Homeschool - learning French

Today was another hot day but we had to head upstairs to work on some craft stuff, so Keree decided to work on some school work. I have recently gotten a lot of flack and questions on why I'm choosing to homeschool Keree. I know it seems like a super odd choice for a Single Mom but for right now, this feels like the right choice in our lives. Plus, honestly, last year in public school, Kindergarten was a complete waste. Keree would go to school, do 2-3 worksheets, then because she got them done early, she would draw pictures on the back of them, eat lunch, have rest time, have 4 recesses and then come home. Keree constantly complained she was bored at school. So, when she would get home, we did an additional 2-2 1/2 hrs of what the public school considered 2nd grade work (adding, subtracting, reading and writing). Now before I moved, I thoroughly researched the school districts, this is one of the top rated districts in the State and still is today. But it honestly cannot compare to the education I had already provided to Keree before she started Kindergarten and continued providing her during the year. 

So, that is the short answer to why I'm choosing to homeschool. At this point, I don't want to provide the long answer about all the underhanded things the School has done and is continuing to do because I don't want them to cause us any trouble this coming school year. Today, after Keree finished her core curriculum, she started foreign language lessons. I'm using a computer based program recommended by another Homeschool Momma and so far, we love it. Plus I love that there was so many languages (Spanish, Chinese,  etc) to choose from. We choose French, why, mainly because that is her Godmother and her Godmother's Families first language. We are really hoping in the very near future that we will be able to make a trip to visit. Since we want to spend a lengthy time with them, knowing French will make the visit a whole lot easier. Otherwise, our day was filled completely with school and craftiness until bedtime.

Summer Reading

Today was a day to get down a ton of errands. Literally, we had to drive between 7 cities to get everything done and we didn't get home till almost 5p. One of our stops was at B&N to turn in Keree's summer reading list. She read 8 books and because of that she got to pick out a new book. Of course, since we had just seen Alvin and the Chipmunks, she picked their Chipwrecked book. What was also really cool, is that they announced Keree's name over the loud speaker saying she had completed the Summer Reading program. Keree just giggled when she heard her name, followed by workers and customers in the store clapping for her. 

She Won....

As Keree puts it, today started off as a bad day because it was hot and we had to run errands. Who cares that the majority of those errands were things pertaining to her and her activities. We ran by the Library and got her reading log stamped. She also picked out her weekly prize, which was a bowl of Pho on a keychain. We ran down to the Fairgrounds in hopes that the new County Fair Premium books would be out (they've been promising over a month that they were ready). Well needless to say, when we arrived, they were still at the printers. UGH!! We had a few more stops to make but it was getting way to hot. The van's a/c is out and has been all summer. So we opted that we would finish up our errands tomorrow. 

Once we got home, we just vegged out. Honestly, it was too hot to do anything except to lay in front of the fans. We finally headed back outside to get the mail and to our surprise there was a letter for Keree and it was from our electric company. I really thought it was strange until I opened it. I had completely forgot that she had entered their coloring contest way back in the beginning of April. To our surprise, she won 1st place and got $15 in McDonald's gift cards! Her picture is going to be featured in the electric companies magazine and I can't wait for it to arrive.

First day of VBS

Today was Keree's first day of Vacation Bible School. We don't attend the one held at our church because it's so expensive ($40 a child). Plus, growing up, I always attended the Baptist Church's VBS because that was the church my Grandparents attended even though they weren't that religion. But back to Keree, she's been looking forward to VBS all year because this year meant she was old enough to sing in the musical!  This morning when we arrived, they started practicing their singing and she was downright giddy. Today they pretended to visit Brazil, Keree said that they painted a picture of the ocean. They also learned about one of the church's many missions they support in South America.

After VBS, we headed over to the Library to have Keree's reading log stamped. For her weekly prize, she decided to choose a foam donut.

Summer Reading & Dancing

This morning we got up bright and early, so we could be at the Library as soon as it opened. Keree was so excited to pick out her first prize of the Summer Reading program. It was a squishy slice of cake. We also turned in her book report. Then we tried to find the secret hidden poem and tired to guess the pictures of the candy. 

 This evening we had Irish Step dancing. This week, we were suppose to have two teachers so the class could be split up and learn more. Needless to say, there was two teachers but one teacher worked with the new girl and the rest of the girls were grouped together still. Which made it bad since the two bully sisters, were still stuck with Keree. I had really hoped with the new Teacher that Keree would be seperated from them. Two more classes and then have to decide to continue or not. Since it was so hot, I decided not to cook and we stopped off and picked up a pizza.

Summer Library Reading

We missed the original sign-up date for the summer Library reading program. It was on Monday, so signing up on Thursday of the same week, isn't so bad. Luckily, that means we missed the rush of Mom comparing how many books there kids have already read and sizing up the competition. Unfortunately, that also meant we missed all the fun activites that you had to RSVP for. That's ok, most of them involved junk food and that's really not how we roll around here. Now if it was a veggie or fruit activity, like build the Library's largest Veggie tray instead of build the Library's largest Ice Cream Sundae, then Keree would have been bummed out. 

After signing up at the Library, we headed off to the store. Keree is almost obsessed as much with the new Brave movie, as she is with Rapunzel. So, I had saved all the money and gift cards she got from her Birthday in February for her to use this summer or for her to keep saving. Well today, she decided to use her Birthday money. She got a small Merida that lets you change her clothes, the three Brother who turn into bears and finally the larger Merida but not the Princess one, Keree wanted the Archery Merida. 

 She spent the entire day playing with Merida, here she is taking her for a piggy back ride. She also loves the fact that you can kinda shoot the bow and arrow. Keree also loves the fact that she has Irish Step dancing shoes on, so she also was making Merida practice the steps with her.

Book Report Winner

Last night, we got a call saying that Keree's book report won at the Library and that she had to pick up her prize bag asap. So while I stayed home this morning and tried to fix our tent so we could use it this weekend, my Mom and Keree headed to the Library. Keree was so excited to see her Book Report on the board with the 3 other winners (her report has the fantastic ribbon on it & the arrow pointing to it). The Children's Librarian then gave Keree her prize. It's a canvas bag with the Summer Reading Program's logo and inside was a free movie ticket voucher, a padlock, an eraser computer mouse, some pens, pencils and papers. My Mom and Keree then looked for her dragon that she made the day we signed up. My Mom was surprised that Keree remembered that her dragon was orange. Heck, I'm amazed she remembered that because I didn't since we were so rushed that day. After they took a few pictures, they headed home. Both Keree and my Mom were amazed that I had fixed the tent (replaced two section, part of a leg and did some major rehabbing to it), replaced the top, waterproofed the top and set it up and put it back down all by myself. Actually, I have to say I was quite proud of myself also. Since it was so miserably hot, my Mom and I took it easy, while I worked upstairs on crafty stuff. I was upstairs from 11am till almost 130 am. I got alot done but still have so much more to get done tomorrow.

Reading & Chinese Food Day

Since Keree had finally read 8 books on her own, we headed out, so she could turn in her Barnes & Noble reading list for her free book. She was suppose to pick a book off the list but had her heart really set on this Rapunzel book. So, I decided I would just pay for this book (eek! I hate paying retail for books) and also let her get her free book. When we arrived at the cash register, the Cashier instead let us just use the credit for the Rapunzel book and didn't make her choose one off the list. Hooray! Keree was so excited to get her Rapunzel book for Free. She told me she was keeping her receipt, so she can show everyone that it was free. That the ticket said 0.00 for the price. Honestly, the girl cracks me up sometimes. We then ran to the Library to have her reading list stamped and to pick up her little weekly prize. Which she picked out another Frog Princess, she wanted the Frog Prince but they didn't have anymore. Since I had promised her last week that the day we went to the library, we would eat out. We headed to the local Chinese restaurant thats downtown. It was our first time eating there. I had heard good things about them but we won't be eating there again. We placed our order as soon as we walked in, Keree wanted wonton soup and I decided we would split some Shrimp LoMein. As we were paying, the cashier wanted to know, where Keree was from. Keree told her Vietnam, which weirdly the Cashier was also from Vietnam. She asked Keree what province and Keree told her HCMC, it turns out that the Cashier was from DaNang. The Cashier then turned to me and goes, "you pay lots of money for her?" I looked at her and go "No, there are lots of fees involved in adoption and they go to different entities." She looked at me and goes "You buy her, but that ok, she cute." If I hadn't just paid the women, I would have walked out without our food. I was appalled by the whole conversation, because it didn't just stop with that comment. Most people don't ask, most people don't give Keree and I a second look, they honestly think because I'm a single Mom that I slept around or something. I'm honest with Keree about her adoption and we talk about it alot. Especially with all the stupid things said during this school year by her Teacher but this one just caught me off guard. Needless to say, as we waited for our food, I was steaming the entire time. Then they decided to take over 40 minutes to cook our food. I was plain pissed off by the time we left. As we drove home, Keree asked about what the women said, I told her that some people don't understand adoption and they think you can just buy a baby like buying something in the store. I told Keree that's pretty funny because we can't walk into Wallymart and buy a baby can we. Keree laughed and was ok with it because my explanation made sense. When we got home, we finally sat down to have lunch. I was so disappointed in the food. The wonton soup was the worst I have ever had and the shrimp lomein was beyond bland. Guessing, it will be a long time before we eat Asian out again because honestly it's just better to cook it yourself. As for the rest of our day, we read, re-read and re-read her new Rapunzel book. I worked on bows and trying to catch up for our 4th of July show.

