Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia

We stopped at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Savannah during our recent visit.  It is a must for the older kids and adults alike.  The historic significance of the building and the beautiful architecture wowed us.

Hiking Linville Falls

The boy and I ventured up the mountain to Linville Falls.  I am so fortunate to have a great hiking buddy!  This hike is moderate according to the park service.  The terrain isn't bad.  The path is wide and easy to navigate, but it is uphill for the majority of the hike.  I recommend taking plenty of water and pace yourself if you are not an avid hiker.

The hike to the upper falls is nice and easy.  We did this hike on two occasions.

The hike to Chimney Top view and Ewrin's view is uphill!  The views were well worth the climb.

The hike along Dugger Falls is nice and quiet.  We enjoyed this little jaunt.

What is a typical homeschool day now the kiddos are older?

Our home school journey continues to morph as the kiddos grow older.  They are developing their own path for their future and I have evolved to support their journey.  Our homeschooling style has become more and more to resemble unschooling in the past seven years.  Although, I do have a bit of structure in some things we do, we would be considered eclectic in our approach and not radical unschoolers..

On days we have no morning or travel commitments we try to begin at ten in the morning.  This allows the kids to sleep in a bit and wake rested.  It also allows us to have more flexibility in the afternoon.

We begin the morning with a brief Bible reading/study.  We are working our way through the New Testament this year.

Next, we watch a documentary or movie for our American History studies.  We are loving this approach to history!

After the video, it is usually lunch time and the rest of the day is spent on their own interests.

Egee spends her afternoons working on her art.  She is wanting to pursue a career as an illustrator.  She sketches traditionally and digitally.  She makes speed art videos and spends time learning editing and voice over techniques.  She is constantly challenging herself in her pursuits.  One of her goals is to become better at watercolors.

Science takes the form of learning anatomy so that she can create realistic sketches.  Mixing paints to create different colors and hues is teaching her about chemistry.  Geometry is applied by using various shapes and perspectives as she sketches.

She is also spending time studying for her driver's permit. 

Little Man spends his afternoons fishing, jumping on the trampoline, learning new tricks, watching videos on fishing and parkour, and playing video games.

He is learning about weather affecting fishing activity, types of jigs and baits to use, identifying species of fish, and water quality.  (Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Zoology)

He is a kinesthetic learner and the hours spent on the trampoline have helped in his gross motor development.  He challenges himself to learn new flips, twists, and tricks.  (Physics)

He spends time playing his video games online with friends.  This is teaching him team building, cooperation and delegation skills, and time management.  He also learns about history in some of his games.  He is learning math skills with games that he has to earn points or money for buying equipment.  His ability to do mental math has greatly improved.

He is wanted to learn more about computers.  One of his goals is to work for the family business sooner than later.  So, I have found a college lecture course on introduction to computer science that he will be working on starting in September.  He is very excited to begin.

On days we have morning field trips or travel commitments, we skip the morning Bible readings and American History videos.  Sometimes afternoon time is interrupted and they seek those pursuits later in the evening hours.

We spend a great bit of time each month enjoying field trips.  Typically, two or three days a week are devoted to this form of learning.  Our trips are typically centered around science and history. We take  trips to the mountains or beaches, science museums, arboretums, history museums, battlefields, nature preserves, etc.   I try to tailor many of the trips to current topics of study or interest.  Other trips are discovery trips to see if an interest can be piqued.

Life is our biggest teacher! Daily living activities of grocery shopping, cooking, organization, car care and maintenance, lawn care, travel trailer upkeep, house maintenance, laundry, cleaning all play a role in our schooling life. 

I get questions about math.  I think math is the biggest fear home school parents have.  Egee is high school age, but is not studying Algebra.  She does not like math!  We have had several conversations about if she wants to pursue college.  She wants to be an artist/illustrator and doesn't want to go to college.  She understands that if she changes her mind about going, she will need to study math.  We have a plan in place if she changes her mind.

Little Man does not do formal math, yet.  I say yet because he will soon realize maths are needed for his career choice.  Once he understands it is needed and applies to his life, he will embrace it.  However, he will probably not take a typical approach to math.  He never takes the typical approach! He surprises me all the time with how he can figure out answers to mathematical questions.  His mental math capabilities and logical thinking are amazing. 

We use board games for math concepts.  They enjoy the strategy and mental math aspect.  I am always on the lookout for a fun and interesting game that strengthens a math skill!  We also use board games for history, science, and logic.  

So, our home school day is not very typical.  We go with the flow, relax, and just do life for the most part.  Our schedule is very flexible and learning never ends.  The kids understand they are lifelong learners and not nine month, class room only learners.  This type of learning will prepare them for life not tests. If needs change, we will morph to fit the need.  We love our home school life!

Totality Eclipse!

We were fortunate to get to witness the eclipse in totality!  My parents' house was in the totality zone and we traveled with friends to see this lifetime event!

I had purchased the solar glasses months before the event and became nervous with the recall Amazon issued.  I had completed hours of research finding the right pairs and luckily, it worked out for us.

We counted down the time for the 1:08pm start.  It was hot and thankfully very sunny.  An occasionally afternoon cloud would creep over, but our overall view was outstanding.

I took two pieces of white copy paper to make a crude pinhole camera.  It worked nicely.  We donned our glasses regularly to keep a status update going.  We were all amazed at how bright the sky was even when the sun was three-quarters covered.

Then the main event finally began - things started getting dusk!  Cicadas and crickets began chirping.  The birds started calling each other to roost.  The crescent patterns appeared on the ground under the trees.  The excitement built.

We stared at the event through our glasses, then the diamond ring appeared!  Glasses off and amazement of twilight thrilled us.  A little over two minutes of night during the day!

It was an event that we will not forget and that we will try to seek out again in seven years!  If you have not experience totality, you need to put it on your bucket list.  It will not disappoint!

Civil War Exploration with N.C. Company K

We decided to check out a Civil War event at the Carson House in Marion, NC.  The 22nd NC Troop, Company K was present at the event.  This group of re-enactors, though small, were very informative and friendly.  They engaged us with facts and questioned us to see what we knew about the Civil War.  These men and women took great pride in representing the Boys in Gray.  Many had ancestors that fought in the Civil War and many are veterans from other wars.  They wear their southern heritage with pride.  We enjoyed ourselves and left with a bit more knowledge about the Confederate Soldier and his life during the years of the Civil War.