Nearby Homeschooling Conferences

Now that the one big conference in Idaho is over, if you missed it or want more here are some nearby homeschooling conferences you may want to attend.  

Washington Homeschool Organization Convention is being held on  June 18-19, near Seattle, WA. It features guest speakers; John Taylor Gatto and Catherine Levison. This conference is extremely affordable with no preregistration required…just pay at door http://www.washhomeschool.org/convention/admissionprices.html

California Homeschool Network is hosting a conference August 5th - 8th, 2010 near Disneyland California. http://californiahomeschool.net/events/expo/familyexpo.htm

Utah Home Educators Association- Saturday, June 12, 2010 in Salt Lake City, UT

http://www.uhea.org/

California Tri-County Homeschool Convention http://www.tchen.org/faq.html

July 9th and 10th in Santa Rosa, CA

Oregon Christian Home Education Conference will be on June 25 & 26, in Portland, OR.

http://www.oceanetwork.org/calendar/conference/index.cfm

Homeschool Association of California Conference http://www.hscconference.com/

 August 19 - 22nd, 2010 in Sacramento, CA.

Blog-cation

  Wish I had been here...but I wasn't. 

I haven't been blogging much. Perhaps, I was taking an unplanned blog-cation.  I have not had a ton to share,  because not much has really been going on, at least nothing exciting. I have mostly organizing, cleaning, getting our house in order. Oh, and also those random things that come up in my life like baby sitting, dog sitting, helping a friend clean, organize, and hold a fund raiser yard sale, and sewing Indian costumes on the fly. All while waiting for summer to arrive. Is it here yet??

Sunday Citar: So far...

Always when judging
Who people are,
Remember to footnote
The words "So far."
~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com

Welcome to Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Tabitha @ FreshMommy. You can stop by her blog to see the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

Building a Bottle Bird Feeder

by Jacob Deckard, age 9

One day my mom took out our wooden bird feeder. I thought I could make one out of a bottle! Here is a good way to make a bird feeder.

1. Gather supplies.

You need:

A plastic bottle with a cap
Sharp scissors or knife
A stick
A rope

2. Our first feeder's seeds sprouted, because the moisture did not drain so poke small holes in the bottom of the bottle. Be careful not to cut yourself.

3. About 1-2 inches from the bottom of the bottle, make holes for the perch. Insert stick and make holes bigger, if needed.

4. Cut holes above the perch for the birds to get the seeds. Holes should be slightly bigger than the seeds.

5. Tie tether or rope around the top of the bottle, where the cap is, and tie a loop for hanging.

6. Carefully fill the feeder with sunflower seeds using your hands as a funnel or get a real funnel.

7. Replace cap and hang in a high tree.

8. It may take three weeks for the birds to find it. Be patient.

Submitted by Renae Deckard @ Life Nurturing Education

Just For Fun: Spelling Fleas Game

Check out this fun Spelling Fleas Game with your kids. It's a Language Arts Flea Circus. 

Play fast and fun games and work on spelling, verbs, discrimination, and comprehension skills.

Good for age 8 and up.

The Amazing Spelling Fleas Game 

Life is Hard...

99 Things I Ought to Do Before I Die...

Instructions:Copy the list, bold the ones you've done (with explanations if needed), share with friends.

1. Started your own blog (I love blogging!)
2. Slept under the stars (on a trampoline)
3. Played in a band (Middleschool)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (well Disneyworld, it's better anyway!)
8. Climbed a mountain 
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (does Karaoke count?)
11. Bungee jumped 
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a thunder and lightning storm (we had really awesome ones in Weiser)  
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child 
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise 
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community 
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (Loved IT)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (Does Usborne count)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching (in the Gulf of Mexico)
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (all of the above)
65. Gone sky diving (plan to)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check 
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle (no NEVER)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person(It's pretty cool)
80. Published a book (I WISH)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car (new to me(
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (when I was little)
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (if fish count)
88. had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo 
94. Had a baby (too many to count)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee