Measuring Unit Conversion Chart ~printable~

I was just sent a link to this site; all it is, is a handy one-page printable conversion chart for various US measures, metric measures, and US vs. metric measures. Includes even a comparative Fahrenheit vs. Celsius thermometer.

http://metricconversioncharts.org/

More homeschooling links

Here is more links I have stumbled across that I totally see visiting again:0)

Homeschool Talk Radio
Robert Kampf Science videos
Practical Homeschool

Ok well this is just a few for tonight still checking out a few others.

ST. Patricks Day

This is actually a hard time of year for me.  Dad passed away March 16, 2003.  Not but 2 weeks before Benjamin turned 3.  Ironically enough he became my father just as I was around 3 yrs old and left this realm of my life as my last child was turning 3.  I miss him much I can't describe the feeling of losing a parent.  those that have know what I am talking about.  

LOL I can't think of St. Pattys day w/o thinking of him.  We would always tell him we were going to pinch him because he wasn't wearing green.  Every year though he would pull out a dollar bill from his wallet that ironically enough was in his back pocket OR my favorite that until he died grossed me out and now my kids say sick... he would say if we dug in his belly button we would surely find some moldy green lint.  I find humor in it now, but at the time thought he was sick for suggesting it.  Most of my family heritage is Irish and Cherokee.  Not sure what else but those are the most talked about.  Carls side is Norwegian and Irish.  So our children have lots of Irish for sure running thru their veins.

It has been tradition we watch the John Wayne movie The Quiet Man every year.  Carl drinks his Guinness Stout...too dark for me, but he enjoys it.  We have corned beef and cabbage...gotta have them greens.  I just wish we didn't have cabbage sometimes as Benjamin is gaseous.

Unless you've been hiding under rock over the past few years, you have probably noticed that St. Patrick's day has been celebrated with increased zeal each time it rolls around. Celebrated on the 17th March (sometimes it is moved by the church, though will not be again until 2160), the date is said to be that of St. Patrick's death and is a national holiday inn Ireland. But what does the celebration really mean today?

Religion. For many, St. Patrick's Day still has many religious connotations and is an opportunity for Catholics to attend mass. If the 17th happens to fall on a Friday, some bishops allow the privilege to eat meat from which Catholics usually abstained. In terms of religion himself, St. Patrick was a Christian Missionary abroad and subsequently taught other Christians the best way to preach to pagan cultures. He is said to have converted thousands to the faith.

Green. Interestingly, St. Patrick was actually more famed for wearing blue. Instead, the relationship between the modern celebration and the colour green is said to have derived from the phrase 'the wearing of the green', which means to wear a shamrock (a long-time sign of Irish nationalism). St. Patrick often used the shamrock as a symbol to demonstrate the holy trinity during his preaching to non-Christians.

Alcohol. Today, St. Patrick 's Day is widely associated with drinking typically Irish alcohol, including: whiskey, Guinness stout, Baileys Irish Cream, and Irish Coffee. Realising the great potential of the tradition making increased sales in Irish goods, alcoholic drinks marketers have tried to promote their brands with particular incentives on and around the 17th March year on year. Guinness seems to have led the way, with merchandise and token schemes successfully enticing many revellers to drink excess amounts of the famous dark stout in celebration.

Parade. Many cities across the world host their own St. Patrick's Day parades. In the UK, the largest goes through Birmingham, but London and the small Scottish town of Coatbridge also have their own. In Chicago USA, the river is dyed green, and in 1966 environmentalists protested at the tradition affecting the river's goldfish population, forcing the ingredients of the dye to be changed. The volcanic island of Montserrat, which was founded by Irish refugees, also celebrates the 17th as a national holiday.

Here is our St. Pattys Day fun I rec' this in email so no clue where it originated, but looks fun and educational:

St. Patrick's Day Internet Scavenger Hunt

 

1. Birthday Express History of St. Patrick's Day Page-- http://www.birthdayexpress.com/bexpress/planning/StPatricksDay.asp
   • What tragic event happened to St. Patrick as a teenager?
   • What did Patrick say the three leaf shamrock symbolized?
   • Nearly every business is closed in Ireland on St. Patrick's day, except what?
   • What does "green" stand for?

