A Few Home Education Projects (picture heavy)

 I  mentioned that we are using the Little House series right now as our main curriulum (not math or LA, those are seperate). Today, we did some review of what we had read thus far and started a lap book. I used to be intimidated by lap books, until we just dove in and tried one a few years ago. My kids enjoy doing them and they are pretty pain free. All my fears of doing them, were shot down once I tried it. I am not quite as crafty or creative as I wish I were but we get by. There are some great resources online that I use to make it a bit easier on me.

Here we are getting started.

Templates to be cut, completed, and glued

Cover

Cael cutting a template

Today's finished items.

We discussed and noted; how they preserved meat, how Pa made bullets, gun safety, Laura and Mary's dolls, how to make butter, chores, and the difference in the Christmas's then and now.

Addy, Cade, and Kyler did a project today to help them understand the concept of our house, our town, our state, our country, our continent, and our planet.

Kyler trying out the compass

Cade trying out a compass

All cut and ready to complete

Gluing

Gluing

Jaycie thinks she's doing one too

We're done

3 finished projects

Up close

New Year New Opportunities......

to actually keep up on my blog.

What's been going on with the Happel family?

Dean stays busy at work and coaching the youth wrestling, which includes Cael, Quincy, and Cade.

Mackenzie finished on the Dean's list this last semester and is on track to graduate in May. She was in a bridal fashion show and just returned from a trip to New Jersey to hang out with a friend and see the sites, including New York City.

Carter is in the thick of his freshman year of wrestling. He is 120lbs and currently 29-0. He is ranked 2nd in the state in 1A at his weight. He has done very well in school this year, and I am happy to see his success in the classroom as well as the mat.

Reegan is not involved in any sports right now, she'll start club volleyball next month. She stays busy with lots of 12 year old girl things like shopping, dancing, and friends.

Cael has been wrestling and has made tremendous strides in his reading. He is taking a class a the home school right now, dissecting owl pellets and cray fish. These are the bones of a rodent that was eaten by an owl. Cael dissected the pellet, sorted the bones out, and built the skeleton.

Quincy is also wrestling, and improving by leaps and bounds with his reading and writing. He is taking a class on birds and made a bird feeder. Both boys are also studying Leonardo DiVinci. Cael and Quincy are taking a trip with two teammates to WI this weekend and Dubuque to do some skiing.

Addy, is my sweetest little helper, she just has a knack for knowing what needs done and when. She was my shopping helper this morning. She and Jaycie now share a room.










Cade is in his first year of wrestling and has done two tournaments where they let the kids wrestle for 3 minutes no matter who pins who. He's had a blast and I laughed so hard, I cried the first time he went out.

Kyler.........well he's Kyler. He's is own guy, and there is never a dull moment with him around.

Jaycie is getting way too big and she is truly the little princess in this house. Her older siblings are most attentive to her.

I stay busy trying to keep up with it all, and have spent a lot of time in bleachers the last few months. We took a nice break over Christmas from our formal schooling and we are all back at it refreshed. We are using the Laura Ingalls Wilder series right now as our curriculum (not including math and LA). We are having a blast with this, and I hope to post some pictures of what we have been doing.

Sorry for the delay........

Delay, that's a kind word for lazy, forgetful, and simply not doing it.

What's been going on here?

Mackenzie is almost through her first semester of her second year at Kirkwood. She stays very busy carrying 18 hours, working, and student ambassadors.  Throw in a few friend outings if she has time. She's not sure what she wants to be when she grows up. Well she does know, but so far those plans are not working out for her.

Carter finished his first year of high school football and his first week of high school wrestling. He loves it, and I say that in truth. He really does love wrestling and he has loved high school wrestling so far. He competes for the first time on 11/27.

Reegan, is busy being a 6th grader. She played volleyball this fall and refuses to play basketball in the winter. She took a writing class this fall through our home school assistance program. Right now, she and Mackenzie are in Alabama visiting family. They left Friday and drove to Clarksville, TN and stayed overnight there. Finishing the trip on Saturday  morning. They did make a side trip to see the arch in St Louis.

 

Getting ready to take off

Cael finished up tackle football and is now in wrestling. He recently wanted his own bedroom. Dean told him he could have the closet in the boy's room, he was thrilled and has quite the pad in there. There are no clothes in the closet as we have a 'family closet' in our basement.

Quincy played flag football and now wrestles. He can't stand to be too far from Cael so he moved his bed right outside the closet. :)

Addy played on the same flag football team as Quincy. She also did a cheer leading clinic and had tons of fun with that.

