2017 School Year Wrap Up

As another year comes to a close, I get all panicked (as per usual) thinking that we haven't done enough and we're going to spend the summer playing catch-up. Then comes evaluation time and I realize I have to heavily edit all we accomplished because the sheer volume is wonderfully, incredibly impressive.

This year was, indeed, one of our most unorganized and "slowest" as far as accomplishments are concerned, but we still managed a full and fun year.

Homeschooling truly is one of the best decisions we have ever made.

Thomas and Joseph went "full steam ahead" in Scouts and earned badges in Horsemanship, Railroading, Fingerprinting, Soil and Water Conservation, Geology, Art, Archery, Astronomy, Space Exploration, and Oceanography this year. These badges include a lecture series and hands-on experience. They continue their current efforts in Swimming, Personal Fitness, Community Citizenship, Camping, Family Life, and Cooking. They are still avid readers of science, science fiction, engineering, and have become big fans of comic books.

Thomas had the opportunity to spend a week in southern Missouri. He was introduced to Dollywood, Silver Dollar City, and The Dixie Stampede. He also got to see a fish hatchery and a large polyphemus moth.

Joseph entered the Build a Home, Build a Dream competition put on by Habitat for Humanity. He didn't place, but he was lauded for his attention to self-sufficiency and handicap accessibility.

Maria has thrown herself into writing, art, crafting, cooking, baking, sewing, and reading. She is also a math whiz and enjoys their standing Thursday appointments with their math tutor. She finished the Fancy Nancy: Nancy Clancy series at the very beginning of the year, and has since tackled American Girl chapter books following Samantha's story line. She also read parts of St. Therese's Story of a Soul, and the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr. She now keeps a daily journal to sharpen her spelling, penmanship, and grammar skills. She is also getting a taste of business, making and fulfilling orders for some of her sewing projects.

As a family, we have taken trips to botanical gardens, visited Pittsburgh and Thomas' birth place in Ohio, spent some time in upstate NY on a farm, acquainted ourselves with local government processes through permit application, and have taken on the responsibility of owning and raising chickens. We also used election time to research various types of governments, tax models, political parties, and international affairs.

Joseph working on archery.

Joseph trying his hand at a climbing wall.

Both Thomas and Joseph on the climbing wall.

Rifle range. 

Thomas launching a rocket he helped design and build.

Learning how to care for and ride horses:

They kept up with swimming:

Learning all about vintage bowling:

Thomas in Ohio, visiting places he was taken as a baby:

From several visits to botanical gardens:

Visiting the Italian Market in Philadelphia:

Various moments of book work, written work, research, and reading:

Taking the new telescope for a spin:

Maria has kept plenty busy:

She learned to make...

and shape butter.

Hard at work sewing.

A Minecraft "enderman" she made for her brother.

Other things she has made for family.

She currently has eight orders for the yeti
(right back, blue face).

We had an art tutor this year!

She was a weekly fixture for the kids and taught them

a lot about color, composition, and creativity.

Joseph's entry for Build a Home, Build a Dream:

Chickpea chickens.

A ramp from the first to second floor, and a roof hangout/observatory.

Rain barrels, a pool, a garden, and backyard free range chickens.

They helped construct the chicken coop from new and

reclaimed materials, adding protection from burrowing
pests and predators:

We got chickens:

The kids looked into how to keep them warm and secure
without the use of a heat lamp. They discovered a "wool hen"
and made one out of felt, a cardboard box, and duct tape.

Thomas discovered what a mother hen must feel like. :-)

Maria educated neighbor kids on the care and

keeping of chickens.

They also learned about:

fermenting foods...

salesmanship...

strategic gameplay...

philanthropy...

and the life cycles of wild house finches.

This summer, as we prepare for the arrival of their baby sister, they will reacquaint themselves with anatomy and embryonic/fetal development, as well as stay busy with books, local travels, pen pals, more sewing projects, and home improvement projects (they have been helping with painting and carpentry already, and have proven to be naturally talented). They have also made plans to keep up with coding and computer animation though Khan Academy and Minecraft-associated programs. We are looking forward to every last bit of it.