H is for Local History

I drive my kiddos crazy and my hubby too.  I love learning about and visiting historical places. It's amazing sometimes what is in our own backyard.

We are from the Great state of Ohio.  Did you know that:

• There have been 7 presidents from Ohio.
• The first ambulance service was established in Cincinnati in 1865.
• Cleveland had the first traffic light in America.  August 5, 1914

There are tons of facts you can find on the 50 states website.

Ohio is FULL of historical sites.  So we are trying to visit as many as we can over the next year or so.  One of our first stops was the Rutherford B. Hayes Home.

Rutherford B. Hayes was the 19th president of the United States.  He lived with his uncle and mom at Speigel Grove, which is located in Fremont, Ohio.

He lived there with his wife Lucy also.

These gates were actually at the White House.  They were donated and been used at Speigel Grove.

There were only so many places we could take pictures.

 This was a gift to President Hayes.

White House China cabinet.

 Some of Lucy's dresses.

 Campaign banner

So how do you find local historical places to visit?

I just "Google" it.  I searched Ohio History.  Ohio has a huge Historical society that has listed for historical markers, sites and a ton of information so we are pretty fortunate.  Most states have similar organizations.

We are also fortunate that our Ohio Historical Society offers a family membership card, similar to a family zoo park pass.  For an annual fee, we can visit all the Ohio Historical Society sites for free.  The membership is tax deductible and they even give an educators discount.  We definitely earned our money back on this one.

So don't forget that field trips go beyond the zoo, check out your local history and how it's being preserved.

E is for Evolve

Evolve - develop gradually, especially from a simple to a more complex form

I have decided that I need to de-volve.  We have many challenges that face our family on a daily basis.  All of our children have unique special needs that need to be met.  Some days there are very few waves and then other days I feel like I have been hit by a hurricane.  

One of the areas that I see lately that has become like a hurricane is our schoolwork.  Our oldest daughter has been an emotional roller coaster lately.  The mention of schoolwork sends her into a fit.  So I have been racking my brain to see why.  I have tried having conversations with her, but she would say there's nothing wrong.

Well recently Joe and I started an online server for Minecraft and it has been taking a lot more time than I bargained for.  Although he tries to help, Joe has been really busy with work and there are just some things he cannot do...I have to.  So I openly admit that we have been gradually switching to textbook learning more and more each week.  It was easier for me to plan.  Two of our kids like that style, but Lydia and Caty are not loving it.

So I have decided that I need to de-volve, since I want to adjust from complex to simple.  I finally got a little talk in with Lydia about what she would like to do.  Of course she said she wants to start learning more about animals.  

I decided to see if this works.  So now I am going to take on the challenge of planning out new lessons for her over the next few weeks that center around animals.  Last night I ran over to the local bookstore (we are on another trip), and I dug through shelves trying to find books on animals and cats for her.  

I came up with this temporary fix to keep her steadily improving on her reading and writing skills.  It's got a long way to go, but I need her working with the materials to see what she wants and likes and what I need to adjust.

So I won't give on math.  We just do that a little different.  We are working on topics with and without worksheets in this area.  Also going to use games to keep the learning continuing.

So this week, we played Boggle.  I hadn't attempted this game with her yet, but she has greatly increased her vocabulary and spelling skills playing a game called Animal Jam online.  She is also learning more using the Chatbox in her Minecraft game.  She has a notebook she writes down words in that she doesn't know or wants to remember.  It cracks me up, but it works for her.

I bought her a cool notebook she would like to keep as a daily journal.  

 Yesterday we saw a movie on Great White Sharks.  I told them to remember 3 facts from the movie.  When we got back to the hotel, we attached her movie stub and then worked on the 3 facts.

 The day before she read about giraffes in the animal book, and did a short paragraph about them.  

I also have a page a day we are doing in this book to help her with her spelling skills.  She whines, but then as soon as she realizes how she knows the answers she gets very excited.

This is the book that she is working on reading.  A HUGE difference in the past few months.  

It'll be a journey to go from complex to simple, but if it's what she needs to keep a love of learning.....that just shows another reason we homeschool.  

Have you looked at what's not working for your child lately?  

Linking up with other moms at Blogging Through the Alphabet.

D is for Elliot Daingerfield - North Carolina Artist

For our artist studies, We are going to combine art and state geography.  So we are going to look at an artist in each state and look at what inspired them, their technique, and what mediums they used.

For North Carolina, we looked at Elliot Daingerfield.....

Elliott Daingerfield, was born in Harper's Ferry, Va., the son of Captain John Elliott Daingerfield and Matilda Wickham DeBrau Daingerfield. The family moved to Fayetteville in 1861 after President Jefferson Davis appointed his father to command the arsenal there and to serve as paymaster for Confederate troops. Despite financial losses suffered by his family as a result of the Civil War, Daingerfield was educated at private schools in Fayetteville and instructed by a tutor until he was twelve.

In 1880 he moved to New York to study art.  He became an instructor at the National Academy of Design. In 1884 he moved to the Holbein Studios, where he made the acquaintance of artist George Inness. The two men became good friends and Inness gave Daingerfield much advice on style and technique. In later years, Daingerfield credited Inness with having taught him the technical use of color and light, often regarded as the hallmark of his work. After Inness's death, Daingerfield wrote his friend's biography, George Inness: The Man and His Art (1911).

