Snow Day Fun and Science Saturday
The weather here in Missouri has been a little crazy for the past few weeks….ice, rain, snow, ice, more ice, snow again. It has made for an exciting time not knowing if events will be cancelled due to the weather or not. So how have we been passing the time?
Heathen Dad had fun pulling the kids up and down the hill in our backyard. Well he had fun until he went splat while running down the hill. Too bad I missed getting a picture of him going splat.
The kids (read Heathen Dad did much of the work) built a wonderful snowman in the front yard. It has been fun watching him melt. My son had fun coming up with ideas of how to slow down the melting process, but alas in the end Mr. Snowman is starting to look like some sort of abstract art piece made of snow.
How can a snowy day be turned into a day of science fun? Oh my goodness, the possibilities are endless! Here are just a few ideas…..
Examine snowflakes: Put a piece of dark colored construction paper in the freezer to chill. We typically use black paper for more contrast. Once the paper is cold, place it outside when it is snowing. The paper will collect snowflakes and you will be able to closely examine the flakes. We take out magnifying glasses to look at the structure of the flakes.
Experiment to see which turns to steam first when heated – snowflakes or crushed ice. My daughter came up with this idea. She was so proud of herself for coming up with a chemistry experiment. 
We placed an equal amount of snow and crushed ice into pans and placed them on the stove. Pretty easy experiment.
Construction with snow: My son wanted to build in the snow, but alas, it was not good building snow. This resulted in him deciding to research why snow is sometimes powder-like and other times will be great for building and snowballs. He learned a lot about weather in a short period of time.
People often tell me that they have problems fitting science into their homeschool routine. Science is everywhere. Turn a snowy day into a science lab. The activities will probably encourage research that will continue long after the snow is gone.
Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday is dedicated to the moms today who couldn’t believe that I do in fact have an adult beverage from time to time. Now I’d never go as far as giving up reading. I have too much of a book problem to do that, lol!
Oh where, oh where has Heathen Mom gone?
Seems like this has been a reoccurring theme for my blog a few times a year. Hopefully this is the last time such a post is ever written.
So where have I been for the last few weeks? I was just away from my blog doing a lot of thinking and being busy offline. I have been doing a lot of thinking about what I want to come from my online life here at Heathen Homeschoolers.
I have been discouraged by the lack of support I have felt in some areas when it comes to homeschooling. It was one of those, I really didn’t think Heathen Dad understood everything I did type of problems. I struggled with the first session of the new semester for our academic group where I was just teaching rather than being in a leadership position. I wanted to continue to give my friends in leadership the support they needed while still removing myself from the role. Boy was that a tough day – but in the end I think I still have those ladies as friends – hope so.
Word about my blog also spread in our local group. It seemed a little weird to write when I had people who were “shocked” to find out about my blog. Some of the people who initially were shocked by the name (always pays to read the “define Heathen” page) came back to me and apologized for being so harsh with their initial comments. They realized there was useful information here.
To top it all off, I’ve spent the last couple of weeks sick – UGH! I hate being sick. I am not a good “sick person”. I’m glad I don’t get sick too often. The good news is the medicine is finally starting to help and I think the risk of head explosion is now low.
I let other people get in the way of the excitement I felt back in December when I wrote about having more time for my blog. I let those negative thoughts eat away at my confidence and felt like it didn’t matter if I took yet another break from my blog.
This weekend I realized something…..
MY BLOG DOES MATTER!!!!
That’s right folks – the self confidence has been located again. Hehehe
There are Heathen Homeschoolers all over the world. Many of whom live in an area like I do where choosing to homeschool for academic reasons is not considered the norm. Not only does writing here help me, it helps all of us Heathen Homeschoolers to connect. That connection is so important – just knowing that you aren’t the only Heathen Homeschooler in the world is a wonderful feeling.
So what’s coming up for Heathen Homeschoolers you ask……
The forums that have been sorely neglected will be officially opened this month. Watch for an announcement after I have updated things on the forums. Have to get it all nice and pretty for my fellow Heathens.
More posts….that’s right folks….more posts…..It is a snowy wonderland here in Missouri right now. I’ll be posting snowy day activities this week.
If you are in Missouri – send me an email if you are planning to go to any conferences this spring. I’ll let you know if I’m going to be at them. I would love to meet some other homeschoolers.
Someone might be looking into planning an activity or two for later this year in Missouri. Shhh, don’t jinx it. Details are still being worked out.
