Kimberly

Getting ready to start the homeschool adventure and already over
whelmed with the summer.How do you do tis and still feel like a
person,also money is an issue so we can;t seen to go many places right
now. Any words of wisdom??

Roberta Romero

My daughter and I have been homeschooling in central Mexico on a shoestring since April. We walk alot, go to the library, she comes with me when I work and helps if she can or reads if she can't. Since we began homeschooling she has become an avid reader. (She just turned 9.) We treat ourselves once a week to a visit to the swimming pool at a nearby hotel. We also cook together. I include her in the every day chores rather than think of her as a separate class of person because she is a kid.

It took a little while for us to get used to being together all the time. Luckily we actually have complimentary personalities and neither one of us minds spending time alone.

Anyone going to the Live and Learn conference?



Kimberly <freedomhomeangel@...> wrote:
Getting ready to start the homeschool adventure and already over
whelmed with the summer.How do you do tis and still feel like a
person,also money is an issue so we can;t seen to go many places right
now. Any words of wisdom??






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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Nancy Wooton

On Jul 18, 2005, at 12:40 PM, Kimberly wrote:

> Getting ready to start the homeschool adventure and already over
> whelmed with the summer.How do you do tis and still feel like a
> person,also money is an issue so we can;t seen to go many places right
> now. Any words of wisdom??
>

Sure. Quit thinking about school. Do what you like and can afford.
It's summer vacation, after all! (Then, when the rest of the
neighborhood thinks summer is over and goes back to school, don't.)

Nancy

nellebelle

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>also money is an issue so we can;t seen to go many places right now.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

We have been going to local parks once a week, with friends. We meet friends there and sometimes each of the kids brings along a neighborhood friend. I pack snacks and beverages, so we don't need to buy the more expensive single serve stuff while out. We vary the parks, as each has slightly different features.

Our community has a free concert series in the park. We were there Friday to listen to the music while the kids played/hung out.

I've been more conscious of gas prices lately. We took our annual trip to Moses Lake Family Aquatic center - an awesome water park with big slides, diving boards, sandy area, and more. They allow food, so we always bring our own food and drink but the kids brought some money to buy a treat there too. I spent $15 admission (for 3 people) and $12 gas. Yikes! Really cheap admission but not cheap gas... It was a great day though. We stayed for 5 hours and went as a group. Five moms with their kids plus 5 more kids whose parents weren't able to come but between the other families we made room in our vehicles.

I understand money being an issue, but most communities do have free or low cost things to do. For instance, you can sometimes go at off hours for cheaper admission or find coupons for 2 for 1. The park is free - you just have to get there. Our local libraries have story and movie times for all ages, besides crafts and free movies and music (to check out), and, oh yeah, books :-)

Water balloons are pretty inexpensive and can make for a fun afternoon. Sleep out in your backyard and star gaze. This time of year summer toys are on clearance, even though the hot weather will continue for another month or two. Slip n slide, wading pools, squirt guns. Make popsicles from juice or kool aid. Go for walks, skates, bike rides. Start a lettuce garden.

Mary Ellen

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arcarpenter2003

--- In [email protected], "Kimberly"
<freedomhomeangel@y...> wrote:
==How do you do tis and still feel like a
> person==

What do you mean, exactly? Are you feeling like you have to be in
"mommy mode" all the time, and that's too much pressure?

Unschooling takes away that "mommy has to be on top of everything all
the time" kind of dynamic. Talk to your kids. What do they feel like
doing? Better yet, if they're finding things to do already, just
watch them and be near them and soak it in. And if there's something
*you* feel like doing, do it, and see if your kids would like to do it
with you.

==also money is an issue so we can;t seen to go many places right
> now. Any words of wisdom??==

Libraries tend to have free programs, story times, etc. Local parks
sometimes have summer programs, too. Both places can be fun to just
hang out at. Check your paper for flea markets and garage sales, if
your kids would enjoy hitting some of those. And while you're looking
in the paper, you might find a meeting of rock and gem lovers, or a
writer's club that one of you is interested in, or a Yu-gi-oh
duelist's league or something along those lines in the community
events section.

Peace,
Amy

Pam Sorooshian

Thrift stores!! Find toys, books, games. Maybe an old appliance to take
apart! Clothing to cut up into costumes! All KINDS of unexpected fun
things at thrift stores.

