Our Butterfly

Within the first couple of weeks we captured two caterpillars. One was a Monarch caterpillar and the other was a Tussock Moth Caterpillar. The Monarch came out of it's crysalis fairly quickly but the moth is still in it's cocoon. This is one experience we missed about being in Ontario while living in Alberta and I jumped at the opportunity when we came back to Ontario. Here are some more pictures.

Adjusting to Change

 Austyn and I have been doing much more school type activities lately. Our homeschooling looks more like school than unschooling sometimes because Austyn has made it clear that that is what he wants. He has been reading from his reader, learning Canadian history, and doing math. Zoe sometimes feels a bit left out so I sit down and do things with her. In this picture she is doing math. She went off track, but this is what I let them do because I find it makes the experience more individual and fun. She decided that she wanted to play X and O's with the tally sticks. She made little pieces of paper and put X or O on all of them and that is what we played for the next few minutes until she lost interest. This is creative and provides confidence. The game itself provides it's own strategic challenges.

 Living with family, they get different experiences. There are many farm cats here. One of them had two kittens and they are kept right outside the door in a little cat house. This little kitten just opened it's eyes. 

 They have been learning to drive because Austyn is going to be old enough to drive a junior dragster. One way to learn to drive is to drive the golf cart and the lawn mower. 

 Zoe didn't want to be left out. They take turns driving with Daddy.

 There are many things to do that they could never do at our past couple of homes. Here Zoe is climbing a tree.

 The hammock provides hours of amusement.

It is very quiet here. We have had the chance to be here on our own for most of our stay so far. We can see far, there are many insects, and many birds. With the land so flat we can see what weather is coming and the sunsets are great.

Our Summer in Alberta

 Austyn tried writing letters instead of just printing letters.

 Watching America's Got Talent sparked an interest in entertainment. Everything from singing, dancing and here they are doing a magic trick together.

 Archery in the back yard. Austyn liked to fill cups with water, place them on a small table and use them as targets.

 While school was out they spent time with friends who attend school. This little boy is Austyn's friend from Lacrosse. 

 We did some science. This is an experiment with house hold items testing them to see if they are an acid or a base. 

 We watched many movies and this sparked play with toys that haven't been played with in a while.

 Zoe enjoyed doing her make-up and painting her own face.

 We watched a couple of hawks in our area and named them. First there was "Prey" (above) and then a much lighter coloured, larger, younger female showed up to spend the summer with him. We named her "Sky".

 They are Swanson's Hawks. We learned that they can be aggressive to humans. We also learned that robins make a cool noise around them that signals to other birds that there is a hawk nearby.

 I arranged for a homeschool trip to the Strathcona Raptor Shelter.

 This is a place we wanted to visit since we arrived in Edmonton.

We learned so much and met more homeschooling families.

 We stayed cool with friends and took advantage of some of the free organized activities put on by the parks program.

 Austyn attended a couple of hockey camps. One was the Oilers Camp. It was a full day for a week. 

 The coaches were a ton of fun. The kids were sometimes carried around under an arm, or placed in a garbage pail. 

 He got to meet a real Oiler, Cam Barker.

He got to play hockey with and learn from a retired NHL Player, Chris Joseph.

 Zoe had fun socializing with the other kids at the hockey camps. 

We were invited to a fun BBQ.

 We met up with Austyn's hockey team at the park a few times.

 We went to Drumheller.

 It was dangerous business, but Drumheller turned out to be extremely educational for Austyn since he is now old enough to take it all in.

 What a better way to learn about Dinosaurs than to go right to the source.

 Since it was a hot day in Drumheller, the kids enjoyed ice cream and a run through the water.

 Movies sparked a new toy purchase and a new craft.

 Lego creations continue. You may recognize this scene from the new Star Trek Movie.

 We finished off our time in Alberta with swimming lessons. 

 Both Austyn and Zoe did great.

 Zoe's naps happened less, but were sometimes needed, especially when we had busy days with friends.

 Zoe learned to braid the hair on her dolls and on her own hair. This is one of her first braids. In the following days she improved so much and still does her own braids when she gets ready to go out.

 Before leaving Alberta I started a North Group and a new Park Day in the North of the city. These days became popular and we met many new friends. Two wonderful ladies took over the group for me since I'm now far away.

 We will miss the free park programs, the free skates, the free junior rangers.

 We met up with a few people before we left. 

The kids found ways to entertain themselves, even in the middle of packing.

Well, I guess that sums it up. We had a good summer and our time in Alberta was wonderful, this time. We planned on staying. It's funny how quickly things change.

Phew... Yup... We Did It AGAIN!!

You probably guessed it! We moved AGAIN!

Okay... so... we had plans but, then things tend to get in the way of plans (then again maybe not). Ya. I know. I sound confusing. Well... It's likely understandable under these circumstances. I posted a while ago about not posting much on this blog because we had some things to do that would take up more of our time and how we had some plans for our lives. Well, those plans squealed to a halt when my Dad got diagnosed with cancer. We decided that what we needed to do was return to Ontario to be closer to him. My husband's job is flexible enough that he can telecommute so we packed up our things and moved back to Ontario. The thing about being in Ontario is that our original plans (remember... we had plans) are more likely to succeed here because we have close family to help us out. We have a babysitter if my hubby and I need to work on things together. This was one thing that we wouldn't have living in Alberta.

So, here we are. We think we are here to stay, at least for now, but time will tell. We moved from a bustling homeschool community in Edmonton to a small town area with, what seems to be, much less accessible to us. It will be interesting to see what can be done to make things busier for the homeschoolers in this area. The secular group was almost dead and I took it over. I hope to revive it and create a supportive homeschool community for EVERYONE here.

Right now we are living with family. We still have our other house in Edmonton and are not sure how long we'll have that. I registered Austyn with the homeschool board there before we knew what we were doing. So, it'll be interesting to see what happens next. I think they follow us until the end of the year and if we don't return we can't register next year. Our facilitator will likely need to skype with us and follow this blog to keep up on what we are doing. If we do end up returning they will do a home visit at the end of the school year.

So... we did it AGAIN! It feels right. Spending time with Dad in the hospital the other day while he was getting his blood transfusion seemed like the best thing we could be doing. It makes for a long day when he arrives first thing in the morning for blood tests, and has to wait for blood to arrive from the nearest city that supplies blood and then he has to wait for the transfusions to be over. He is lucky if he makes it home for supper. Having us there helps to pass the time for him. It was great to have all of the support in a big city, but what better lesson for a young homeschooling family then to learn just how important family is and how important it is to be there when we are needed.

Here are some pictures from our move. I'll post a few updated pictures from our summer in Edmonton later.

 Zoe on some boxes in the moving trailer.

 Seeing friends before we go.

 Saskatchawan, as we pass through. 

 Minnesota

 Minnesota to Wisconsin.

 Stopping for diesel.

 Austyn relaxing in the backseat.

 A rainbow in Northern Michigan.

 Zoe using the binoculars while going over the Mackinac Bridge.

 The Mackinac Bridge.

 Ontario kitties.

 Ontario garden.

 Zoe with a flower in her hair.

 Ontario flowers.

A caterpillar. Speaking of... we have jarred two caterpillars in just a couple of days of being in Ontario. There are so many here. One is a chrysalis now and the other is in a cocoon.

 The tractor.

 Small town Ontario.

 Waiting for a parade.

Life is constantly changing, but by going with the flow of life things will eventually fall into place. That is what I tell myself, anyway. I am trying to make the best of every moment because every moment is special. No matter what comes our way, we can always make the best of it.