Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Assessments

     I'm always at a loss at what testing I should do, if any, (school wise this is) for the kids since it isn't required by the state. The curiosity finally killed the cat and I found some free printable "previous years" tests - mostly for the girly - because I want to know where she is and what we still need to focus on and what her weaker points on before she moves on. While I was printing these 9000 pages, Boy is watching the printer (because it does that nifty pull the paper back in and print on the back thing) and starts getting mad. He explains that HE wants one too. The boy is mad because I wasn't going to make him take a several subject assessment test. Guess who is now..?? Eh.. It's really all the same, I just don't understand the desire. He's still over eying the one I've already printed.


   Oh, the other day when I turned the frogs light on, several were out just playing in the water!




Because some days we sit around and watch frogs all day. *shrug* What can I say..

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Sunday, Sunday...Oh what a daaaaay...

    Anyhow. Turns out we have a grand total of 12 to 13 frogs from our tadpoles! Considering they arrived via USPS in a tiny little box, sealed tight in a baggie, with 2 already eaten, we think this is a HUGE success! I'll see if I can get some pictures of the cute little buggers this week. They are surprisingly agile. The other day we got them some tiny little crickets when we went to the local pet store (no, not the kind that sell the mill puppies.. The kind that just sell dog food you silly people. We just buy frogs in zip lock bags, not dogs too.) Several of these eensy tiny little frogs ate these crickets the same size as themselves. It was awesomely hilarious, especially the one that laid wedged down in the rocks and you could almost hear him grunting the *I'm so fullllll I'm soooo fuuuuuulllll* Um.. not that we sat and watched this on a Saturday as our primary entertainment. Nope. NEVER. Next time, I'll get the wingless fruit-flies the guy said they also have sometimes so hopefully Hoppy won't be so bloaty.

So this Co-op thing. Turns out if you put more than 10 women is 1 place all havoc breaks out. So. Instead of 1 big group, it's splitting into what appears to be 3. The original group, a group of slightly older kids, and a group branch that the gal described as "unschoolers". Since the original group was a little too original for me and we are SO not "unschoolers" in any fashion, I got in touch with the gal who is going to be doing the organization for the older kids. (Not teenagers, but not so young they aren't even in school yet. You know, kids of homeschool age.) Anyhow, I talked with her and while there are many details to be worked out yet (small details like: times, places, people, events.. You know.. Small tiny details..) these items aren't fixed like they are with the "original" group which is nice in some ways too. I'm honestly not sure what kind of odd Drama broke out after that first meeting the other day. But I do want to point out *I* had nothing to do with it! Nothing AT ALL. Ok. Probably anyhow.  Most likely. Yeah. I was quiet the WHOLE meeting for the most part. See I can behave myself!


I don't think I've posted since the Dog Bite. (It's such an even it gets capitol letters even!) Last Friday the 2 stupidest puppies ever, were out playing and the Great Pyrenees got it's lower jaw caught on the Beagle's collar.  Beagle got stuck. Very, Very stuck. As I was trying to unclip his collar, he bit my thumb. HARD. Clamp down, not let go, hard. C is there and he starts to pry the dog's jaw open (and his fingers got a wee bit nipped) so I can get it out and as soon as he does the stupid Beagle grabs on to my other arm and start biting it repeatedly.  I get the now bleeding hand around his mouth enough to pull it shut and hold it while C works on getting the collar unclipped (it was a buckle collar). Yeah. So a trip to the Urgent Care, 10 days of antibiotics, a Tetnus shot, and what now appears to be long term nerve damage in that thumb. Not to mention the nail is starting to get gross and shred because it's still bleeding underneath it (yes, still 9 days later). So the nail may still fall off. *sigh*

It's never boring here I tell ya, NEVER.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Back to School Time

    For public school anyhow. We do year round school. Back to school time means friends that go to "Big School" (public or private schools) are going to be sadly missing from weekday playdates. 1 & 2 are sad because we have a few staple friends we see regularly they adore and see less of and there's a lot less of the "Hey wanna play?" going on. The good news is Back to School clearance Sales in about a week. They LOVE those because I let them pick out pretty much as much art supplies, writing implements, markers, notebooks, clearance clothes and whatnots they want. 75% off! WOOT.. We also get the added benefit of having an Back to School party with them because we're all down with any reason to party.

This year I've found a new homeschool group. I'm also going to look into a new co-op I've found that meets 2 times per week and is free of fees except supplies when *I*  would be leading (which is - from my understanding 4 times per year with another person so.. 2 times a year? ) and parental involvement is wanted on the days you aren't leading which is more ideal that some other co-op setups (for these 2)  I've seen. I'm going to a "Mom's Planning Meeting" next week where I'll hopefully find more out about it, but the consistency of a group like that with the same people, a familiar routine but with new people teaching the kids new things *I* would never think of is somewhat appealing. People like that tend to do crafts and stuff that I abhor. I don't know if it's going to work out, but it has potential so I'm gonna give it a whirl. Plus, it may be a good way to find wee boy some more "boy" friends. He's a little too comfortable answering to the term "Hey, Girls! Stop!" whenever we go out with friends.

Girl Scouts starts again soon too. It wee girl has really enjoyed it so far. I think she's finally settling in with this group of girls even though she is by far the youngest and smallest. She's on par with reading, writing, and other academic skills and at the end of last year she told the girls she's got Aspergers - though I don't think any of them get it. (And really, why would they? The oldest girls are 9.) This year one of our *goals* is to ask for help. When she gets confused by what people say - which happens a lot - she tends to just stand there and be confused. So we've talked about how when she is confused about a game, a phrase, what's going on - to just ask. Maybe pick a friend or 2 (she's got a couple of good ones in there that are just fantastic girls) what something means. The other girls won't care, they're beginning to realize she's a little different and like most little girls when they've been around someone for a while, just ignore it.


The boy working on typing!



We turned the fish tank into a frog/tadpole tank. I ordered 15 tadpoles from Ebay (yeah, who would have thought??) and they arrived via Fedex a few days later. Oddly, only a couple got eaten and the rest have been turning into successful little frogs!

Our tadpole turning into a frog.