-pam

On Jul 18, 2005, at 10:20 PM, arcarpenter2003 wrote:

> ==also money is an issue so we can;t seen to go many places right
>> now. Any words of wisdom??==

[email protected]

In a message dated 7/19/2005 1:30:05 AM Central Standard Time,
pamsoroosh@... writes:

Thrift stores!! Find toys, books, games. Maybe an old appliance to take
apart! Clothing to cut up into costumes! All KINDS of unexpected fun
things at thrift stores.



~~~

Dollar stores! For 10 bucks you can get TEN toys! wow.

Karen

www.badchair.net


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

-=-Anyone going to the Live and Learn conference?-=-

I'll be there, with my family. My husband and my oldest haven't been to a
conference before.

There's a yahoolist for and about the conference, so if you do decide to go
(or if you're just curious about more details) you might join that list too.

Sandra


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Laura Moseley

"Libraries tend to have free programs, story times, etc. Local parks
sometimes have summer programs, too. Both places can be fun to just
hang out at."

My son and I like to hang out at our library and just read or look at all the books they have on whatever we are interested in at the time. We also like to go to a local upscale grocery store that has a cafe and get a soft drink/cappacino and sit and read. I think we both just like to read. lol Read to your kids and let them see you reading and everything else just falls into place.

Laura M.


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Dana Matt

> ==also money is an issue so we can;t seen to go many
> places right
> > now. Any words of wisdom??==

Free things we've done this week--
Swimming at the beach--includes sand castles, pirate
game, kelp wrestling, crab discovery, etc

Playgrounds (many)

Spray park/water guns (this is usually fun but this
week was innundated with a huge "day camp" group that
were rude and hurt the little kids....)

Biking on the boardwalk

Harry Potter party

Petting the animals at the pet store (they are in
open-topped cages and many can be picked up with
supervision at this store)

Farmer's Market, twice

Free ferry

Picking berries

local festivals (seems to be at least one every
weekend)

browsing antique stores

browsing bookstores (3 times)

walking around town

Walking through open-air sculpture park

two garage sales

aquarium (not really free--but we bought a year's pass
so it was free yesterday!)

I'm sure there's other stuff that we've done for free
or cheapy--but that's what I'm remembering now!

Dana


Guadalupe's Coffee Roaster
100% Organic Fair Trade Coffee
Roasted to Perfection Daily
http://www.guadalupescoffee.com



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Dana Matt

> Our community has a free concert series in the park.
> We were there Friday to listen to the music while
> the kids played/hung out.

That's a good one that I forgot, Mary Ellen--We have
at least 4 live music events, free, every week, and an
outdoor movie "donation only" every saturday night....

Dana

Guadalupe's Coffee Roaster
100% Organic Fair Trade Coffee
Roasted to Perfection Daily
http://www.guadalupescoffee.com



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Betsy Hill

**

Thrift stores!! Find toys, books, games.**

Yes. Sometimes a game is missing parts. Dice are easy to replace. If "cards" are missing, we make our own, which can be really fun. (We added a T Rex and a helicopter to the Family Pastimes "Princess" game because the Flower card was missing.) We keep intending to add crazy cards to our Munchkin game, but haven't done it yet.

Betsy

Dana Matt

--- Roberta Romero <lagobonita@...> wrote:

> My daughter and I have been homeschooling in central
> Mexico on a shoestring since April.

Central Mexico, eh? You aren't interested in some
winter houseguests, are ya? ;)

Dana

Guadalupe's Coffee Roaster
100% Organic Fair Trade Coffee
Roasted to Perfection Daily
http://www.guadalupescoffee.com



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Roberta Romero

In all seriousness that is a possibility. We have a small apartment, but have a double bed (ours), single bed, and a double futon. How big is your family?

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Pam Sorooshian

I'll be there with Roya (20) and Rosie (14).

-pam

On Jul 19, 2005, at 7:59 AM, SandraDodd@... wrote:

> -=-Anyone going to the Live and Learn conference?-=-
>
> I'll be there, with my family. My husband and my oldest haven't been
> to a
> conference before.
>

Pam Sorooshian

Bookstores also have activities like "American Girls Club."

-pam


On Jul 19, 2005, at 8:36 AM, Laura Moseley wrote:

> "Libraries tend to have free programs, story times, etc. Local parks
> sometimes have summer programs, too. Both places can be fun to just
> hang out at."

arcarpenter2003

--- In [email protected], SandraDodd@a... wrote:
> -=-Anyone going to the Live and Learn conference?-=-

Yes -- my husband, Michael, myself, and my two sons, Fisher (8) and
Riley (2).

Peace,
Amy