August 16, Day 1, Part 1, El Amor de Patricia

We arrived at our hotel Saturday night around 8:30ish or so. Kelli and her family were anxiously waiting our arrival. It was surreal to finally be there in Antigua, Guatemala. We quickly said hellos, went to our room and unpacked, visited for a bit longer, and hit the beds; which in my opinion were way to hard, but we each had our own bed in our room! (Sunday afternoon this opinion would change).

We were excited Sunday morning for our first big busy day to go visit Amor De Patricia Orphanage and go to San Bartolome to deliver bunk beds. We started our morning with breakfast at our beautiful hotel. The kids quickly met up with the other kids on our team while parents got to know each other too. I walked around and snapped several photos of the hotel. Beautiful flowers are everywhere and it is open not closed in.

I will be writing about each of our days and posting links at the end on where you can donate if something draws you in. There are so many needs. 

Nico and Maria getting in on the FRESH juice

Maria is a beautiful girl who is also adopted from Guatemala. She and Luca became good buddies.

This bistro is across the street from our hotel. Strike a post kids!

Sara is Maria's sister. Luca and her are the same age. They quickly hit it off (Luca then gravitated to Maria and Jacob). However they still played together through the week. No one was shy or afraid to talk to anyone.

Outside our hotel. 

Cell phones have no limit. They are everywhere.

 (My pictures are a little out of order) We loaded the bus with our donations for the first days stops which were the Orphanage and delivering bunk beds. Luca and Sara and all the kids rode on one bus while the adults were on the other. Such an amazing group we had! It was a real long drive to get to the orphanage while driving there I kept remembering when I picked Nico up 12 years ago from the orphanage he was taken to. (He was in foster care until 3 months before I was able to pick him up). Nico's orphanage had concrete floors, one large outdoor area with a large window, and the baby area with beds was a totally dark area with beds stacked next to each other. I remember the armed guard standing at the gate to let us in. El Amor de Patricia is a gated orphanage but so bright and cheery! Immediately after the buses pulled in and the kids unloaded they started interacting. Not only were our kids excited to see the little ones, but the little ones were excited to see us. The littles remember the people in OUR Guatemala as they are there often, but in no time they gravitated to us and our kids.

While we were there other adults were coming in. Some of the kids in care here have family who come to visit. They are there because the families cannot provide the proper care for them in nourishment, housing, the parent's have to leave to find work, etc. (many different circumstances). Others there were up for adoption but only to Guatemalans. One sibling group which included Maria was going to live with their grandparents and left later in the week. Another girl was being adopted and her adoptive parents were there visiting.

For the first half of the day we had the option to stay at the Orphanage and play with the kids or go deliver bunk beds. I wanted my family to have to opportunity to do both. So while the little kids were wound up and ready for visitors in the morning we quickly chose to stay and play with the kids while the other families went to deliver the first 12 sets of bunk beds at the first village. I am glad we were the family to stay, as well as Maria and Kahleah staying with us.

Nestor from OUR Guatemala

This is a sibling group in the orphanage. The rooms were clean and bright and cheery.

The baby's room

The nanny sleeps in the same room as the babies.

A nice yard for running and playing. There is a trampoline, wooden swing set, and climbing bars. I believe the trampoline and swing set were donations from other teams that have been there.

Laundry was done almost non stop. Thankfully they had a modern washer and dryer. The kids were kept in clean clothes all day. One little girl Maria had 3 different outfits on while we were there. 

Nico couldn't wait to hand out toys to the kids. Troy Family Dental donated 72 toothbrushes and little toys. The kids liked the little cameras.

Looking into the little camera

I can't remember all the kids names but this is little Vico. The kids loved the new toys and I loved that they were being repurposed in a beautiful way for these kids.

This little girl was telling me all the animal names in Spanish of course...the book is in English. The kids were very bright and well taken care of.

Maria, one of the twins, instantly took to Mike. They had snacks when we arrived. She graciously offered some of hers to Mike. She stuck with him most of the day. When he would put her down she would be right back on his lap. The kids loved the cuddles, hugs, and interaction.

