Day 22 / 104 - Abstract Canvas

Over the years, I've 'pinned' many schooling ideas on Pinterest with little to no hopes of ever completing the activity.

However now that my daughter plays around on the site some, she has quickly reproduced several ideas.  On Saturday, she painted this canvas after viewing the pictures from this pin.  In fact, I don't even think she visited the website giving her directions.

Perhaps ten-year-old girls are the only ones who actually have the time to complete Pinterest ideas.

Day 21 / 104 - North America, Greater Antilles, and Lesser Antilles

Remember when I said my son and I are studying Geography this year, so expect lots of drawn maps?

This week, we are finishing up North America including Central America and the Greater and Lesser Antilles.  Because of many years of memory work, he has discovered the easiest way for him to remember the locations of many tiny islands is to create silly mnemonic sentences.  He needs to be familiar with seven islands in the Greater Antilles and eleven in the Lesser Antilles.  I only know those numbers off the top of my head because of our mnemonic sentences.

We move on to South America next week.

Day 20 / 104 - The Lower New

In our 28 months of residing in southern West Virginia, our son has now become the first among us to paddle down the New River in a raft.  He headed out over the weekend with his scout troop, and he spent Saturday rafting the 9 miles and the 25 rapids of the Lower New River. 

He had a blast!

[And, another added benefit of scouting, his entire weekend cost a fraction of what an individual pays for just the half-day raft trip!]

Day 19 / 104 - Just Hangin' Around

Saturday afternoon, my daughter enjoyed another painting canvas class at the Blackbird House. 

She has affectionately named the raccoon, Bandit.

Day 18 / 104 - "I Looked It Up!"

If you visit this blog regularly, you are certainly aware that my goal has never been to teach my children subjects.  Instead, it has been to teach them how to learn for themselves.  Therefore, my favorite words to hear from my children are:  "Mom.  I looked it up."

My son is diligently studying United States Geography this week.  One of his assignments was to locate, draw, and label 41 US rivers.  Independently, he completed this assignment.  At some point yesterday afternoon he hollered at me across the kitchen:

"Mom.  The Missouri River is one mile longer than the Mississippi.  I was curious, so I looked it up."

It's like music to my ears.

Day 17 / 104 - Field Day

Last Friday, our county-wide homeschool support group hosted their annual Field Day.  We had heard fantastic reviews of their Field Day since moving to Beckley, however our schedule had yet to permit us to attend.  Fortunately this year, we experienced it in all it's greatness.

The day's theme was the Civil War, which is perfect for our US History study this year.  80+ students were divided into the Union and the Confederacy, and all events had a Civil War twist to their competition.

I do think I have to go on record stating my favorite part about the entire day was the sportsmanship shown by the students regardless of their ages.  There was quality teamwork and competition.  Everyone seemed to have a blast.

Day 16 / 104 - American Girls Play School

Last week, while my 10-year-old daughter wasn't in school, she independently crafted an entire doll school room out of a cardboard box that once held our grill.  Seriously.

Some of the accessories she already had.  Others she crafted up specifically for school use.

I wish I was a better photographer, because I really do not think my pictures do this justice.  It is simply the coziest and most colorful classroom ever. 

My daughter might actually possess the skills to one day design her own home out of a cardboard box (and not the kind you might find under the bridge).

Day 15 / 104 - O Canada

I have mentioned before (and I will surely be mentioning it again) that one of the subjects my son is studying in depth this year is Geography.  Hopefully, by the end of the year, he will have a strong grasp on where every country in the world is located.

We began our Geography journey in Canada, and he has spent the last two weeks learning the provinces, their capitals, major bodies of water, and other landmarks and features of our northern neighbor.  In order to master the locations we have identified with our atlas, he has drawn the map and labeled the locations.  Then, he has redrawn the map and labeled the locations.  Then, he has done it again.  And, again.  Everyday for the past two weeks, he has drawn a map similar to the one pictured above.

Tomorrow, in his Geography seminar, he will attempt to draw this map and label all that he can from memory.

[Expect to see a plethora of maps posted on this blog this year.]

Day 14 / 104 - Washington, D.C.

We're only a little over four hours away from our nation's capital.  For Labor Day weekend, we traveled again to this great city for the third time in the two years we've lived in Beckley.

Primarily, we visited in hopes of seeing the National Zoo's baby panda, Bao Bao.  My daughter is fascinated with pandas (something that has shown up on this blog several times).  We've watched Bao Bao via the zoo's panda cam for the past 10 months.  Sunday morning, after watching her napping in her favorite tree, Bao Bao woke up, climbed down, and joined mom in the air conditioned viewing area.  Smart girl.