2. St. Patrick's Profile-- http://www.pcpages.com/fantasyworld/patprof.html
   • Young St. Patrick was called "Succat." What does that mean?
   • After he was baptized, he was called Patricius. What does that mean?
   • How many U.S. Presidents have had Irish heritage?
   • When and where was the first American celebration of St. Patrick's Day?

3. St. Patrick's Day Customs and History-- http://wilstar.com/holidays/patrick.htm
   • When is St. Patrick's Day celebrated?
   • What does that date stand for?
   • When was St. Patrick born?

4. St. Patrick's Day-- http://www.serena1.com/st-pat-page1.html
   • The tradition Irish greeting is "top of the morning to you." What is the correct response?
   • What does the Irish word "luchorpan" mean?
   • What do leprechaun's supposedly spend their time doing?
   • Supposedly, how tall are leprechauns?
   • What gift is a person supposed to receive if they kiss the Blarney stone?

5. St. Patrick's Day Word Search--http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/patrick/word/search1.gif
   • Print out the Word Search Puzzle and solve. 
   
   
   Here are some links I found while browsing and thought they will be interesting addition to the above:

http://www.vocabulary.com/stpats.html

http://www.history.com/minisites/stpatricksday/

http://fun.familyeducation.com/st.-patricks-day/holidays/32935.html has lots of family fun stuff:0)

AN IRISH FRIENDSHIP WISH 

Good Luck!! 

I hope it works... 

May there always be work for your hands to do; 

May your purse always hold a coin or two; 

May the sun always shine on your windowpane; 

May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain; 

May the hand of a friend always be near you; 

May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.  

SOOOOO May the Luck of the Irish be with You:0)

ebay and postal news

Have you heard......

News Stories

USPS Warns of Delivery Cutbacks
Postmaster considers reducing mail service to 5 days a week.
Under mounting pressure to cut operating costs, the U.S. Postal Service is considering a move to reduce mail delivery to five days a week, instead of six. Read story.

Managing the Mandate
Recommendations for coping with eBay's electronic payments policy
by Dennis L. Prince
Auction king eBay has made another bold policy change, stipulating that only electronic payments will be accepted from buyers who bid and buy on the site. While this flies in the face of a seller's preferable policy to provide payment options to customers (electronic, money order or checks), there are ways to make the most of this newest provision. Read story.

Searching for Greener Pastures
Largest eBay sellers' group feels a sense of betrayal.
by Brad and Debra Schepp

I want to homeschool

I love it when I hear friends, total strangers etc say that;0) Many follow that statement with I don't think I have the patience or the qualifications! My answer to the first is neither do I and the 2nd is who taught them until they entered Kindergarten? I am betting it was you the parent so why did you have to stop being their teacher just because they entered a school setting.

I personally believe there is nothing better. That being said and knowing what I know of the benefits this 2nd round I actually paused pulling them because I was starting business all over again in MT. Funny thing is they have helped and not been a burden or hindrance:0) In fact Kelda has asked to start training to take photos at weddings with me. It is a possibility as she will be 15 this year. The kids had an awesome experience in Colorado schools. I can't say the same in Wyoming and Montana. To no fault of Inger's 3rd grade teacher in WY whom she did love she decided she didn't want to be the only of the 3 kids in public shool.

Anyhow I thought I would put together information to help those that are just starting to get going.

Seriously it isn't that hard!! Maybe it is because I was homeschooled, homeschooled my kids in the beginning before public school and now that my husband is more relaxed in how and what they learn it makes my job 10 times easier in teaching....er rather the kids teach me. Its fun playing dumb sometimes and them ask "did you know"...lol. Not another feeling like it in the world.

1.Once you have a bit of experience, it is very possible to put together your own curriculum cheaply from the library and the Internet. It doesn't have to be expensive. I have picked up many old used books from the thrift store check around you will be amazed. Honestly I found old school books very informative...those from the 80's seem to have more valuable informational content than the newer ones.

2. Check your state laws and don't let the school district bully you. It is LEGAL in all 50 states to homeschool, but the laws differ from state to state....so KNOW your rights before going in. for MT: http://www.hslda.org/laws/analysis/Montana.pdf outside of MT just go to www.hslda.org and look for your state.