Luca interacting with the kids. 

This little sweety let me pick her up and tote her around. I was told she just doesn't go to anyone. She is a quite little girl and stayed with me and chomped on her cookies.

Luca making the kids laugh. We all know he is quite the character and the kids enjoyed him.

It doesn't matter what language you speak.....you can still show the love and care within you.

Nico tried to interact with all the kids.

Again, I enjoy seeing our items go to a good place.

Maria soaking up the cuddles.

Maria liked the babies. She spent most of her time inside the orphanage while our family was outside with the toddlers and older kids.

Smiles

There is a visitor bathroom and in the little room next to it is this little painting room.

Kahleah, who is part of OUR Guatemala, was at the orphanage with us. She helped us translate and learn the kid's names.

Nico and Angel ended up make an amazing connection. Angel liked Nico's iPod and flipping through pictures and learning to play games.

Luca getting close with Vico. Luca would say Yes and Vico would say No.

The little boy in orange came over and plopped on Luca's lap. 

Sweet smiles from Maria

The fun of a beach ball. Too bad it had a hole in it and wouldn't hold air.

The orphanage

Nico and Angel swinging and chatting

This little guy was sneaky but adorable and had the best laugh. Luca and him together would be Trouble with a capital T. 

Maria had fun with Mike learning to cross the bars.

This was loading up the bus in the morning with our donations

The kids like Nico's Guatemalan bracelets which he had purchased at MOGUATE. He kindly gave each of them one off his wrist.

At lunch Luca joined in on the prayer.

She showed us how well she could jump rope.

The look on their faces. I know Nico wanted to bring him home. He would be a perfect fit.....so sad adoptions are closed there.

Immediately Luca started interacting.

Ready to hit the road.

Rena, an amazing, fun woman on our team. She came without her daughter and husband. She was quickly known for being missing....lol. Everytime we went somewhere it was said, "Is Rena here?"

Ladies everywhere carry their goods.

The spectacular view from the hotel. This is the upper balcony so we had to walk up here each day to get the view. 

Many memories came flooding back about my adoptions of Luca and Nico. That evening at the dinner table as a group we went around and told about what touched us the most or how we felt about the day. I broke down in tears as I listened to Nico go before me and tell how he liked interacting with the kids. In his eyes I could see the love he had with Angel and just wished he could help him more. So for me the first half of our day brought a deep fulfilling to see my kids be with children who are like them but now don't have a family all day everyday. 

(The orphanage had plenty of clothes and blankets but what they really need is diapers, formula, and goods for the children. They are a non-profit organization. You can make donations to El Amor de Patricia and click on orphanage. You can read a bit more about it. When you make your donation note that it is with Team Inspire.

So our homeschool year of 2015-16 begins with a journey to Guatemala. I have waited many years for the right time to bring the boys back to Guatemala not just to be a tourist but to do some good there. I want them to experience the country they were born in. A team was formed that fit our time frame and when the city of Escuintla was added to the itinerary I knew I had to jump on it. Nico is from Escuintla. I think it will mean so much to him to see where he could be living and actually talking to an amazing young man named Nestor who was an orphan there and overcame many obstacles.

We will be delivering bunk beds, visiting an orphanage, seeing two villages one who has already received help from ALDEA and the other waiting for the training and help. We are having a fun day at Lake Atitlan, ziplining through a nature reserve after walking through the it and across suspension bridges (I have already had a dream Luca fell off one!). We are also visiting the 2 room school and town of Escuintla.

Our journey is sure to be educational, heartwarming, and humbling. I am blessed to share this experience with my two amazing boys adopted from Guatemala and my husband Mike. I am excited to meet the families on the team and create lasting friendships.

We have plans when we return to spend a week creating scrapbooks while all the memories are fresh on our minds. A team member, Jennifer, sent me some amazing scrapbooking items for the books. I look forward to the boys creating their own books, journaling their thoughts and experiences, and sharing those.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would be doing this. I will try to update and post throughout our week.