In the summer of 1886, Daingerfield traveled to Blowing Rock to recuperate from a severe case of diphtheria contracted during the previous winter. This proved to be a turning point in his artistic development as he was enchanted by the North Carolina mountains and made them the subject of many of his paintings. Also, it was the beginning of his long devotion to Blowing Rock where he maintained summer homes for the rest of his life: 

Windwood, his second residence, was completed in 1900; Westglow, his third, was built in 1916.

The girls and I looked at some pieces of art that he done....

He favored Grandfather Mountain and the Blue Ridge area as inspiration.  So the girls and I talked about our backyard and how it was kind of plain. Then I sent them outside with instructions to draw something in the backyard....but make it seem a little better...lol..

Here is Lydia's picture....This is the tree behind the pool....she wasn't enthusiastic about doing art that day.  So she added an owl, which we do not actually have living in our tree.  She said an owl would make everything better.

Caty was drawing our pear tree in a mud slide.  I need to start watching how much world news she watches...lol.

They used watercolor crayons for this project.  Daingerfield used pencils, watercolors and then oils also.  We really....really....really LOVE watercolor crayons.  They are a great investment and the kids love how they can change the look of their art so easily.

Linking up with other moms at Blogging through the Alphabet.

B - Big Field Trip Appeal

Thinking outside the box……Life learning……Living History……..how do most homeschoolers teach this?  One of our favorite ways of doing this is …. a field trip.

Our kids used to get excited when I said field trip.  Now they cringe…..they seriously say, “Do we HAVE to go?”  As homeschoolers, there are so many opportunities for learning.  I love planning field trips for our local groups.  I dig and dig through area websites looking for unique opportunities.  I also have several people that send me ideas.  I even watch a show on our local PBS channel about area attractions to get ideas.  I do this work though, because going to fun places to learn is always more fun with friends.

Planning field trips entails a lot of work of planning and organizing.  I start out researching by scouring websites for unique opportunities.  I also look at a list of suggestions that people have given me.  I have been known to spend a few hours scouring websites.  Then there’s phone tag with the place I am thinking of setting up a trip too.  Tracking attendance and ages of the attendees.  Some places cap the attendance, some only allow certain ages, some want the admission fee collected early and the list of questions never ends. 

I have been a little too relaxed lately on these matters.  I guess I have gotten a little burnt out because of some issues lately.  After thinking about it, I decided that I need to reach out to the homeschooling community.  To implore to you and see if these issues are something that you all are feeling and see if we can change things to make them better.

The biggest issue that I have experienced lately is last minute cancellations. 

This wouldn’t bother me so much, except they wait until the morning of the trip to decide they are too busy.  Didn't they realize a week ago that their children have sports practice at the same time or they are going on vacation the day after the field trip and they might be running behind. (These are all hypothetical by the way.)  This is frustrating because when you need to verify a set number of attendees and have already called totals into the field trip location it produces a bad situation with the field trip location.  They bring in extra help to handle a specific number of students.  When a group shows up with drastically less numbers, we as a group look unappreciative of the location's efforts to help us and a complete disrespect for the docents' efforts and time.

Another issue with field trips is people that just do not show up.  

They respond, and are counted in the totals.  The group waits and waits at the location and the tour starts late because we waited for them.  This affects both our group’s time and the docents' time.  It creates a real inconvenience for everyone involved.  Again remember most places have brought in extra people.  Then they are standing around and have nothing to do.  I always feel so bad and apologize profusely for those that didn’t show.  

Please also if you are responding to a field trip calendar, check the location and time, and payment options if there are any.  Some places require one-payment, and not multiple ones.  Bring exact change.  Dealing with large groups and collecting payments is a bit stressful.  Please do not heap more stress on the person planning the trip.   Location is important.  If you don’t like to drive long distances, please do not respond.  Mapquest or Google map the location to check and see if it’s even a possibility. 

We all live busy lives.  As homeschoolers though, I feel like we overlook and take things for granted.  We are very fortunate to have many “outing” opportunities.  I actually need to really look at the calendar carefully before making a commitment now.  I can very easily overbook myself.  I have to catch myself before I respond to the calendars, and really look at my week and see if the activity will work out for the kids and me.

I have had to cancel a few things last minute lately and I feel horrible.   I personally know how much work is put into field trips, and I feel like I have wasted that planner’s time.

But I am making a conscious effort to make sure to respect those outing planners and their time.  I ask you fellow homeschoolers, would you please show respect for your field trip planner’s time also?? 

Before you respond to an invite:

• Check your schedule and look to make sure that you can attend or want to attend.  
• Check the location.  
• Check if there is a fee  

Write these things on your calendar so that you can budget for the trip better.   Respond to the person posting the event with how many students and adults will be attending.  If payment needs to be mailed, get it done ASAP.

Last minute illness and family emergencies do happen.  We all know that, and that is not what I am referring too.   But please think twice before you cancel last minute on a field trip for reasons other than these.  How would you feel if you spent the time planning and making arrangements and was left standing apologizing to a group of docents? 

Linking up with other moms at Blogging through the Alphabet....