Anyone on Second Life? I’ve been asked to speak at an education conference this year that will be in Second Life. Yeah, I’m a dork…… No really, online conferences are great. No travel expenses, lol!
I am writing a book – well kinda. It’s more of an activity idea book. Details coming later.
You will notice a few changes on the blog. I will no longer be offering the free/almost free advertising through the networks I was using. I want to get rid of that traffic so I can see how many people actually come to my blog for the articles. Shameless plug alert – I will still be offering advertising space. If you would like to advertise on the blog or forum please send me an email.
If you plan to be at BlogHer 10 in NYC, be sure to pay attention to announcements here at Heathen Homeschoolers before the conference. I’m going to have a homeschool meet-up the night before the main conference. Homeschoolers know how to party you know
The last several months have reminded me of an important lesson my daddy taught me long ago. I will no longer let the negative thoughts of others dictate what I do in my own life or on my own blog
Fine…he never said blog, but come on, I’m in my thirties – blogs didn’t exist back when I was little.
Thoughtful Thursday
“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” ~ John Wooden
Do you know your state law?
It always seems like there in a big increase in the number of questions about starting to homeschool this time of year. Many people decide to begin their homeschool journey at the beginning of a traditional semester (August or January). I am often asked where to start the homeschooling journey by new homeschooling moms. I always have the same answer….you need to start by learning about the homeschool laws in your state. The laws vary so much between states – some states have no requirements at all while others require pre-approval of curriculum choices.
So just how does a new homeschooler find out about state laws? It is actually quite simple…if you google “Missouri department of education” (Just replace Missouri with the state you live in) you find the website of Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (MO DESE). A simple search on the department’s site will help you to find the homeschooling requirements for your state.
It is also important to pay attention to any changes of the homeschool laws within your state. The requirements in Missouri changed just slightly recently.
If you haven’t reviewed the requirements for your state this year, I encourage you to take another look at the homeschool laws for your state.
Wordless Wednesday – Introducing Spot v1.0
Today’s Wordless Wednesday is brought to you by my son. Meet Spot – My son’s first programmable robot. Spot will return to the blog later once he has been programmed.
Snowy Day Fun with Expo Markers
I don’t know about everyone else, but both of my kiddos love Expo markers. It is so fun to create masterpieces, take a picture, erase and repeat. My children also use Expo markers for more academic pursuits – my youngest loves to write letters and my oldest likes to do math equations on marker boards. Gee, writing that makes it sound like we have a bunch of geeks living here. So other kids don’t do math for fun? Shhh, don’t tell my son.
Have you ever heard of the Kids In Need Foundation? It is an organization that provides free school supplies to students in the most need. Expo and many other companies donate products to help ensure these children have school supplies. Individuals can also make cash donations which allows more products to be given to needy students. According the the Kids in Need Foundation website, for every $500 donated, they are able to obtain $12,500 in school supplies. Please visit the “Ways you can help” page of their site for more information about donating.
The Kids in Need Foundation has Resource Centers in select cities in the United States. In Missouri there is one in St. Louis. The center services more than seventy St. Louis area schools with over 90,000 students eligible for services. While centers like this only service public school students, I still feel that it is a worthwhile cause to support. Giving to others is a trait that I hope will always be in the hearts of my children.
I received an email before Christmas about using Expo products as homeschool tools. I was asked if I would like to try out a few Expo products. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance. After all, I really should have stock in the markers as many as my kids go through in a year.
If you missed the weather report I sent earlier today via Twitter (you really should be following me if you missed it) it is really cold here in Missouri. We were stuck inside today due to the weather. While Heathen Dad braved the cold (and shoveled snow) to bbq some turkey burgers, I decided to break out the box of Expo items we were sent.
The kids were so excited to open the box. Please tell me that my kids aren’t the only ones out there to get excited about new markers. My daughter grabbed the sixteen pack because of “all the pretty colors”. She made a couple of drawings that she just had to see on my blog. When she saw the pack of click retractable markers she was even more excited. Using those took away the one thing she doesn’t like about markers – putting the lid back on. Her only request is that we find a retractable set with more colors. My son had to draw with the fluorescent markers. We decided to use our black marker board to write about my blog Snowy day + Expo markers = FUN evening of drawing
I would like to thank Garfield Group for sending the Heathen family three sets of Expo markers and a cleaning cloth to try out. I am glad that they contacted me with information about the Kids in Need Foundation. It is always nice to find another way to help others.