Back to {Home}School Curriculum 1st/2nd grade

     My sweet Luca is a challenge compared to Nico. Luca struggles a lot. We spent last year adjusting and changing math and reading curriculums so he is a bit behind there. He is progressing though. Luca is a workbook and visual kind of kid. He likes working in the workbooks but he also needs pictures to associate with things. He likes some hands on stuff but not if it requires a lot of detail work. (He is totally the opposite of Nico). The 2014-15 school year brings us to wrapping up some things from last year and moving on in other subjects.

     Here is his line up.
     Language - Shurley English for homeschoolers. We absolutely love this. I wish I had found it when Nico was younger. Luca does great with it. They have songs to help remember parts of grammar. Luca loves to sing and remembers better with this method. The teacher's guide is scripted. The lessons are short and repetitive but not to the point of 'I am sick of this.' We are finishing Level 1 this year and will move to Level 2.

 

     Reading - Reading has been a struggle. We many things but have settled comfortably on McRuffy Press Phonics. You have to visit the website to read about this one. It is colorful, the books are funny, there are short lessons and reviews for 'grading'. This is great for us because there are games, flashcards, workbooks, and many other things to keep the variety going. I am also adding in some Hooked on Phonics readers I had from Nico.

  

     Math - We are also using McRuffy Press Math we are finishing up 1st grade this year. Again, there are lots of games and short lessons with a lot of variety. I have also started to add in MathUSee because I like how it visually shows you the math. Luca had issues with it two years ago because he couldn't remember his colors. He also needs to write things down vs being able to quickly verbalize his answer. He can fly through an addition worksheet quicker than flashcards due to the processing it takes to verbalize it.

 

     Science - Winter Promise The World Around Me and combining it with once again McRuffy Press 1st grade science (only because I had it from when Nico was younger). McRuffy is full of fun experiments and everything is in the box. The World Around Me covers all topics and is the Charlotte Mason style of reading books and doing hands on. I bought just the guide and will buy the books separately.



 

     US History - Intellego Unit Studies K-2 Civics: Symbols of America Here is the description from the website K-2 Core Curriculum - Civics: Symbols of America In this fun and interactive unit study, designed to meet and exceed state and national standards, your children will explore civics through the national symbols and patriotic music of the United States! With over 33 activities and 14 hands-on exercises, your children will be fascinated from beginning to end. Each chapter includes current and active links to videos, hands-on activities, maps, readings, worksheets, charts, interactive websites, games, and much more to provide a multisensory approach to learning about the nation.

     We are going to give it a try. Nico didn't really like Intellego as it wasn't comprehensive enough for him and it was too much back and forth websites, reading, etc. I am thinking the more basic ones will be better for Luca. This should only take about 20 hours. I will reevaluate from there and decide if I want to switch to Abeka for Social Studies or continue with Intellego. I did like Abeka for 3rd and 4th grade for Nico.

     Spanish - We will use Rosetta Stone

     Art - Artistic Pursuits K-3 This is a book I had left from Nico as well. The boys will not be able to attend art classes this year so I want to do it at home. Now that I think about it I am going to choose one for Nico to add once a week.

     Music - I don't usually incorporate music only because Nico hated to sing. Luca on the other hand likes to sing and can use some help with rhythm. I also have a piano at home collecting dust since Brian moved out. I do not know how to play the piano but found a curriculum that says I don't have to....lol. The Hoffman Method Piano we will give it a try and see what happens. I even have a full keyboard we can put in the schoolhouse for lessons and practices can be completed in the house on the piano.

 

     Luca will continue with Hip Hop dance, tumbling, and karate for his extra curricular activities.

 

     That wraps up our line up for the year. One of the many wonderful things about homeschooling is I can change and adjust our curriculum to fit the children's needs. I have learned it is not about how I learn but how they learn. 