Personally my kids learn year round we really don't have set time of year just because of the season. Sometimes for us those times aren't good times, or life happens and you have to drop everything. So we go with the flow and we must be doing something right as Kelda is 8th grade testing at a 9th grade level in most things. We make hikes a learning adventure.

You can schedule your day if that is the type of person you are, but over time I have learned to let that go and find my kids are learning more by not pushing or forcing things. Kelda shocked me yesterday I woke to a 2.5 page book report, neatly written on the book Hamlet. I told her when she got it I wanted book report written and she did so w/in the week so she could read another book of interest.

3. Children LOVE to learn...It is as natural to them as breathing. They have an inborn hunger to explore the world and examine what is interesting. The phrase they are sponges is true!! They learn by following their interests, with one interest leading to another.

4. It doesn't take 6-8hours to do school. Make a schedule and plan to scratch thru it many many MANY times!! lol. I am not joking. Think about those hours they spend at a public school...they spend how much time in line, recess, changing classes, waiting for the class chatter to calm and well you know the list....they aren't learning that whole time so why waste an entire day in school??

5. Just because you homeschool it doesn't mean your child will be a misfit. I remember learning just how many friends I truly had after my parents decided to homeschool...I suddenly had some kind of plague or something. Homeschooling seems to be more acceptable today then back then. BESIDES who would you rather your child learn social skills from....peers that are seriously lacking OR the majority of adults with common sense and that can send a good example.

6. You will question yourself a lot. Maybe several times a day in the beginning. NORMAL don't worry. Find a fellow homeschooling friend, search online for homeschool support groups etc. Support each other. Tell each other that it's okay to sometimes feel that your children didn't seem to learn anything on a given day. They did, and so did you!

7. I can't stress enough...Trust in your child. They learned how to love, smile, crawl, walk, talk, run, dress themselves, and understand their world before starting school, and they will continue to grow and learn without school.

8. MY FAVORITE site http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/ Ann is a wealth of information and a great lady. There are even weekly chats that are set up via her yahoo group. I suggest you sign up for her yahoo email group for support, ask your questions ect. Very helpful group.

Questions and statements that I have heard over the years and you most likely will too:

What about socialization? Inger said it best to a girl she met in the park when asked how do you socialize...Inger looked at her quiet questioningly and said what do you mean what exactly are we doing right now?? WTG that's my girl!!

How do they graduate? You sign that Diploma when you think they have completed necessary studies to succeed in college. If a college is picked out make sure you have met their guidelines to get accepted.

I Just really don't get the whole lesson planning thing. How long do you teach a lesson for? Is it day to day, week to week, month to month. I am nervous about messing them up academically speaking! (LOL the government ruled schools are already doing this sorry to break the news to ya) RELAX don't make it harder than it has to be...was it hard teaching them to talk, say their abcs, their colors and shapes....not really so relax. Like I said before let them go, find what interests them and that will lead to something more exciting for further education.

Ok so are we clear....Learning is a lot easier in a relaxed atmosphere with this type of one on one attention....so RELAX and most importantly...have fun:0)

Saturday Night Special: Biggest Full Moon of 2009

Robert Roy Britt
Editorial Director
SPACE.com robert Roy Britt
editorial Director
space.com – Fri Jan 9, 12:56 pm ET

If skies are clear Saturday, go out at sunset and look for the giant moon rising in the east. It will be the biggest and brightest one of 2009, sure to wow even seasoned observers.

Earth, the moon and the sun are all bound together by gravity, which keeps us going around the sun and keeps the moon going around us as it goes through phases. The moon makes a trip around Earth every 29.5 days.

But the orbit is not a perfect circle. One portion is about 31,000 miles (50,000 km) closer to our planet than the farthest part, so the moon's apparent size in the sky changes. Saturday night (Jan. 10) the moon will be at perigee, the closest point to us on this orbit.

It will appear about 14 percent bigger in our sky and 30 percent brighter than some other full moons during 2009, according to NASA. (A similar setup occurred in December, making that month's full moon the largest of 2008.)

