Corn Maze

It was 25 degrees when we left the house this morning at 8:30am. I had the kids put on several layers as the sun was promising a bit more warmth, but it sure didn't feel like it yet. Our homeschool group was making a trip to a local corn maze and we wanted to start nice and early to beat the crowds of school groups that would be coming through later.

This is what just about everything looked like when we first arrived. The sun still had not touched a lot places. This time of year, the sun is dipping lower and lower and there are many places that won't see the sunshine again until spring.

I had never been to this corn maze. It is very large and there are so many things to do there for all ages.

This right hand only maze was very funny if you were watching, but maybe not so much if you were trying to do it. Several of the bigger kids and moms tried it, but they could not figure it out.

They have two different levels of the corn maze. Most of our group is 4th grade or younger, so we opted for Phase 1, which is a bit easier and shorter. It still took us a while to make it through with many turn around wrong ways. We were given sheets of questions that coordinated with numbered sign posts along the way. You had to answer the questions correctly to get hints on whether to turn left or right. Finding the numbered signs was not as easy as one would think.

This is an aerial photo of the maze a couple years ago. This years theme is Election '08.


I asked the woman at the maze entrance how they laid out the maze. She said they had it all on paper and cut the maze in when the corn was very small, they actually pulled up the little corn plants to make the maze.

There are a few bridges that go up and over a sections of the corn. This afforded you a very nice view, but didn't help figuring out where you had to go.

The gerbil wheel was a huge hit with the kids. They had to walk the wheel to get it to move. There were two wheels side by side and the kids raced them back and forth on the tracks. Kids were falling and flopping all over the place, but laughing the whole time.

There were animal pens throughout the farm. They had rabbits, pigs, chickens, geese, ducks, cows, goats and sheep.

Hannah enjoyed these "horses" made from old tires.

Two different racetracks were set up with 4-wheeled bikes. The two sizes of vehicles gave everyone a chance.

This tunnel slide was very cool. It starts at the top of the hill by the building and runs underground. The outlet is the little building at the bottom of the hill. There were many squeals and much laughter coming from the tube as the kids slid down in the dark.

The pig races were very funny. Each run of the race had different pigs with funny names like "Barbie Q" and "Kyle Basa". Each section of folks watching was given a pig to cheer on.

A wagon pulled by a tractor took us around the whole farm and down to the pumpkin patch where each person could pick out a small pumpkin.

Dan was very pleased with his choice.

Rubber ducks propelled by water pumped from old-fashioned water pumps kept the group busy. I sure wouldn't want to have to get all my water this way.

They had several automatronics displays including this great four piece hill-billy band. I loved the blue-grass music they were playing.

The Grouchy Ladybug Lapbook

The Littles have finished up their lapbook on The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle from Homeschool Share.

We have had mixed reactions to lapbooking over the years. I tried them many years ago when Bessie was small. She did not enjoy them. We set them aside. We have revisited them the last few years. Bessie enjoys them now that she is in highschool...go figure. She is doing one right now on the election process. There are some great lapbooks out there for older students.

Gabe enjoys the mini-books, the coloring and the pasting, but not the cutting or much writing. His writing is improving by leaps and bounds this year and he is now more willing to work on the writing. I don't mind doing the cutting (a hold over from paper dolls or maybe my love of scrapbooking).

Now, the Littles, they love everything about lapbooks. I finally have my group of eager lapbookers!

It is often hard to know what themes to do with them, as their ability levels are all over the place. We pick something they like and work with the books to find ones that they are able to do but will also challenge them a bit.

They enjoyed working this one. It started out being for Dan, then Hannah joined us and finally Rachel wanted to participate, so we have a mix of who did what. Some of the mini-books they all did, some we worked on as a group. Lapbooks are helping them learn some of the basic things they have been missing in a fun and creative way.

I enjoying using lapbooks as a teaching method and will be using them often with the Littles.

Cover from Eric Carle's book

Inside

Inside with flap up for extra work

There were some extra activity sheets that we did and I will probably make a pocket for the back to keep these in. Right now they are just tucked inside.

They did a great job and they were very proud of their accomplishment and so was I.

Hannah's Dentist

Hannah has some special issues with her mouth, so she gets to go to the pediatric dentist. She loves it there. They are so patient and gentle with her. Gabe loves tagging along because they have video games in the waiting room and movies in the exam rooms.

Here they are as we wait for the dentist to come in.

Bessie Turns Sixteen

My mind is still trying to wrap itself around the fact that our baby girl had her sixteenth birthday today. And while my mind is doing that, my heart is bursting with joy that our baby girl turned 16 today. Such opposite reactions to the same event.

