I Guess This Counts as Home Ec....

I'm not really sure how to classify

 going on her first hunting trip,

 or eating her first squirrel. 

Maybe she can get some credit for taxidermy!?!

 This is definitely "Home Ec."

I am so proud of Eloise

 for teaching herself

 how to make wonderful crafts

 out of yarn.

I bought her a bunch of knit and crochet 

stuff a long time ago,

but I forgot about it.

The other day she dug it out.

After working feverishly for a couple of hours 

she excitedly presented me with a tan hat.

 Eloise wore the hat to P.J.'s, 

but decided that it fit Bro. D 

so she came home and added ears and hair.

We also took a couple of my students 

on our first official field trip of the year.

Local college students volunteered 

 at our Children's Museum

It was a science fair of sorts.

K.G. over at Absolute Hodgepodge

 introduced us to "oobleck"

but I wonder if she has ever seen what happens 

when it is placed over a vibration box.

Think worms, snakes, & primordial ooze . . .

. . . forming a conga line.

;-D

I love having my own blogs.

Science Camp...

Eloise & Her Science Teacher

contemplate the 

distillation process.

As the steam rises from the pot

it travels through the foil tube,

where it is cooled by ice.

The cooling causes the gas to return to a liquid state.

Eloise had to repeat the experiment with different liquids and record her findings.

Camp has come and gone, so Eloise fills her days with swimming, violin & piano practice, crafts, and yes...

Science Camp.

Thank You  A.L.

for patiently teaching Eloise.

Keeping it Fun....

Eloise has always been an active little thing.

It is difficult to keep up with her!

This is the first time we actually timed her...

25:37 & 31/100

minutes:seconds &100ths

(any challengers?)

When it comes to P.E.,

I never have to worry.

My girl is always on the move.

Eloise has even started

 making healthier eating choices.

I didn't tell her to do it,

she just decided that she was going to help me,

because she is aware of all the illnesses 

that we are genetically prone to.

Way to Go.

We are proud of you Eloise.

Latest Change....

Some may recall that Eloise was taking Violin for a while, then she wanted to switch her main instrument to the Cello, because there are fewer cello players and because she prefers the sound. Her conductors wife(at GNOYO) was going to teach lessons, but decided that she needed to focus on her small children, so she cancelled her classes. Initially Eloise was teaching herself some of the basics, but really needed some instruction. I haven't been able to find anybody locally, so her cello has been collecting dust. 

Fast forward ..... We recently added piano to our list of courses. She loves it. We will continue with her violin lessons as well. Our sponsors(Gran&Grandpa Corp.) are trying to get us to add drums to the mix, but I think we'll stick with what we've got for a little while.

Field Trip

Hubby Principal C. and I took Eloise to a cooking class tonight.

She is pictured above helping the chef to prepare Vietnamese spring rolls.

 Sorry, we were so busy eating that we almost forgot to take pics of the food. The Roasted Vegetable Medley was gone and this Braised Balsamic Chicken was half way finished when I realized I hadn't taken a picture. Everything was very flavorful.

Eloise had fun. We got to sample some delicious food. We also learned why San Marzano tomatoes (the ones from Italy not California) are superior in taste and better for your health.

All of this was free of charge.

A local grocery chain (ROUSES) offers these cooking classes, once a month, in some of their locations.

The idea is to raise awareness about a variety of uncommon items that the store carries. The owners realize that people are more likely to buy something if they have tasted it and know how to prepare it. 

After Class we were able to talk to Chef Nino of  Friends of Italy.

He is easy going and it's obvious he loves cooking and being with people.

We found out that his personal business is located in Houma. He said he is about 5 min away from downtown Houma. 

WELL DON'T THAT BEAT ALL!

Our Latest Science Activities....

 Changing Properties: compounds & mixtures

(i.e. Chex mix is a mixture, but this slime is a compound)

For those of you who requested the recipe, it is at the end of this post.

 In the above activity, Eloise was able to observe the alcohol separating the compound found in a Sharpie marker. Notice the two lines of pigment traveling up the strip of coffee filter in the left cup. The right cup contains only water. There was no observable change.

Below: Eloise had to build models of atoms using gumdrops.

After they were constructed, she was then able to use them to form models of Chemical Equations.

Stay tuned for more pics as we work our way through the second half of this school year.

SLIME/FLARP RECIPE


1 bottle white glue
1 tsp. Borax (powder in box by laundry soap)
food coloring (any color)
2 Large plastic Party Cups
3 wooden craft sticks (like ones in pic. above)
measuring cups & spoons
tap water

1.)measure 1/4c glue & pour into 1 of the cups.

2.)measure 1/4c water and pour in w/glue.

3.)mix w/wooden stick very well until smooth. If you wish to color your slime add a few drops of food coloring at this point and stir.

4.)In a second plastic cup measure 1c. water.

5.)add 1 tsp. borax to c. with water. Stir with new craft stick till Borax is dissolved.

