Two weeks ago I switched our 8th grader over to Alpha Omega Lifepac for Language Arts, Science, History/Geography and Math. We are supplementing with Abecca Health, reading comprehension, Bible and Life Skills Math. She loves science and works through it rather quickly (she plans to be a microbiologist) which is why we have added the Health. We are also using the Life Skills Math as the book shows every day applications for why we need to learn various forms of math. It teaches everything from interest rates, loans, credit cards, doubling fabric and recipes, figuring square footage for carpet or paint...
All the girls are on our church Bible Bowl team, so for this year we are not using Bible curriculum, but Bible Bowl instead.
I create the girls vocabulary/dictionary words and spelling words, based on their lessons from the current or previous week. We also do a lot of home-ec such as cooking, baking, sewing, mending, laundry, cleaning, soap making. JD picks up a lot of the vo-tech such as changing/adding oil, changing a tire, tractors, mowers, basic engine repair and farming.
The twins are mainly using Abecca for language, health and science, Saxon for math. We are following Emily in History.
The girls also learn alot of skills, music, foreign language, art and record keeping in our other activities such as 4H, girl scouts, youth group, library classes and homeschool coop. We are heavy users of the library and their discovery classes and two different branches.
Last night Elizabeth came back home from spending a week with her grandparents. Meanwhile, yesterday afternoon Emily left for St Louis for a Bible Bowl meet. In the midst of all this JD hurt a disc in his neck and is pretty much out of commission. We are looking to hire one or two farm hands for a day to rework a fence for our hogs--any takers??
Other activities this week included welcoming 10 new baby chickens. Rebecca made one an origami hat and house. Later tonight we have a wedding and Emily returns back home. It has been an interesting week, getting school ready to travel with Elizabeth, and ensuring Emily had hers all done before she left, in addition to farming, feeding, and regular household chores.
On a sad note, our former school, JCCA (Johnson County Christian Academy) has decided to at least for this year dissolve its JBQ (Junior Bible Quiz) team. I for one would like to thank all of the parents and supporters who worked with the kids throughout the years. Often people don't realize how much time is spent "behind the scenes" when our kids have events. Special thanks to Bonnie and Adam and all the coaches and parents. We are blessed however that this year our church started a Bible Bowl team, (which Emily was already a part of) and the twins will move over to that team beginning next month. Most of their quizzing will be in St Louis, and later next year they will go to Colorado to quiz.