Cade played soccer and I really enjoyed watching him do his first team sport. He's a but shyer then the ohter boys and more sensitive. He had his first beginners wrestling practice tonight.

Kyler, still acts like a crazy little man. It was only a matter of time before he got in trouble for saying butt somewhere he shouldn't. It happened in Sunday school.

Jaycie learned all sorts of cheers from Addy and still walks around the house saying them. She is very much into Barney right now.

Dean, Cael, Quincy, Addy, and Cade went to the first Wrestler's of Faith camp in the middle of the state. They had a great time and learned some technique and Bible knowledge from some IA State wrestlers and pastors.

Last Friday, I went to the Uni Dome with a classmate and met up with many others, as well as school mates and we watched our hometown football tea, in the state championship. It was an amazing time, and I did not realize how much I missed all these people and how much I have missed out on. Here's a shot we took prior to the game at our little tailgate.

 

Small portion of our tailgate. All but 1 of these I graduated with. I am second from the left.

That's it for now......

Adventures everywhere

Lots of good stuff happening here at our place.

We took a family trip to Adventureland for two days.  Man, I had a BLAST!! I cannot tell you the last time I was at an amusement park and was not pregnant or nursing.  Poor Dean, he had the 3 or 4 youngest for most of the weekend while I ran the park with Mackenzie.  He said he did not mind, and I tried not to feel too bad, I was having just too much fun!!

Kyler, being Kyler

Jaycie, Mackenzie, and I

Cade, Jayce, Addy, Kyler (applying the chokie), and Mackenzie

Mackenzie started back at college.  In fact she is the cover girl for the Kirkwood facebook page!!

Our covergirl

How cool is that??  If you are wondering what ever became of that date a few weeks ago....well they saw each other every day for 16 days, he is now gone for what he does, and they still communicate daily.  God knows where this is going and we pray each and every day, throughout the day that they are in tune with what He wants from them.

Carter started school - school in the brick building.  Half days, in the afternoon.  It's been an adjustment for him indeed.  He is getting along better as the days move on.  I was not sure he would be talking to me much after day one.  Most people assume he wanted to go to school, but that was not the case.  Dean and I thought it best he take these classes at the school for a variety of reasons.  He will start the 3 classes he is doing at home on Monday.

I kid you not, this is the only first day of school picture we got.

Speaking of Monday - well the school books came today, so we all know what Monday brings............

4 Years of Adventure

Mr. Kyler Erwin Happel turned 4 today. He is our 8th child and has rocked the boat since he arrived.  I never knew a child who could have a book written all about him. He has been an adventure and I look forward to many more years of this little man.

You singing to me??

You may be asking yourself how the date for Mackenzie went on Friday night.  It went pretty well, they were both nervous for the same and different reasons.  They are currently on day 4 of seeing each other daily. There is more to the story which I may tell later.  For now, the whole thing has been fun to watch unfold.

The Grand Reeopening

cutting the ribbon (duct tape)

Today the kids reopened their mini golf course with a ribbon (duct tape) cutting ceremony.  Let me tell you, this has been hours of fun.  We have had family, elementary, junior high, and high school kids coming to play.  Some more then once.  It's been a blast.  Here is another picture heavy post to show you the ceremony and the new holes.

crowds gathered to play

preparing to cut the ribbon

the workers

Cael announcing the ceremony

. Last night I learned that young men still do things out of respect. A young man who will remain nameless for now, came to our house to talk to Dean about taking Mackenzie out. How impressive. This was overheard by Reegan who told me this morning that he was a real man, and Mackenzie would be in good hands. I agree. 

The Happel Family Golf Course

Today, I suggested the kiddos go outside and play.  They saw Carter getting his golf clubs out to play a round of golf and their little minds started moving.  They came up with a mini golf course.  Designed and redesigned the course.  Dean and I, my sister Janice and her husband Chris had a double date tonight playing the 9 hole course. 

Cael and Quincy.  Cael's brainstorm and Quincy never did put clothes on.

hole 1

hole 2

holes dug throughout the yard

hole 3

hole 4, I ramped the ball into the neighbors yard

proof

one of the holes

hole 5 the maze

owner / operator on break

hole 6

HUH? Stogie smoking??

me teeing off on 7

hole 8

hole 9

 

 

That's the way the course was tonight.  After we finished the kids gathered around for a meeting and decided to improve the course. They tore it all apart and got hammers, boards, tape measures, the mower, the weed whip, and got to work.  It is closed until Thursday when it will reopen for $.50 a game.