 

 



Back to {Home}School Curriculum 7th/8th grade

   It's that time of year again across the nation. Teachers are hitting the classroom again prepping for the new school year. Kids are dreading the end of summer break. Parents may or may not be ready to get their kids back in school. It is the same way here at home as we gear up for our 2014-15 school year. I have been puttering around in the school house rearranging things and selling the curriculum Luca (my youngest) is finished with. This summer I spent a couple days putting screening up on the porch of the school house. This way we can open the door (once I get the screen door on) and let air flow through, or we can comfortably sit on the front porch for reading time or completing lessons without being bothered by bugs.

     This year is going to be a little different for us. I have quit my job of 23 years working midnight shift over the weekends (Sunday -Tuesday), to take on a job working 2nd shift (3:30pm-midnight), Monday-Friday (weekends and holidays off). I am excited about having fresh mornings to get school completed. Before I would sleep until 10 or so then have to get the kids motivated to start school after they have been up watching TV and playing for a couple hours. I was also so tired I would be testy and just want to get things done. My days will be busier with school then work, but I am looking forward to those weekends off to get on a schedule to keep my house in order.

     I have my lessons lined out in general for the school year as far as subjects and weekly agenda on curriculum goals. I am using A Simple Plan Homeschool Planner I used it last year and loved it. It has planning pages, monthly calendars, weekly layouts where I can add both boys lesson plans, student records, a place to list Things Accomplished, Special Activities, Supplies Needed, and a Reading List for each month. (They have an online planner and an physical planner. I prefer having it in my hands as I am not always by the computer when planning or getting school work done.)

      Okay, onto the curriculum list! Nico is 12 and is around the 7th/8th grade area. This year he will be more independent in his studies as far as being responsible to get things done at a required time. He is also becoming more self motivated to start his assignments without me telling him what to do. He gets to pick what order he does his subjects in. I don't blame him because it gets boring doing the same routine every day. Sometimes my brain is not ready for math at 8am. :-) Here is his list.

      Science - This was a tough choice this year. We do so much in nature ourselves I have yet to physically complete a biology section in our school year. This year we are taking on Biology. I had an awesome curriculum I wanted only to find out they wouldn't sell me the teacher guide. I could do it without the guide, but I like having the lesson plan layout and extra help if needed. (I have a biology degree and work as a chemist so am confident I can do it, but do love the guidance just in case). Anyway, I decided on my second choice of REAL Science Odyssey Biology Level 2. I like it because it has a set up to organize in 2, 3, or 5 days a week. We are chosing 3 days a week. Each week includes 2 labs, reading, answering questions, and review.

     Geography - Mapping the World by Heart This will take us into the next school year, but I am okay with that. I want us to be able to take our time and really learn. Nico is also very particular about his drawings so it may take a while. I have heard and read so many good things about this curriculum. Nico is pretty good at geography anyway, so hoping this adds more fun to it.

 

     Writing - Last year we attended Essentials through Classical Conversations. We loved it. However, this year it is not going to fit in with my new work schedule. I have found Cover Story Middle School Writing Curriculum. It is from the same creator of The One Year Adventure Novel. Nico really advanced in his writing last year so I did not want to lose that skill. This curriculum is presented on DVD's so I am a little more hands free for the teaching part of it. The previews are entertaining. The schedule is laid out nicely and does include some grammar, however, the focus is more on writing.  (We will use last year's Essentials grammar charts again this year so we keep up on those skills). Nico will be responsible for his journal writing and paying attention to the assignment guide. Of course, I am there to guide and help. We are also continuing with Fix-It by IEW. This helps with grammar.

     Math - We are sticking with MathUSee. Nico has been using this since preK and does really well with it.

     Vocabulary/Spelling - Nico has always had issues with spelling. Last year we used All About Spelling and he progressed. I ran across Soaring with Spelling and Vocabulary in Practical Homeschool magazine. We are starting with Level 7. It is laid out in 5 daily lessons.

