Going to the Library

 We are frequent visitors at our library branch. They are getting to recognize us. We are there at least once a week and tend to max out our cards since we read so much. 

 I try and make sure we have a wide variety of books to bring home. We like children's picture books from many different authors, audio books, easy readers, and some from the reference section in subjects that are of interest. We read novels once and a while.

One of the librarians suggested that we enter the reading club for the summer so we did. We are enjoying the activities they put on and the kids are keeping track of how many minutes they spend reading or being read to. They may even win a prize at the end.

Being the Model

One of the aspects of unschooling is to pursue our interests. This isn't just for the kids. This is a life choice that should include everyone. Parents can model this so that the kids follow their interests as well. I'm so proud of my husband for going after his interest of learning how to play hockey. I must say that a man in his 30's learning how to play hockey for the first time looks much different than a child learning and this makes me even more proud of him. The kids are also proud of him. We all go and watch when we can. 

It's so cute that Austyn tries to tell him how to improve his skills because he sees himself as a much better hockey player than his Dad. It's wonderful to see them give each other advice. They also understand how hard it can get out there. There is a much better understanding between the two of them now that they both play. It's not as easy of a sport as it looks.

Seeing Family

 We went to see family with Dad. This is a great picture of a sleeping cousin.

 It was nice to see some family from Ontario. 

 We had fun in the pool at our hotel.

 The slide was great. 

 Austyn showed his cousin the ins and outs of the iPad.

 It has been a summer with too much rain so far. The ground was wet and there were many puddles, but the kids didn't seem to mind.

 The splash pad was useful to wash off the mud.

 It's nice to see the kids hanging out with family members. They seemed to get along well.

 Austyn likes to use the swing sets at parks now. That is thanks to a homeschool friend.

 The kids were distracted by a very friendly and playful stray dog.

 

 It was a beautiful day at the park.

 Each time these two meet they really seem to hit it off.

 It was a beautiful day at the park and a sad good bye. 

We saw another part of Alberta and had time with family. I don't know about you, but it seems to me that when I go through and read our posts on here I can see just how much we go out, how much social time the kids get with all kinds of people and how much physical activity they do.

100 Books a Month Challenge - June

Both:

1.       A Dark Dark Tale by Ruth Brown

2.       A Frogy Fable by John Lechner

3.       Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst (Audio)

4.       Animal Strike at the Zoo by Karma Wilson (audio)

5.       A Pup Just For Me by Ed Young

6.       Ask Mr. Bear by Marjorie Flack (Audio)

7.       Badness for Beginners by Ian Whybrow and Tony Ross

8.       Banana! By Ed Vere

9.       Benedict by Teresa Duran and Elena Val

10.   Big Al by Andrew Clements Yoshi (audio)

11.   Big Wolf & Little Wold by Nadine Brun-Cosme and Olivier Tallec

12.   Birdsongs by Betsy Franco and Steve Jenkins

13.   Birthday for Bear by Bonny Becker

14.   Brand-New Baby Blues by Kathi Apelt

15.   Bun Bun’s Birthday by Richard Scrimger

16.   Bunny Money by Rosemay Wells

17.   Buster by Denise Fleming (Audio)

18.   But Who Will Bell The Cats? By Cynthia von Buhler

19.   Can Hens Give Milk? By Joan Betty Stuchner and Joe Weissmann

20.   Chicken Soup by Jean Van Leeuwen

21.   Chickerella by Mary Jane and Herm Auch

22.   Chowder by Peter Brown

23.   Company’s Going by Arthur Yorinks

24.   Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa Partners by Erica Silverman (4 chapters – audio)

25.   Creature Andrew Zuckerman (Zoe and Austyn Read)

26.   Curious George Goes Camping by Margret and H.A. Rey’s (Audio)

27.   David Goes to School By David Shannon

28.   Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin (Audio)

