Never Underestimate The Importance Of Creature Comforts

I'm just glad I made the list this time...

Reason #23 I'm Glad We Homeschool

Today, during 1st grade Math, we were working on word problems.

The very first problem of the day was about balls...

And the conversation went something like this:

REESE: "What kind of balls can I draw? Any kind?"

MOMMY: "Yes, you can draw any kind."

REESE: "So I can draw testicle balls?"

Perhaps this would have been his first visit to the Principal's office today! Instead, we had a silly laugh and he decided to draw tennis balls. That boy...I tell you what....sometimes he's a walking one man comedy show...

---

**Sorry for the really bad picture...my cell phone doesn't quite understand focus!**

One Week Down...

First Day of School, 2009

We've worked hard this week...

One week down, 31 to go!!

Welcome Spring!

Reese & I welcomed in Spring Monday with our friends & took a hike!

It was a perfect morning with great buddies...

Reese checks out the map to find our trail...

Gotta have a good walking stick!

OK, so behind this picture is a really nasty story.

But you don't really want to know, right?
It's seriously gross.

OK, well...
We kept finding these great owl pellets along the path.
What is an owl pellet you ask?
Owls swallow their food but cannot process the fur & bones,
So they "vomit" these leftovers formed into tight pellets.

Science supply companies sell owl pellets, and as a middle school student I got to pick an owl pellet apart. Inside are tons of bones, teeth, a skull or two. It truly is fascinating stuff to see what the owl ate!

So imagine my excitement when WE found owl pellets on our hike!

I began picking at them with two sticks...
but that was hard to pick out the bones to show the kids.
Besides, what's a little regurgitated fur & bones on your fingers before your picnic, right?

So I started picking through them with my bare fingers.
We had antibacterial wipes. We had antibac gel.
I figured I'd be clean enough to eat later.

There were certainly neat things in the owl pellets.
We found part of a skull, perhaps a mouse? It had a row of tiny teeth along the jaw.
Really neat!
We also found front teeth that maybe belonged to a rat...
some vertebrae...

I had some extra ziplock baggies with us, so I started putting the owl pellets into the bag for us to take home and pull apart more.

I could not get over how many owl pellets we were finding!

When we got home, I emailed the educational director of our hike location to ask about what kinds of owls live in the area we were hiking.

The email I got back turned my stomach.

Apparently, while there are owls around the area, what I was digging through...
with my bare fingers, right before I ate lunch...

was

COYOTE SCAT!!!!!!!!

Yes, dear friends,
Yours truly was digging into coyote crap. And I carried a bag of coyote crap home, and I split said bag of coyote crap with our friends to take home!

Owl pellets really ARE cool,
Coyote scat looks a LOT like owl pellets and are certainly
NOT COOL.

Moving on....

There were tons of footprints along the path...
A raccoon (below), deer, coyote (duh), dogs....

There were also little bones scattered here & there,

Which I did not have to dig through feces to find...

Ribs...

Our keen-eyed buddy, ER, even found some beaver teeth!

About 2/3 through our hike, we stopped by the creek for lunch....

It was a spectacular day....

Except once we got home.

Then I was just completely GROSSED out...

I won't be leading any nature hikes any time soon!

Luann

**If it's too small to read, click on the comic strip & it will open a window with a larger version!

I Will Survive

I Will Survive (the first year of homeschooling OR ANOTHER YEAR!)
Originally written and produced by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris
Originally performed by Gloria Gaynor
Mercilessly altered with apologies by Natalie Criss

First I was afraid
I was petrified.
Kept thinking I could never teach
'Cause I'm not certified.
But we spent so many nights
Reteaching homework that was wrong.
I grew strong,
so now I teach my kids at home!

We study math
and outer space.
I just kept on despite the fear
with a big smile across my face.
I bought a set of Base Ten blocks.
I bought books with answer keys.
My parents think we're nuts,
but they don't even bother me

Come on, let's go walk out the door.
We're on the road now,
'cause we're not home much anymore
My friends would laugh and say we'd be unsocialized.
I heard one mumble
that I'd give up by July.

Oh no, not I!
I will survive!
As long as I know how to read
I know we'll be alright.
I've got all my life to learn.
I've got energy to burn.
and I'll survive.
I will survive.

It took all the strength I had
not to fall apart.
Decided to attend
a play date at the local park,
and I met oh so many moms
who offered eagerly to help.
They used to cry.
Now they hold their heads up high,

and so do we!
My kids are cool!
They're not those chained up little people
stuck inside at school.
So if you feel like dropping by
and just expect us to be free
you'd better call ahead first
'cause we're probably busy!

Home, Home All The Day

I found this on Ann Zeise's webpage. Although we certainly don't stay home all day, so many parts of this song are exactly why I love being home with Reese!

---

Home, Home All the Day
(To the tune of Home on the Range)

VERSE 1

Oh, give me the day, with no soccer to play, and no doctor's appointments to meet,
But let me stay home and take care of my own, and my life will be peaceful and sweet.

CHORUS

Home, Home all the day,
Where the children study and play,
Where seldom is heard, the hurry up word,
And the van's in the carport all day!

VERSE 2

Oh give me a morn, where no shoes must be worn, for the kiddos have no place to be;
and the Mom mustn't meet; oh, that day would be sweet! And would be such a blessing to me!

VERSE 3

Oh give me the days when we all wear P.J.s and the studies don't start until ten.
Where we snuggle with books or we learn to be cooks and little voices beg "Do it again!"

VERSE 4

Oh give me a place with a smile on each face, where we finger-paint lions and bears.
No one says "What a mess!" We just feel very blessed for the moment when everyone shares!

VERSE 5

Oh give me the hours where we study wildflowers and wonder at the sight of the bees.
Where science is fun in the afternoon sun and our lunchroom is under the trees.

VERSE 6

Oh, give me a day with no packed lunches to make, and no tears and the stomach ache fake.
Oh let me stay home, though it might take a loan, and the dishes and laundry can wait.


First verse and chorus written by Marji McIlvaine
2nd verse written by Dalene Barnes
3rd, 4th, & 5th verses by M. Praze (with help from children!)
6th verse by Peggy in AZ