High tides

Tides will be higher, too. Earth's oceans are pulled by the gravity of the moon and the sun. So when the moon is closer, tides are pulled higher. Scientists call these perigean tides, because they occur when the moon is at or near perigee. (The farthest point on the lunar orbit is called apogee.)

This month's full moon is known as the Wolf Moon from Native American folklore. The full moon's of each month are named. January's is also known as the Old Moon and the Snow Moon.

A full moon rises right around sunset, no matter where you are. That's because of the celestial mechanics that produce a full moon: The moon and the sun are on opposite sides of the Earth, so that sunlight hits the full face of the moon and bounces back to our eyes.

At moonrise, the moon will appear even larger than it will later in the night when it's higher in the sky. This is an illusion that scientists can't fully explain. Some think it has to do with our perception of things on the horizon vs. stuff overhead.

Try this trick, though: Using a pencil eraser or similar object held at arm's length, gauge the size of the moon when it's near the horizon and again later when it's higher up and seems smaller. You'll see that when compared to a fixed object, the moon will be the same size in both cases.

More lunacy

If you have other plans for Saturday night, take heart: You can see all this on each night surrounding the full moon, too, because the moon will be nearly full, rising earlier Friday night and later Sunday night.

Interestingly, because of the mechanics of all this, the moon is never truly 100 percent full. For that to happen, all three objects have to be in a perfect line, and when that rare circumstance occurs, there is a total eclipse of the moon.

A departing fact: The moon is moving away as you read this, by about 1.6 inches (4 centimeters) a year. Eventually this drift will force the moon to take 47 days to circle our world.

• Gallery: Moon Images
• Skywatcher's Guide to the Moon
• Top 10 Strangest Things in Space

• Original Story: Saturday Night Special: Biggest Full Moon of 2009

SPACE.com offers rich and compelling content about space science, travel and exploration as well as astronomy, technology, business news and more. The site boasts a variety of popular features including our space image of the day and other space pictures,space videos, Top 10s, Trivia, podcasts and Amazing Images submitted by our users. Join our community, sign up for our free newsletters and register for our RSS Feeds today!

Snow Cream and Life

Well it has been an interesting week or so. Finally got the furnace repaired so life on that end got better. Then due to no furnace the pipes froze up when the main water supply was shut down when another rig froze up. No notice was given so we didn't get to prepare. So we just waited until the furnace was repaired to thaw things out and turn back on. Only 4 days we survived naturally since as you see I am here typing this...lol. We thawed out nicely in about 1 1/2 hours with one of those wonderful 75,000 BTU propane forced air heaters....ahhh that is on my christmas list let me tell ya!! I don't think we would have thawed out without it.

Anyhow in light of the recent new snow thought I should list a couple of snow cream recipes really is fun this time of year. Funny how when it is cold out I crave icecream. don't ask it doesn't make sense to me either.

School we have more or less taken the month off from school and will start back up after the new year. The kids have kept busy helping me business wise, doing their own shopping, baking so there was still plenty of education in life going ons to keep their brains occupied. Not to mention they are always reading something.

Snow Cream Idea...
Put a big bowl (metal if you have it is great keeps things cold a little longer) outside when it's snowing to collect snow. Mix in Sweetened Condensed Milk... I don't know how much, just to proper consistency add vanilla and enjoy!

You can also do the whole bowl thing then add regular milk, sugar and vanilla either way works awesome.

LOTS of free homeschool links

http://www.easyfunschool.com/

Lots of freebie alternatives to teaching your child:0) Considering our economy I would say we could all use a break or save where we can while we can.

Pagan Homeschool

Pagan Moonbeams~ Novembers pdf copy http://paganmoonbeams.com/pdfs/MBNov08.pdf We LOVE this monthly themed site that is sent to out email box.

Pooka's Sandbox~ http://www.elsieandpooka.com/pookas_sandbox.htm this should be their Samhain file.

Women's Journeys > Love and Growth > Pagan Home...

Sacred Grove Academy A TON of sites to check out.

Pagan Homeschooling - Great page with lots of articles and resources!

Pagan Children, Acorns Newsletter

Spiral Scouts - Paganism's answer to Boy and Girl Scouts!