29.   Does a Seal Smile? By Fred Ehrlich, M.D.

30.   Dog and Bear by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

31.   Down Comes The Rain by Franklyn M. Branley

32.   Down the Back of the Chair by Margaret Mahy and Polly Dunbar

33.   Ellsworth’s Extraordinary Electric Ears by Valorie Fisher

34.   Estelle and Lucy by Anna Alter

35.   Finn and the Fairies by Licia Oddino and Alessandra Toni

36.   Flying Feet by Anna Marlis Burgard

37.   Food For Thought by Sazton Freymann and Joost Elffers

38.   Ginger and the Mystery Visitor by Charlotte Voake

39.   Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett

40.   Gobble bobble Crash! A Barnyard Counting Bash by Julie Stiegemeyer

41.   Good Morning, Little Polar Bear by Carol Votaw

42.   Green Wilma by Tedd Arnold

43.   Hary Maclary and Zachary Quack by Lynley Dodd

44.   Happy Birthday Lulu! By Caroline Uff

45.   Harry The Dirty Dog by Gene Zion

46.   Hello Baby! By Steven Jenkins

47.   Hello, Lulu by Caroline Uff

48.   Hetty’s 100 Hats by Emma Dodd

49.   Hi Harry! By Martin Waddell

50.   Hockey 123 by Christopher Jordan (Zoe and Austyn Read)

51.   Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss

52.   How Emily Blair Got Her Fabulous Hair by Susan Garrison

53.   Huck Runs Amuck! By Sean Taylor

54.   If Kisses Were Colors by Janet Lawler

55.   I is for Inuksuk An Arctic Celebration by Mary Wallace

56.   I Love the Rain by Margaret Park Bridges

57.   Iris Has a Virus by Arlene Alda

58.   I Slightl Want to Go Home by Lauren Child

59.   I Took My Frog to the Library by Eric A. Kimmel (Audio)

60.   Ivy an Bean (2 Chapters – Audio)

61.   I Went Walking by Sue Williams (Audio)

62.   Jack Frost by Kazuno Kohara

63.   Jibberwillies at NBight by Rachel Vail

64.   Kisses for Daddy by Frances Watts and David Lege

65.   Knitting Nell by Julie Jersild Roth

66.   Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems (audio)

67.   Lettice The Dancing Rabbit by Mandy Stanley

68.   Lettice The Flying Rabbit by Mandy Stanley

69.   Little Beauty by Anthony Browne

70.   Little Humpty by Margaret Wild and Ann James

71.   Little Miss Tidy by Roger Hanneaves

72.   Little Red Riding Hood by Jerry Pinkney

73.   Mabel O’Leary Put Peas in Her Ear-y by Mary Delaney

74.   Magpie’s Missing Spoon by Michael Bradley

75.   Mama Don’t Allow by Thacher Hurd (Audio)

76.   Miss Nelson Has a Field Day by James Marshall (Audio)

77.   Monster Manners by Hazel Hutchins

78.   Mr. Katapat’s Incredible Adventures by Barroux

79.   Mr Silly by Roger Hangneaves

80.   My Very Big Little World by Peter H. Reynolds

81.   Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth

82.   One Green Apple by Eve Bunting (Audio)

83.   One, Two, Three O’Leary by Malachy Doyle

84.   Oscar and the Bird by Geoff Waring

85.   Other Goose by J. Otto Seibold

86.   Parts by Tedd Arnold

87.   Pickles to Pittsburgh by Judi Barrett

88.   Pink Me UP by Charise Mericle Harper

89.   Pinky Dinky Doo Where Are My Shoes? By Jim Jinkins

90.   Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? By Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle (Audio)

