Fall Apple Picking

A trip to Mainely Apples orchard over in Dixmont last Friday with our friends, the Dows. The weather was unseasonably warm...perfect! And the Fall foliage is at its peak right now. I picked lots of the Ida Reds (good keepers from what I hear) and gave the kiddos their own bags to fill with whatever apples tickled their tastebuds! Click here for slideshow...

Learning on the Fly

We unexpectedly flew out of Boston a couple of weeks ago due to the untimely passing of my precious Mom, Colleen Cady Hayes. I haven't been home to Dallas in over 5 years and, as unfortunate as the circumstances are right now, it's been such a blessing to reconnect with family and friends. Just the children and I made the trip while Andrew, my hubby, stayed home to hold down the fort....job, animals, and new farm that we closed on the day before we left for Texas. However, hubby  was able to get us all safely to Boston and on our way for our 2+ week visit to what was once considered 'home' and the birthplace of our children.

Travel these days seems to inevitably be riddled with its delays and stressful moments and I must say that this was the first time I've attempted to travel all alone with just the kids. We left home at 5 a.m. so we could be to the Boston airport by 10 a.m. The plane was delayed 2 hours so we spent that time touring the historical district around the Boston Commons. Not a bad place to kill some time! We had enough time to check out the subway, the old gravestone markers...some dating clear back to the 1600's, and the old church and state house along the Commons. 

As you might've guessed, my biggest trepidation was getting us all through security but thankfully that episode was uneventful. I had managed to schedule a non-stop flight to Dallas so once we were in the air, it was smooth sailing to DFW. The biggest thrill of the flight, though, was yet to come...

The highlight of the flight was that the pilot invited the kiddos to tour the cockpit of the jet once we landed. I didn't even think anyone did that kind of thing anymore! What a thrill...and an education! : D

Lemonade Day Hits Maine

Lemonade Day In Maine is coming up soon! June 3, 2012 is the Day! My children have decided they wanted to participate this year....we just picked up our bags with the info and workbooks at the Newport Cultural Center yesterday. It's a great opportunity to put those budding entrepreneurs into the lime light...or should we say 'lemon' light!!

Even if your children (like a couple of mine, for instance) don't wish to officially register, the workbook with budgets and ideas for their own lemonade stand endeavor is fun to browse and perhaps try whenever the mood strikes! Here's more of the scoop:

Lemonade Day is June 3rd! Click here to register your child ONLINE and. receive e-mail confirmation on where to pick up your free backpack, workbook and more. Register IN PERSON at locations listed under tab above "REGISTER/CONTESTS"

Sunday, June 3, 2012 is Lemonade Day in Maine!

Lemonade Day is a free, fun, experiential learning program that teaches youth how to start, own and operate their own business – a lemonade stand. It began in Houston, Texas in 2007. Since then it has grown from 2,700 kids to 120,000 kids in 31 cities across America and Canada in 2011 – including ours!

The foremost objective of Lemonade Day is to empower youth to take ownership of their lives and become productive members of society – the business leaders, social advocates, volunteers, and forward thinking citizens of tomorrow.

Each child that registers receives a backpack with an Entrepreneur Workbook that teaches them the 14 lessons of Lemonade Day like creating budgets, setting profit-making goals, serving customers, repaying investors, and giving back to the community. Along the way, they acquire skills in goal-setting, problem solving, and gain self-esteem critical for future success. They keep all the money they make and are encouraged to spend some, save some and share some.

What do kids learn by participating in Lemonade Day?

Financial Literacy & Economics

• capital equipment & consumables
• supply & demand
• credit, debt, gross & net income
• marginal utility
• return on investment
• compound interest

College Readiness & Career

• critical thinking & collaboration
• interest in attending college
• civic responsibility
• customer service
• teamwork & problem solving
• presentation skills & design

Life Skills/Personal Development

• leadership
• belief that attaining goals is within reach
• personal productivity
• self-direction & time management
• social responsibility & charity
• high order thinking
• social skills & self confidence

Academics

• math calculations
• reading & interpreting data
• oral & written communication

Lemonade Day Maine is a 501(C)3 – Youth Entrpreneurship Adventures of Maine dba Lemonade Day Maine  ID # 80-0706955

 

 

 

 

 

Learning to Teach

You've probably heard the old saying that we don't really know something until we have to teach it to someone else. It's so true! My daughter, Heather, has discovered that this saying seems to be true also in teaching animals. Patience, persistence, kindness, repetition, and fun all play into the teaching model and seems to work with amazing results no matter who's doing the learning....or teaching, for that matter!

Make sure that you have the right tools or supplies for your lesson set up and ready to go...keep it interesting without being too overwhelming....

Make sure that your pupil completely understands what's being asked, take small steps, and reward even the tiniest attempts at the right answer...

A friendly bond develops so easily and quickly when lessons are short, interesting....with a bit of a challenge, a bit of review....and lots of praise! Last but not least, always end on a good note. Bonnie says, "Wow, I never knew I could walk over those logs on a crackly dark tarp!" Way to go, Bonnie, we knew you could do it! : D

Christmas Program 2011

The Homeschool Christmas Program is the highlight of our children's year. They always look forward to their moment in the lime light on stage....all except our youngest, that is. She still suffers from stage fright (and truthfully, I'm one who can totally relate). However our older ones are very eager to recite their winter poems or Bible verse, or sing a song. Other children in the group also play instruments and all of them join together to sing Christmas carols. 

Afterward, it's time to sample the Holiday desserts and drinks. In the past, we've had the program at the Grange Hall, but this year we gathered in the new fellowship hall at the little church in Plymouth.

Heather was asked this year to read the birth of Jesus story out of Luke...

 

The sound quality is abysmal. 

But it does give a feel for being there....sort of! : D