HELLO 2010
Ahhh January…..a new calendar….new possibilities….changes….hopes.…dreams.…you know all the usual thoughts that run through your head on January 1st.
As the first day of the new year is quickly coming to an end, I am considering what my goals for the year should be. I accomplished many of my goals for 2009, but a few will carry over into the new year. To try to make myself a little more accountable (aka trying to not have to carry over as many goals to next year) I have decided to post some of my 2010 goals here on my blog.
Homeschooling Goals
1. More organization. This will be easier when #2 is met. If you know me in real life, you know that I am pretty organized when it comes to homeschooling. I just really want all the stuff (paint, paper of all types, stickers, etc) to have a home in one room.
2. Complete the “laboratory” so we have a centralized location for all of the stuff that goes along with homeschooling. Currently we have supplies stashed in pretty much each room of the house. The laboratory is a room in the basement that we are going to finish. We will have cabinets to store supplies so I can have my closet back
Other Goals
1. Finish the basement. ATTENTION Heathen Dad: Skip ahead to #2 so you don’t have $$ in place of your lovely blue eyes as you think about pricing of what I am about to type. OK, now that he is not reading…..We bought our house because the main floor is the size of a normal house, but the house also had an unfinished basement that will give us extra room. I want to finish the basement in 2010. This will give us the laboratory (for kid stuff), a bathroom for the basement area, a family room and a geek cave (hey Heathen Dad has to get something out of the deal, lol). Did I mention that we are planning to do the remodel as a series of weekend projects? Oh and we have never hung drywall? Yeah, that’s right….be prepared for some funny stories as this project goes along.
2. Start to learn French. A girl can dream of going to Paris, but I’ll be ready in case I really get to go sometime in the near future. Le Cordon Bleu….Hint-hint dear, sweet Heathen Dad.
3. Exercise…Now before you say, “yeah right Heathen Mom”, hear me out….If you have read my blog for long you know that I have a kidney disease (PKD). The beginning of a new year is reminding me that I am not getting any younger and I was diagnosed with PKD several years ago. I have decided that I need to exercise so I will be at a healthier weight before my kidneys go kerplop. Kerplop is a highly scientific word that means the same as end stage renal failure, but doesn’t sound so scary. I have decided to commit to exercising at least three times per week. I am going to do some time on the wii fit before the kids get up in the morning and we are going to take longer nature walks.
4. Here is the big one….I am going to blog more. Writing about homeschooling is something that I love doing. Be on the look out for more posts about the hows and whys of heathen homeschooling.
There we go folks. Some of my 2010 goals out there for all the world to see. Let’s hope that you guys aren’t laughing at me this time next year. Wish me luck!
Happy New Year from Heathen Homeschoolers
I can’t believe this year is almost over. It seems like the years fly by quicker now that I am an adult. 2009 has had its ups and downs just like any year. My family had many fun adventures this year and we are looking forward to what 2010 has in store for us.
I hope everyone has a fun and safe New Year’s Eve. We will be hanging out at home having a family party until the wee hours of the morning. It should be lots of fun. The kids are looking forward to bubbly apple juice, pizza, movies and silly dancing.
Zhu Zhu Pet Giveaway
A few months ago I was able to have a Zhu Zhu party locally and give away some of these cute little hamsters thanks to BSM Media. Zhu Zhu Pets are hard to find this holiday season. I have an extra that I am giving away to a lucky reader here at Heathen Homeschoolers.
Entering to win is easy:
1. Leave a comment on this post.
2. Follow me on twitter and leave a comment on this post.
3. Tweet the following and leave a comment on this post.
Are you searching for a Zhu Zhu Pet? @HeathenMom is giving one away. Enter at http://heathenhomeschoolers.com/?p=623 Good luck!
4. Blog about the give away (be sure to provide a link to this post) and leave a comment on this post.
The fine print: You cannot leave consecutive comments. Please let someone else post between your comments. The winner will be picked using a random number generator tomorrow (December 22, 2009). I will contact the winner for shipping information 12/22/09. Delivery by Christmas is not guaranteed, but I will ship using priority mail to help speed things along.
Good luck to everyone!
RESULTS – Thanks Random.org
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
3
Timestamp: 2009-12-23 01:54:03 UTC
Congrats to Eryn! I will be emailing you tonight for your shipping info. Thanks to everyone who entered. I will be having more drawings soon.