91.   Prancing Dancing Lily by Marsha Diane Arnold

92.   Quiet in the Garden by Aliki

93.   Raise the Roof! By Anastasia Suen

94.   Ribbon Rescue by Robert Munsch (Audio)

95.   Rita and Whatsit at the Beach by Jean-Philippe Arrou-Vignod

96.   Seven Blind Mice by  Ed Young

97.   Shoo! By Michael Rosen and Jonathan Langley (Audio)

98.   Shout! Shout it out! By Denise Fleming

99.   Silly Billy by Anthony Browne

100.                        Skippyjon Jones in Mummy Trouble by Judy Schachner (Audio)

101.                        Slinky Malinki by Lynley Dodd

102.                        Slinky Malinki Catflaps by Lynley Dodd

103.                        Snog The Frog by Tony Bonning and Rosalind Beardshaw

104.                        Snore! By Michael Rosen and Jonathan Langley (Audio)

105.                        Sock Monkey Goes to Hollywood b Cece Bell

106.                        Spider Sense Spider-Man Funhouse Phantom by Andy Ball

107.                        Spider Sense Spider-Man Spider-Man versus Hydro-Man by Susan Hill

108.                        SpongeBob Squarepants I Feel Good! By Steven Banks

109.                        Squashed in the Middle by Elizabethh Winthrop (Audio)

110.                        Strega Nona by Tonie dePaola

111.                        Such a Prince by Dan Barel

112.                        Tall by Jez Alborough

113.                        Tess’s Tree by Jess M. Brallier

114.                        The Animal Boogie by Debbie Harter and Fred Penner (Audio)

115.                        The Book of ZZZs by Arlene Alda

116.                        The Crow by Alison Paul

117.                        The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

118.                        The Dragon Lover by Yong-Sheng Xuan

119.                        The Escape of Marvin the Ape by Caralyn and Mark Buehner

120.                        The Frog with the Big Mouth by Teresa Bateman

121.                        The Last Laugh by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey (Zoe Read)

122.                        The Little Crooked House by Margaret Wild and Jonathan Bentley

123.                        The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney (Audio)

124.                        The Marshmallow Incident by Judi Barrett

125.                        The Marvelous Toy by Tom Paxton

126.                        The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein

127.                        The Queen of France by Tim Wadham

128.                        There Are Cats in This Book by Viviane Schwarz

129.                        The Very Crank Bear by Nick Bland

130.                        The Way I Feel by Janan Cain

131.                        Three Scoops and a Fig by Sara Laux Akin

132.                        Three Strikes for Rotten Ralph by Jack Gantos and Nicole Rubel

133.                        Tiger by Nick Butterworth

134.                        Tillie and the Wall by Leo Lionni

135.                        Trout Are Made of Trees by April Pulley Sayre

136.                        Under The Bed by Paul Bright and Ben Cort

137.                        Under the Star A Christmas Counting Story by Jane Yolen

138.                        Waking Up Down Under by Carol Votaw

139.                        Walking Through the Jungle by Debbie Harter (Audio)

140.                        What makes A Magnet? By Franklyn M. Branley

141.                        Who Do You Love? BY Martin Waddell

142.                        Who Moved the Cheese? For Kids by Spencer Johnson, M.D and Christian Johnson

143.                        Wind by Marion Dane Bauer (Audio)

Austyn:

1.       About Raptors by Cathryn Sill

2.       Ants Up Close by Robin Birch

3.       Earthquakes by Franklyn M. Branley

4.       From Iron to Car by Shannon Zemlicka

5.       Magnetism by Mari Schuh

6.       Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton (Audio)

7.       Sources of Water by Rebecca Olien

8.       Stories of Knights by Jane Bigham (3 Chapters)

9.       The Dragon Machine by Helen Ward

10.   The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame (78 page novel)

11.   The Terrible Hodag and the Animal Catchers b Caroline Arnold

12.   The Water Cycle by Rebecca Olien

13.   What is Water? By Rebecca Olien

14.   What Magnets Can Do by Allen Fowler

Zoe:

1.       Annie and Snowball and the Shining Star by Cynthia Rylant

2.       Baby Day by Susan Heyboer O’Keefe

3.       Ball! By Ros Asquith

4.       Bee Frog by Martin Waddell

5.       Boohbah The Wobbly Bobbly Balls by Scholastic

6.       Care Bears 4 Easy-to-read Stories by Scolastic

7.       Creature by Andrew Zuckerman (Zoe helped)

8.       Down By The Bay by Raffi (Zoe helped)

9.       Do You Know this word BIG by June Melser (Zoe read)

10.   Do You Know this word SEE by June Melser (Zoe read)

11.   Do Your Ears Hang Low? By Caroline Jayne Church (2x)

12.   Find the Cat! By Gwendolyn Hooks

13.   Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

14.   I Can Read with my Eyes Shut! By Dr. Seuss

15.   I’m A Little Teapot by Spin a Song

16.   In My Ocean by Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich

17.   Dora The Explorer Let’s Celebrate! By Diana Michaels and Irene Kilpatrick (3 Stories)

18.   Little Bunny Foo Foo by Paul Brett Johnson

19.   Love is You & Me by Monica Sheehan

20.   Me Hungry by Jeremy Tankard

21.   Mia and the Too Big Tutu by Robin Farley

22.   Mimi’s Toes by Julie Aigner-Clark

23.   Muff and Ruff (Zoe Read x2)

24.   One fish two fish red fish blue fish by Dr Seuss

25.   One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Salina Yoon (2x)

26.   Peanuts It’s a Home Run, Charlie Brown! By Charles M. Schulz

27.   Shadow by Suzy Lee (Zoe Read)

28.   Skippyjon Jones Color Crazy by Judy Schachner

29.   Skippyjon Jones Up and Down by Judy Schachner

30.   Sleepy Time by Gyo Fujikawa

31.   The Lady With the Alligator Purse by Mary Ann Hoberman (Zoe read x2)

32.   The Little Composter by Jan Gerardi (Zoe helped)

33.   The Pigeon Loves Things That Go! By Mo Willems

34.   The Princess and the Frog Kiss the Frog by Melissa Lagonegro

35.   The Rainbow Fairies by Daisy Meadows

36.   There’s a Wocket in my Pocket! By Dr Seuss

37.   The Very Hungry Caterpilla by Eric Carle

38.   Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star by Spin A Song

39.   Usborne Phonics Stories “Goose on the loose” an other tales by Phil Roxbee Cox and Stephen Cartwright (3 stories)

40.   What Makes a Rainbow by Betty Schwartz (x2 – Zoe tried to read once)

Me:

