Tag Archives: teens

A New Kid, Birthdays, and Year End Events

Leave a reply

It’s been a few months since I’ve actually written a post about our family and our homeschool.  Normally, that would mean that all is just mundane and not blog or photo worthy.  However, that’s not what my blog absence has been about,  I haven’t been able to find the time to share about all that’s been going on.  Today, I’ll try to fill you in some.

First, let me introduce you to MJ!  She’s our family’s new job.  Actually, she is a homeschool girl who is with us four days a week for tutoring while her grandmother works.  These photo are of her and Z at the last homeschool fieldtrip of the school year, Stewardship Day at Shawnee National Forest.

11928_304025206414092_5649342579274737682_n  1908274_304025009747445_5766480855971460790_n

10275912_437530879724710_3592626427581827119_n10176111_618970661518233_5155535950669216091_n10154413_304025066414106_2352447783642121822_n

We have a new chalkboard wall mural that goes along with our Lewis and Clark, Oregon Trail, and Westward Journey studies.

1970753_293147077501905_1130324103_n

We’ve been working on improvements to our key hole garden.  The stone looks wonderful and made the best Mother’s Day present!  The flowers are quite nice, too.

10352584_636762289738960_4574333442912914450_n 1920199_636762126405643_399865237555379097_nThis next photo is E and B with SALT, (our homeschool support groups drama co-op) at the final performance of the year.  And, it’s sad that this was E’s very last performance with them.  Now that she’s graduating, she’ll not be in the troop.  Being involved with creative ministries and drama certainly has been one of her favorite activities of her homeschooling career.

10314735_636762446405611_1118199660845982275_n

And, here’s a few of the pics from the spring formal.

6722_10203582499020520_1159484483778250640_n 10294416_10201184043481724_7776315076764696165_n 10151357_10201184046801807_7691335858991003632_n 10301068_10201184049321870_7130415414039299656_n10270229_623805144368008_1784912913_n1506644_10201184039441623_2575046395464671780_n

Both of my youngest boys had birthdays!  Z turned 9 and J turned 11.

10402524_637133943035128_3291994282652044128_n 10301357_637133876368468_2778025495888533215_n

10334290_637133909701798_3459031329221930418_n

These next photos are of Silver Lining (homeschool color guard) at their spring show, “Storms of Life”.  Though, this was E’s last performance with them, she is planning to stay involved with the group as an assistant coach.

10256317_628980813850551_462151345128528567_n                10376024_628980783850554_7617073920475603560_n

1625591_628980850517214_1221519875084586621_nAnd Silver Lining’s honor and awards banquet

10277031_10203582465139673_1996659417296770087_n10389976_10203585854344401_8227315380299388036_n10325729_10203582460219550_3662377745714549615_n10308178_10203585852544356_3935856616129729083_n

There’s just one more event to add to this year’s homeschooling year, graduation and achievement night.  The plans are set and all will be ready for the big night, this coming up Friday.   I’ll be sure to share those photos then.

betty jo

 

 

 

Advertisement

Salem Witch Trials

11 Replies

salemThis being Halloween week, we have decided to study the Salem Witch Trials for our American history lessons.  Our goals for this study go beyond learning history and adding pages to our notebooks .  I hope that when this week is over we will have a better understanding about how dangerous rumors can be, and how easy it is to fall into the trap of contributing to the spread of false accusations.

As with all of our studies, this one started with a library trip.  These are the selections we chose for our witch trial studies.

books                               bookjacket                                       9780689848643_p0_v1_s260x420

Below are the links to the online resources we are using.

Easy to read 2 page article about the Salem Witch Trials  http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/colonial/jb_colonial_salem_1.html

Biography of Increase Mather and witch trial word puzzles, printables, worksheets and quiz  http://gardenofpraise.com/ibdmath.htm

Witch Hat themed writing paper printables for notebooking and journaling  

Video walking tour of Salem  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qau3Xrv7-g

The following links are what my teens are following for further study.

Short article explaining the possible causes of the mass hysteria occurring during the Salem witch trial era  http://ancientstandard.com/2011/07/11/salem-witch-trials-mass-hysteria-or-mass-lsd-trip/

From the  History Channel  http://www.history.com/topics/salem-witch-trials/videos#

Letters, maps, sermons, art, and trial transcripts  http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/home.html

PDF of Author Miller’s The Crucible http://asbamericanlit.edublogs.org/files/2011/10/21078735-The-Crucible-Arthur-Miller-2hmdzot.pdf

Salem Witch Trial Interactive Game – “Can You Survive Salem’s Witchcraft Hysteria?” (This is not for younger children, it needs to be played/reviewed by the parent before giving the link to the teens)

Night of the Living Teens

5 Replies

E-17 wants to call it “Prom”.  So we call it “Prom”.  Some of the other parents in our homeschooling support group do not like all of the negatives associated with the word “Prom” and prefer to call it “Teen Night”.  So we call it “Teen Night”.  Some prefer to call it “Prom Alternative”.  So we call it “Prom Alternative”, too.   I’m thinking “Night of the Living Teens” works for me.  We are just blessed to have such a special night that the title of it doesn’t really matter.

We started the evening early at one of our local parks for photos.

247707_455336994548268_1059328985_n 484813_455337197881581_950848485_n 935647_462526740495850_702326292_n 970860_462526847162506_799993366_nThen dinner out and after that to He Brews coffee shop for costume trunk, ice cream, Wii, and dancing.

E17 and Batman.                                              374345_4432889555189_1540265411_nThe Cupid Shuffle!
(That’s me in the yellow.)

923114_4432803713043_469221073_n

Some worn out girls at midnight!

419606_455337387881562_596139955_nThis momma is worn out too but happy!

For another post about our special night click here  https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2013/05/17/girls-and-flowers/

betty jo

HSMJ-wideIHN       MMMButton     HHH-300x300

Thriving-Thursdays1 buttonUltimate mom

Spring Formal

3 Replies

I was treated to breakfast by one of my nearest, dearest, and longest homeschooling mom friends.  The purpose for this was to plan this springs Teen Night.  Of course, this led to the discussion of past events.

Here’s some photos “besties” from last spring when we threw a prom (alternative) for our homeschool support groups high school students.

The girls made their own corsages.  Notice their purity rings.

prom 3

We met at White Haven, a local tourist spot.  for a photo shoot.

prom 4Dinner and shared dessert at a nice out of town restaurant .prom7Outside in the garden gazebo.  This is where they danced “The Cupid Shuffle”

prom 6Mini golf.

prom 1

Changed and comfy playing board games at the after party.

prom 5

This year’s teen night will be different but still wonderful.  Our support group has grown so much that our estimated head count looks like a minimum of 20 teens.  After photos and dinner we have party at a reserved hall with Wii games, music, costume trunk photo booth, and an ice cream sundae bar.

E17, B15, and myself are very excited about these plans and looking forward to this special night.  Z7 says it’s not fair.  He doesn’t want to wait 8 more years for his homeschooler’s night out.

betty jo

hsvbutton150_zpsab2caeef

Link up for Beautiful Family Friday!   http://www.holyspiritledhomeschooling.net/

Calling For Reinforcements

4 Replies

Sometimes Christian based homeschooling isn’t enough.  Sometimes Sunday school, youth groups, or attending church aren’t enough either.  Sometimes it’s wise for parents to call for reinforcements.  It can be beneficial to seek other options for the hard topics.  And one of the most difficult  topics, we as parents have to face with our teens is “purity”.

The little time we spend in discussion of keeping oneself pure is not much compared to all the sources pouring impurity into our youths –  books, movies, TV, the internet, magazines, fashion, music and more.  We parents can so easily be viewed as “old fashioned” and our instruction not relevant for today.

E17 went to “The Silver Ring Thing”.  This is a national event tour.  The speakers are young and hip.  The bands are popular and fun.  But the important thing is they dare their audience to defy  cultural norms.  They speak out in truth about dating, love, faith, and sex. These folks are our reinforcements and I’m so glad to have them on our side in this cultural war.

Now when E17 is faced with tough choices about life and love she will have more to base her decisions on than just what mom said or a Scripture verse from a youth group lesson.  Now, she has something more, she has this Silver Ring Thing to reinforce her beliefs and values.  And I’m relieved.

Here is the Bible verse theme from Silver Ring Thing:

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5   The Message (MSG)

4 1-3 One final word, friends. We ask you—urge is more like it—that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance. You know the guidelines we laid out for you from the Master Jesus. God wants you to live a pure life.

Keep yourselves from sexual promiscuity.

4-5 Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body, not abusing it, as is so common among those who know nothing of God.

And here’s the link to the Silver Ring Thing Promo:

betty jo