over the years, so having a separate place to answer those questions will be good. Those people may not be interested in my general family posts, and some of those reading this blog may not be interested in reading about writing and math curricula :). Third, I've had this blog for almost six years, and I'm starting to run out of allotted storage space. So, if I start posting school-related photos there and reserve this blog for other things I can keep this one going longer.

All that doesn't answer how I'm going to keep up with two blogs when I'm not so good about posting regularly to one. So, we will just have to see how that goes. Only time will tell :). I won't be offended if you're secretly chuckling about this idea and placing bets about how long it will last!

A couple of house-keeping things. I have placed a link to the homeschool blog on this blog, but I will NOT be placing a link to this family blog on that one. As of right now, I have not created a list of favorite blogs over there, but if I do, I will only be linking homeschool-related blogs to it, so don't be offended if I don't link your blog over there. I'm trying to stay organized and keep that blog solely related to homeschool.

Another important addition...I have added a place to subscribe to both blogs via email. I know that I almost never read blogs unless I've subscribed to them and they come in my email or if I read them when they are posted in Facebook. So, maybe this will help some of you stay in touch with my blogs without having to remember to go check it.

Well, I hope you will enjoy the new format. I'm looking forward to it myself! If you're interested, head over to the new blog and tell me what you think!

 

New blog header

 

 

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Happy 8th Birthday, Matteo!

Happy Birthday, Matteo! Can you believe he's 8?!?

Matteo has enjoyed a fun birthday weekend. At first, we decided to celebrate Matteo's birthday on Sunday afternoon since Dany would be home and he would get some time to enjoy his gifts. So, on Saturday I started making his cake because I wouldn't have time on Sunday morning because of Mass. Well, our frosting for the cake was too thin and we were out of powdered sugar to thicken it. Despite moving the cake back and forth to the freezer between decorating steps, the frosting was just falling off the cake. Dany suggested that we go ahead with cake and presents on Saturday night if we wanted decent pictures with the cake. Matteo was more than happy to have cake and presents even earlier!

So, it has truly been a birthday weekend. We've enjoyed the cake leftovers and presents all the weekend. Today, we had an abbreviated school day. I let Matteo choose the content and schedule this morning and then we had a free afternoon. Matteo declared it, "The best Monday ever!"

Balloons!

 

 

 

Notice the side windows and letters sliding down the cake :)

 

 

 

Matteo just can't keep his eyes open for pictures :)

 

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Another Lost Tooth

Chiara is nearly 6-years-old. She has lost seven teeth so far. I think only one of them has made it to the tooth fairy. She has swallowed three or four of them. Normally, I'm the one who points out to her that she's missing a tooth in a conversation that goes something like this:

Me: Chiara, open your mouth. Yep, you've finally lost that loose tooth! Yay! When did you loose it? Where is it?

Chiara (after feeling around her mouth with her tongue): Oh, I did? Hmmm. I don't know, Mom. I guess I swallowed it. (Runs off to play with about as much concern as someone who had been told that the grass is still green today.)

Today she lost her seventh tooth during breakfast and proudly took it out and showed it to me. It's so rare that she gets to show off her missing tooth, so you can imagine how happy she was! About thirty minutes later she came to me and asked, "Mom, have you seen my missing tooth?" Yep, she lost it! It made it out of her mouth but not to the tooth fairy.

I suggested that she write a letter and explain the situation to the tooth fairy. She dictated her message to me and then taped a picture of herself with her toothless smile and a paper tooth on top of that (all her idea). I image the tooth fairy will treasure this letter for a long time :)

Chiara and her snaggle-tooth smile

 

 

 

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Science Fair 2013

Over the past five weeks the kids have been preparing for their first science fair, and last Thursday, the day they had been working towards finally arrived! They spent those weeks reading, experimenting, solving problems, logging results, typing research, preparing their project boards, and practicing their presentations. It was a very worthwhile experience, and they are already talking about what they want to do next.

 

Here are some pictures from the evening...

Maria setting up

 

Matteo's Project

 

Cati's Project

 

Chiara's Project

 

Matteo presenting to the judges

 

Cati presenting to the judges

 

Maria presenting to the judges

Chiara presenting to the judges

There were awards given in each grade for best display, best use of the scientific method, and best overall. All kids were given nice participation medals. Chiara won best use of the scientific method for kindergarten, Cati won best overall for grades 4/5, and Maria won best use of the scientific method for grades 7-11. We were all very surprised! I was most pleased with Matteo who kept his spirits up despite being the only one in our family not to win an award.

Awarded for their hard work!

 

Chiara was so excited about her trophy

She kept it by her side the whole next day

 

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Winter Fun

It's definitely winter here in western PA! It's been super cold and rather snowy. The kids have been enjoying the snow! Giuseppe went out to play in the snow for the first time yesterday, and he loved it! He didn't come in until I made all the kids come in before supper.

 

 

 

 

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Creative Kiddos

The kids created some cute things this week...

 

Cati learned to crochet a little more than a month ago. She made one thing following a pattern. Now she's decided she doesn't need a pattern (anyone who really knows Cati will not find this surprising - she's always been a creative, independent, marches-to-the-beat-of-her-own-drummer kind of gal). She's been creating all kinds of little critters this week on her own. Here's a small sample.

Cati and her bee

 

Bee close-up

 

A dolphin with an artificial tail as in Dolphin Tale

 

A strawberry

Elena and Chiara drew some animal pictures while looking through a library book.

 

 

 

 

 

Elena made a face with kitchen items :)

 

 

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Our Little Fashion Designer

Elena (with some help from Cati) made a dress for herself and a crown for me today :).

 

 

 

 

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