Homeschooling Outreach for Pagan Families

Jon's Homeschool Resource Page

Moondreamer Magick - A Pagan Homeschool

Goddess Moon Circles Academy - An online Pagan private school and a Pagan-based curriculum developed by and for Pagan families

Pagan HEN Home Education Network

Pagan Parenting and Homeschooling

www.oakmeadow.com Not Pagan per se but is pretty nature based and a lot of Pagans are known to use them for an organized curriculum.

Homeschool Forums

The Homeschool Library

Reading

Learn to Read at Starfall - teaching comprehension and phonics Awesome interactive reading site. Great for beginners and beyond or those that need a boost or help with reading.

Unschool and different Homeschool styles

Where I think unschooling is AWESOME I have found it is easier for me to have some kind of guidelines and more and more we are using an extreme mixture of sources on top of our base program. We don't stick strictly with our base program either.

Unschooling Information - LeapingFromTheBox.com

The Home School Learning Network, Homeschool Methods explanations of different homeschool styles out there.

Best Homeschooling - Homeschoolers' Best Advice... lots of reading get your coffee, make sure the kids are busy.

History

History Channel - Classroom

World History & Geography from studentsfriend.com

All Around Homeschool sites

Here I will try to post sites I come across that offer a ton of information no matter the age group of your little ones.

Brain pop does have sections that are free videos in the event you don't or can't afford to pay the yearly or monthly fee.

BrainPOP Jr. - Home Page for ages up to about 3rd grade

BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids For Older kids above 3rd grade

Though Christian I LOVE this site for resources, lesson plans according to subjects,ov frugal options and over all a wealth of information:
An Old-Fashioned Education

Education World® : Teacher Tools & Templates Lots of templates for various things.

Math

Teaching Textbooks

Kids Allowance, Chores, Money, Responsibilities Lots of free options, all around awesome site has free chore charts as well.

Systematic Mathematics - Home DVD Curriculum

kwizNET Math/Science/English Homeschool/Aftersc...

Brain POP election studies

www.brainpop.com

We ABSOLUTELY love this site and if you mark family rather than homeschooler you can get it on a monthly pay plan of $15 if you need more than one option...ie I have a 2nd and 5th grader therefore therefore need the jr version as well as the regular version.

I noticed that if you just click on Social Studies, then U.S. Government and Law. The free
topics are clearly marked.

Mini Learners... FREE in some states thru Nov 15th

MINI-LEARNER's features include:

• Customizable: Can say your child's name during lesson responses!
• Provides comprehensive basic skills training to children 1-8 years old.
• Supports early learning development: Normal, Advanced or Special-needs
• Coverage of a wide range of relevant educational topics.
• Click here to see topic listing.
• Provides YEARS of fun learning

www.mitink.com

I just received this email. My children are older but thought someone might be able to get some use. Though I might can still use it for Benjamin.

"Through November 15th, we are offering Mini-Learner absolutely free(no cost, no shipping, no handling) when shipped to homes, daycares, schools, and learning centers in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, OR Overseas(International)! Just confirm your order at sales@mitink.com , and your order will ship in 5-7 days! This offer is good for the duration of our sponsorship support. Thank you for your interest, and work with the young minds of tomorrow! We are proud to support your efforts.”

My guess is they want to reach out to underserved spots, or something, and have some extra money to burn (LOL). Otherwise, $14 is still an awesome price to pay to get this kids learning software!

Gaelic Lessons coming to Bozeman MT

There's an Irish immersion class coming to Bozeman this month, run by Traolach (Terry) O'Riordan and Erin O'Riordan from the University of Montana Irish Studies program. You can find details at the Irish Montana website, www.IrishMontana.com, or by watching this blog at www.MontanaGael.blogspot.com.

Gaelic is the root of so many American place names and slang words. It's a true joy to study.

Great Astronomy site

Enjoy the worldwide telescope:

http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/

Microsoft® XP SP2 (minimum), Windows® Vista® (recommended)

Old Fashioned Education Magazine Offer this week only

Old Fashioned Education special. One week only. Almost $200 worth of homeschool products. Click here.