Bessie is a tremendous joy to me and to our family. She is thoughtful and helpful, always pitching in with chores, cooking or helping with the younger crowd. In this day and age where you hear so many negative things about "teenagers", I am so proud that Bessie exemplifies being a responsible young adult.

She is fun and often funny, adventurous and a bit daring. Qualities I envy. She strives to love the Lord with all her heart and to listen to His urgings. I enjoy spending time with her, we garden and stitch together, enjoy the same books and watch the same movies. I am so proud to be her mom and most of the time her friend.

She is quick to point out that she is not perfect and no I suppose she is not, but I sure wish I was as mature at 16, as she is, especially spiritually.

So, Happy Birthday, our baby girl, we love you!

Oh, the weather outside.....

Well, I knew it had to happen sooner or later, but this is a bit sooner than usual.

We did have a few snow flurries this week, but check out the video...this is snow.
(The ticking sound is the water dripping off the roof. I was standing under the side porch.)



It started about 4pm this afternoon and continued on for several hours. The ground is totally white. The prediction was for 3" or so, but I'm not sure that much actually accumulated, as the ground was terribly wet from all the rain we have had.

The wind has picked up and it sounds like winter.

They, the meteorologist, are saying we will have 50 degrees by Friday, so this white cold stuff will hopefully be short-lived.

The children are sure hoping that the ground will still be white in the morning.

Simple Woman's Daybook

I have been wanting to participate in this meme from The Simple Woman for quite a while, but each week I would miss it. Well, I finally made it on the right day, so here is this simple woman's first daybook entry.

FOR TODAY October 27, 2008

Outside My Window...a cool, gray, rainy day, looking and feeling very Novemberish.

I am thinking...How "settled" the house sounds these days. Fewer and fewer sounds of discord and strife.

I am thankful for...God's peace through all the trials right now.

From the learning rooms...Ancient Egypt, elections, phonics, colors and master numbers.

From the kitchen...Not much today. Pancakes for breakfast, rice for lunch and YOYO (you are on your own) for dinner.

I am wearing...Purple long sleeve t-shirt and windpants

I am creating...Just starting a cowboy bunny cross-stitch block

I am going...Shopping and out to dinner with Gabe to buy Bessie's birthday gifts.

I am reading...Several things...Bible study on the book of James, a few Montessouri books, The Connected Child and a cozy mystery by Tamar Myers.

I am hoping...To find just the right gifts for a lovely young lady turning 16 tomorrow.

I am hearing...Bess playing Christmas Carols on the piano.

Around the house...music, laughter and a bit of mischief I think

One of my favorite things...Long hot bubble baths on cool fall evenings.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Dinner tomorrow with the family and my parents for Bessie's birthday and a field trip with the kids to the corn maze later in the week.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

Little Miss Sunshine

Hannah has one of those terrific personalities that makes her very pleasant to be around. She just makes you smile with her cheeriness and upbeat take on life. She is funny, has a great imagination, is so enthusiastic about learning, gets a lot of pleasure out of the simple things in life and rarely complains. The ironic thing about all this is I thought she was the one I would have the most problems with when the Littles first came home. She seemed so sullen and stoic. Was I sure wrong and it just goes to show that you should never make snap judgements about anyone.

Hannah's static filled hair from the tramp expresses

her "wild" approach to life

Always drawing and creating

Hannah is a joy!

A Rose is a Rose

My latest cross stitch project comes from a leaflet called "Antique Roses" by Jeanette Crew's Designs. I really liked these roses. The colors are delicate and soft. They look like real antique roses. (The picture is not very good. My scanner isn't behaving so I took a picture.)


This block with go together with others to make a memorial quilt for one of the members of my stitching group. She died suddenly this summer. The quilt will be sent to her mother.

Charlotte is dearly missed.

Late Summer Dip in the Brook

My kids like water, a lot! I'm not a nervous mother when it comes to letting them get wet. I figure they will get out if it is too cold.

After one of our walks over Columbus weekend, the kids were hot and wanted to take a dip in the pool. I offered to take them to the brook.

The water was very cold, but four of the kiddos took the plunge, if only briefly. We have sort of family "rule", you have to go all the way under for it to count.

I think we have a litter of baby polar bears on our hands.

The intrepid dippers

Brian finds a feather

Calm after the swim

Glorious Fall Colors

Columbus Day Weekend saw our fall colors at their most glorious. We always see a lot of terrific color in the fall, but this year the trees were amazingly beautiful. There was not a dud anywhere to see.

I just wanted to soak it all in, smell it, feel it, breath it. We took walks. Below are the foliage shots I took that weekend.

Enjoy!