Lazy, Crafty Day

After we got up in the morning, we got to hang out with my Brother a short time before he headed off to work. He was suppose to get the code for his apartment complex swimming pool but he had forgot. Our original plan was Keree and I was going to go swimming, while my Mom worked on crafty stuff. So since we couldn't go swimming, we ran to the grocery store and bought our weeks worth of groceries so I could cook every night. We ran to the $1 store there because for some reason they usually have a better assortment and then headed back to the apartment. I spent the rest of the day working on bottlecaps. Keree either played with Rapunzel or played wedding with a plastic wedding ring. As for my Mom, she worked on coloring rice for I-Spy bottles. For dinner, I cooked panko encrusted pork chops, baked potatoes, carrots and garlic bread. After dinner, Keree spent the rest of the evening reading books for the summer reading program. She finished 4 books and then wrote her very 1st book report. The book report portion is a weekly contest to win a bag full of books and goodies. She's very excited that she has the chance to win. We headed to bed when the news came on and are looking forward to tomorrow.

Off to Ohio

We got up early this morning trying to finish up our errands before heading to Ohio. We were only going to go for a few days but my Brother asked us to stay through the weekend, so I guess we will head home on Monday. After we got our errands done, we finished our last minute packing and then decided to take a few pictures of our Asian lilies because we were pretty sure that they were going to be done blooming by the time we got home. I also remembered and took a picture of Keree with her Summer Reading bag that she got yesterday. Now the plan was to leave early enough to get there and have dinner waiting when my Brother got off work. Well...we should have known that after getting struck in construction traffic not even 50 miles from home, that the trip wasn't going to be easy. I swear between the bad drivers, reckless truckers and endless road construction it was starting to turn into the trip from hell. I can't even count how many times a trucker crossed the line with his load and almost hit us. I can't even count how many times a car driver would just slam on his brakes for no apparent reason. I think I did count that we went through 274+ miles of road construction, sometimes we sat almost an hour for only 1/2 miles of road construction, it was nuts. Amazingly Keree slept through a good majority of it and when she wasn't sleeping she was watching movies. What is usually under a 5 hr trip, was over 8 1/2 hrs. Needless to say we didn't make it to my Brother's in time to fix dinner, in fact we got there almost an hour after he got off work. So instead we ended up having take-out pizza instead of a nice home cooked meal. After dinner, we settled in for the night and headed to bed early.

Library Summer Reading

Well for some reason, we decided that since we had a week with no shows to head out to Ohio to visit my brother. Well it's not all for a visit, we also have some business stuff to get done. What we didn't factor in was how much work we needed to get done before the next show. But more than anything Keree is super excited to see her Uncle. We spent the morning unloading two levels of the van. We then headed into town because we had a few packages to send out and then we stopped by the Library to sign Keree up for the summer reading program. I have to say I found it very chaotic and interesting as we filled out all the paperwork. There were Mom's in line already comparing how many books their kids had read that morning. It was so funny to hear them go Oh, Susie read 10 and Johnny read 11 and then when the other Mom said bigger numbers, they would correct themselves. Geesh, it's a summer reading program, it's not the Olympics. So after receiving her bag (which I forgot to take a picture of today, I'll remember tomorrow) and making her Name Dragon, we headed home to pack. While we packed, Keree spent her time learning how to tie flowers together to make necklaces. It was so cute that she made a crown for our plastic goose, GoselynBob. Because it was so hot out, we took it easy the rest of the day. Nothing like another record breaking heat.