The one with pink eye

Lots of pictures -  and a couple videos.

Raising Arrows Co-op video I put together of our whole year! I think it really helps illustrate what homeschooling and a co-op looks like!

                                 

One of Josie's dances from her Ballet Recital. (She is at the very end - left side... it took me a little bit to adjust the camera... also best to open up the video to full screen because I didn't have my camera the right way!) The recital with the pink eye will definitely be one for the memory books.

                                      

Hi Everyone! Get ready for lots of pictures. ;) This has been a fun past month or so! Also, lots of illness! Including strep throat and a double ear infection, upper respiratory infections and viral pink eye! Seems to always hit all at once and last forever!

The start of pink eye! Ahh!

Ironically, on a Memorial Day weekend not too far in the past... we had another little one wake up to something similar:

(Josie got bit by a mosquito right on her eyelid though. Not pink eye!)

"Oh no! I think I'm getting pink eye too! Maybe it's just allergies or something"


Yep. I definitely have pink eye. hahaha


In return, I spent the rest of the week looking like this:


Beautiful Lynnie. Ready for her ballet rehearsal - Praying for no pink eye






















When you run out of deodorant and have to use your husbands.


Josie on the day of her recital - hoping she won't catch pink eye. "Ah, maybe no one else will catch it and we will be lucky"


Poor Liam wakes up with pink eye too.




All ready for her recital! As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, we noticed her eye was also getting red and goopy. Poor Josie.




Josie at the very end






New book from my friend, Julia. She highly recommended it!














We've been on a roll with coloring books and listening to audio books streamed from the Hoopla library app! We all want to pick out brand new coloring books this weekend where we can each work through them throughout the summer.




If you want to give yourself a little treat. best. candy. everrrr.


Already planning next year's co-op and classes! I started with preschool Science class. I (or whoever ends up being the preschool Science teacher) will be teaching the kids all about different kinds of animals each month. Really, I can't stop planning things. I have lists every where






Our fall classes for co-op (we switch classes up a bit in the spring time... we will be adding a shop class and gardening... possibly mechanics for the older kids) -

For art, I wanted to do Cool Kid Concoctions for a change. The kids will be able to learn how to make their own art materials like - Clay, chalk, different kinds of paint, etc... they will also get to do fun things like make icecream in a bag!

The B group will be making foods from around the world and we are also adding Outdoor adventures - which will consist of things like - how to use a compass, bird watching and making bird watching notebooks, identifying animal tracks, stars and constellations, making insect repellent, making first aid kits, etc.


Just a really great smelling laundry detergent I can't stop smelling. haha. :)


Lasagna. I love lasagna. That is all I have to say about this picture.


The kids started school! AGAIN! We didn't even want to wait until September! They are now in - Preschool, Kindergarten, 3rd and 4th grade. With each grade, we have to complete 180 days and at least 900 hours of instruction. We submit a letter of intent, an IHIP (which is a plan of instruction with all listed curriculum, 4 quarterly reports throughout the year which include all that was specifically taught during the quarter and all the grades and hours spent on everything. Finally, we submit results from a state-issued test or (if they are in younger grades), we are allowed to submit an end of the year evaluation.

The cool thing about homeschooling is that we are allowed to teach whatever 180 days in the year that we'd like! Aside from teaching during the winter breaks or taking off some fall and spring days, I typically stuck with a September - June learning schedule... but I'm excited for our new adventure into learning year round! It's fun to plan our own time off and work school around our life instead of life around school. Who is to say learning can only take place in September - June?

The kids and I love going to the parks and hiking in the fall and spring when the weather is much better for such activities. ...So this is going to be fun! I also love to take extra time off in December to celebrate Christmas!

It's kind of exciting to see our chart of 180 days - waiting to be filled in and completed. And while it took me several years to get out of this mindset of September - June schooling, I'm so glad we are doing this! and I'm so excited about our new curriculum. I'll have to talk about it another time!









First day of 3rd grade in her nightgown :)


Deserts and mountain ranges










Starting a history timeline


Beginning the periodic table of elements


They get to read and write poetry every day. That's my favorite part!
















An empty Robin's egg














Eli has this hanging over his bed. He loves Coyote Peterson! They all do. If you've never heard of him... you should look him up on Youtube! Eli and Liam pretend they are coyote peterson every day lately.




See the charts next to Josie? Every day they finish all their school work, they fill in another box. When all the boxes are filled, they can move up to the next grade! It's great motivation!






never-ending pile of laundry and scattered paper from school work. For the memory.






























It looked too pretty to not take a picture! haha!


Eastern Garter Snake!








Josie found a spider to add to the bucket.































































































That about does it for me! This post actually took me a few weeks of adding pictures here and there. I really need to stick with posting every week! I just take too many pictures!! I love you all and I hope you are doing well.

-Jess