     US History - We have traveled to Washington DC and our state capital, Jefferson City. We toured Jefferson City's Senate and House chambers. We have discussed some politics,  the making of laws, and watched Presidential campaigns but have not sat and actually studied the Constitution. I don't believe at 4th grade they are able to fully grasp all that information. This year though we are taking the plunge. I scoured the internet for a nice complete study of the US Constitution, not just an overview or workbooks. I decided on American Government and US Constitution, Part I. This is the description from the website "Curriculum, "The 5000 Year Leap" and 6 DVDs curriculum contains: textbook "The 5,000 Year Leap", suggested class schedule, suggested course requirements and grading standards, teaching objectives for each lesson, reading assignments, quizzes, examinations, and lesson presentations (6 DVDs). Additional textbooks may be purchased in the "Books" category For high school aged students." I am loving this because it does have the DVD's to give the presentations. I am not a government political type guru so this will be a big help for me. We will also get to the second part later in the year, "The Making of America".

 

     Spanish - We will be using Rosetta Stone this year.

 

     Nico will continue with his competitive Hip Hop and Karate as the extra curricular activities.

 

That will cover Nico's curriculum for the year. I think our days will go smoothly and Nico will grow in his studies this year by leaps and bounds. I am working to set us up for his High School years ahead. (I can't believe that time is almost here).

 



    

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Nico Turns 12!

I know I say it every year....where does the time go? But, really this year it seems like we just celebrated Nico's birthday. I am not sure if it is because he had the same theme or, time just slips by too fast.

 

Nico has been having sleep over parties since he was 9. This is the first year that everyone invited was able to come. He was over the moon excited. He had the nerf battles all planned out. (How I missed a picture of them all in their gear I don't know...but they were awesome.)

I am such a proud mama of this growing young man. He fills my every day with so much love, insight, bravery, empathy, and skills.

Besides the gift he saved up to buy, he loved the right of passage to be able to sit in the front seat of the car. (although I still prefer him to sit in the back ;-)
 

 

 



I was going to buy Nico a cake at the local bakery. He insisted he didn't need one bought and wanted to make one himself. It is a cherry chip with cherries in between. It is not fancy, but he is not a child that asks for much. He was totally happy with it. Unfortunately the dog ended up eating the cake the night after the party.

Who ever said Homeschoolers are unsocialized has never been around our house. Nico makes friends every where he goes. Most of these kids are homeschoolers from various groups we are in and two attend public school. This is an awesome bunch of kids!

The morning after playing some exploding Jenga which he received as a gift.

Since the theme was Nerf Wars Nico wanted to make some barriers. I have a stack of pallets sitting in the back of the house. Nico dragged up two and asked for some help cutting them apart. I did the cutting, but then he did all the rebuilding to create his barriers. I think he ended up with 4 of them.

He added the rabbit feeder as a holder of bullets.

Nico's only request for his birthday was money or Amazon gift cards. He had been researching the Traxxis RC car for quite a while. He knew he wanted to save up his money for this. His birthday was a perfect time. That Thursday night we went to the bank, got some cash, bought an Amazon gift card and ordered his car. It arrived Monday, Sept 30. Of course he had it out of the box and putting it together in no time. 

 

Squid Dissection

During our adventure of History through the Sea and Sky, I am adding dissection to our study.

Nico is a pro at dissecting as I used to teach it to kids at the Community College. He was 5 years old and hanging out with the 8 year and older kids. This year Luca is showing more interest in science. I also have some extra starfish we need to use up. Luca has been working on an octopus lapbook I thought I would start with the dissection of squid.

 

I opened this up to our homeschool community as I had to buy a whole box of squid. I was amazed at the response. I had 30 kids on my front porch dissecting squid.

Luca, surprisingly got into it.

 

Below are a few pictures of our fun day.

 

Luca bravely touching the squid.

Even though Nico had done this before, he enjoyed doing it again. Of course, you always learn something new or refresh your memory.

As the final part we pulled the pen out of the squid and wrote our names with squid ink. This was the best part!

Luca gets some help from another mom so he can cut.

 

Our school year is continuing to go very well. We have gotten behind in a couple subjects due to things coming up during the day. The great thing about homeschooling is the flexibility we have. It is great to be able to change things up and even complete some things on a Saturday.