6.)carefully pour the Borax solution into the glue solution stir with last clean craft stick.

note:initially the slime will be very stringy. Pick it up and squeeze/knead till some of the liquid drains out. Dump extra liquid. Repeat as needed. Store in a zip-lock bag.

living & learning,

Miss Riya & Eloise

During the Christmas/New Year holiday Eloise didn't stop working. In between shopping trips and parties, she kept up with all of her schoolwork, except science.

 Her curriculum comes with all of the tools and non-consumable items (i.e. goggles, scales, magnets, etc..), so yesterday I had to go to Wally World and gather a few things for her to catch up.

We will be posting more pics as soon as we complete some of the projects.

P.S. Eloise wanted you all to see her new messenger bag (on right w/ pink glasses). It is a Hara Juku Mini bag that she got for Christmas. She also got a shirt featuring all of the characters and two Hara Juku folders.

Living & Learning,

Miss Riya & Eloise.

Finally...Round Two

We are well into our second year of homeschooling.

 Unfortunately, I have been experiencing some technical difficulties, so I haven't posted on the school blog at all. I also haven't been very diligent about taking pics, but here are a few that I did manage to snap.

The above is our official uniform for the new year.

The pic isn't a close-up,

 so you may not be able to see the hydrangea blossoms cascading from her right shoulder.

Each cluster has a little sequin in the middle. 

It is mainly worn for outings and field trips.

I think choosing her own combination is Eloise's favorite part of homeschooling.

For math, social studies, and science we have purchased the k12 curriculum.

She loves it, therefore I love it.

Last year was difficult for several reasons,

 but I believe the switch to k12 has made a huge improvement.

The assignments are very hands on (as seen in the above photo) 

and they are a good bit more challenging.

Another thing we like is the fact that the assignments are varied. 

She logs in to her subject and reads a few screens

 that usually have illustrations, diagrams, games, and links to other resources.

 She then has to leave the computer and refer to her text books, 

do a project or experiment,

 and then do workbook pages or journal about her experiences.

She also has access to many clubs that are moderated by teachers.

 Right now she is a member of the German club, 

because she is doing Rosetta Stone German.

 Above and below: our newest student.

Miss Bianta (Bianca)

Is a part time preschool student/

full time sweetheart. 

Eloise & Bianta feeding the ducks.

Eloise at our local farmer's market.

 Above & Below: Daddy/ Daughter Field trip.

Below: our duds for the harvest party.

Now that I am able to post again, 

I will try to be more punctual.

P.S. By the time you read this I probably will have also updated my other blog.

Cake Decorating 101....

I had a little bit of icing left over from the wedding cake I recently made(see main blog), so we decided to have a family cake decorating class.

Above: Eloise is icing one of my small cake pans.

Somebody give that man a cookie! He is a genius. By placing the bag in a cup(tip down) and then pulling the bag down around the glass he created a free standing, mess free way to fill the pastry bags. Some people just pull the bag down over their hands, but these were small bags and he has big hands.

Not too shabby for his first attempt.

School Is Really Exciting....

...If you are fortunate enough to be a home schooler.

Carpentry:

Cullinary Arts:

Get the scoop on these cuties on our main blog "No Greater Joy"

(button on side bar)

Our Latest Acquisition.....

Now Eloise can put her contact lenses to good use. She loves her new microscope, but I don't think she  realizes how blessed she is. I remember my microscope. It was plastic and only had a cheap mirror as a light source. This one is the real deal. So far she has only viewed the 45 prepared slides that it came with and watched the instructions on, "How to Prepare Slides".  Hopefully next week she will be able to view her own blood cells and  skin cells!

Just A Note About Our Progress:

We have had many challenges this year. I have thought about taking a different course of action, but the benefits of homeschooling have outweighed the cost. I don't know if this will always be the case, but it is for us....for now. Most of my homeschool friends will agree that it isn't right for every family or every situation. At the moment, my daughter is growing closer to her father and I. Also,we feel that she has been afforded many opportunities that she would not have in the public school setting (i.e. swimming with dolphins, real art projects, flexibility of schedule, and hands on science). I will admit that there are days that I feel like pulling my hair out, but when I stop and think about it, I realize that I had plenty of those days during the 6 years that she was enrolled in school. Hmmm...I'd better think of a better way to vent my frustration or I'm gonna be bald before the teen years even hit! LOL.

GOD BLESS.

We can still say that, because this is our school and our blog.

Our latest P.E. project....

Eloise loves this. Unfortunately, she will now have to wait a couple of weeks to resume her studies in archery, due to her recent arm issue. Link to my main blog on the side bar for the scoop.

Field Trip Update...

In case you haven't figured it out.....

we went to a corn maze in Mississippi.

Our children young people were able to get lost, search for arrowheads, play in corn, slide, have water pump races, rope plastic steer, and pet the animals. I think the part they liked best was being able to forget their book work and hang out with their Cool Moms all day.