Homeschooling Our Children Unschooling Ourselves by Alison McKee

Slower Week

 The week my Dad came to visit was a slower week. Weekly scheduled sports and other activities that we had were finished except for gymnastics. Regardless he thought it was extremely busy and wondered how I stay sane. During our less busy times Zoe read to him (she can tell the story without reading because she knows it well enough). 

We went to a park day at a park we've never been to before. I got lost, but with the help of a local woman who searched it out and lent me a map, I was able to find it. 

There was one day of the week that we just stayed home and for fun the kids played in the sprinkler.

It was a good week with him here. I rather enjoyed his company.

Fort Edmonton

Dad got to tag along on a Homeschool field trip to Fort Edmonton. Above he is riding at the back of the street car with some of the kids.

He asked this nice lady if she'd like a drink at the saloon across the street but she made it clear to him that she is a respectable lady. LOL!! Then he asked if she'd like to walk down the street with him and she said yes. I got this picture of him escorting her down the street. 

This is the tour of a farm house. I think the man's name is Mr. Edison.

This is a school house. It was a huge difference from the school house we visited close to the same time period in Ontario. There were no books, the school was a small log house. There were not enough slates for everyone in the class. The teacher traveled for months, sleeping under the wagon for part of the trip to get there. She had no home so this was her home but the stove was just for heat and warm water so she was fed by the other families of the town. They helped her and she helped them during the time school was out. They only had school during the winter and it didn't start until everything was ready for winter (harvesting etc). As soon as they were able to plant seeds school was out so that the children could help in the fields and preparing for winter (making clothes etc.)

Look closely... do you recognize the teacher? She is the one who Dad offered a drink to! LOL!!! 

This is the hardware store. The kids are learning what things are here. They had many other stores and buildings in the town.

It looks like it's snowing here in Edmonton and the ground is covered in the seeds from the trees. It is too tempting for Zoe and her friend. They kept playing with it. 

We took a train ride. 

Dad enjoyed the ride.

This is a Matee woman knitting by the fire in the fort. The fort was here not for purposes of war or protection but for trading furs across Canada and sending them to England.

We visited the small native settlement outside of the fort and asked many questions. around 10 people would stay in one tee-pee. 

The highlight of our stay was the short time we spent with these two people. They were amazing actors. She is a news reporter, reporting on what life is like for this man who traveled months to get here from Toronto. He is living in a tent, like many other professionals until his house can be built. There is a shortage of labourers to build houses.

This is the tent he was living in. Austyn sat with them and chatted their ears off. They matched his conversation with interesting facts to match anything he had to say, comparing his time to theirs. They were wonderful!

Here is a dance called the Grizzly Bear that they showed us. It was popular at the time. 

We visited the carnival. This is one of the free rides. If you look closely you'll see a woman turning a large wheel. That is what powers the ride. Her arms must be strong to turn this all day.

Here the kids are playing a fishing game to win a prize.

Posing at the end of the day. We are tired and ready to go home.

It was fun to bring Grandpa along on our field trip.

WEM with Grandpa

 My Dad came to visit from Ontario. The only place he wanted to be sure to see while here was the West Edmonton Mall. After all that is what is famous about this city. So we made sure to take him there. 

 We split on getting a day pass for Austyn and Zoe. Zoe's pass was cheaper and one of us could go on the rides that required a chaperon for free. We took turns going with her.

 It was a long but nice day at the mall. The kids had never had a day pass there before and it seemed well worth it.

 Because it was a school day we could go on the fun rides over and over.

 If there were lines they were short. Some of the employees ran two rides so there was sometimes a bit of a delay. 

 It was nice to see them go on rides on their own with no adults.

 It was also nice to see them go on rides with Grandpa. What a treat to have him as a visitor.

The go carts were the last stop before some ice cream and a car ride home.

The Season has Ended

 Lacrosse has come to an end. The season went well. I think that the boys look so cute when they are sitting on the bench. Sometimes we can barely see them while they sit there watching and waiting.

 Austyn was so proud to get a picture with Mitch Anders from the Edmonton Rush!

 Of course they need a picture with the mascot!

 Zoe had some fun while the team members got their metals. 

 Another great pose with friends.

 Austyn wearing his metal.

The last picture with the team.