Special Connection Homeschool

Some of you may have already seen or heard of this video that is going viral. We live in Kansas so I wanted to share it anyway. I actually have not heard of the song it is a parody of but it's cute and it can be used to help kids learn that the stuff from the store actually comes from a farm.  Gess really likes it anyway, so here it is.  Hope you enjoy!     Lyrics: When I'm up at seven, the sunrise gives me a glimpse of heaven I get right to work, a farmer's life can be a little berserk yeah This is how I roll, I feed the cattle till their stomachs are full Treat em right, that's my belief, What's for dinner? I say beef! Gotta feed Everybody Gotta Feed Everybody Gotta Feed Everybody (Uh-Huh) I work out (side!) When I step to the bunk (yeah) This is what I see (Uh-huh) All the hungry cattle are staring at me I got passion for my plants and I ain't afraid to show it show it show it show it I'm farming and I grow it When I'm in my tractor, I got mor...

When you think of Summer Camping you usually think of tents, sleeping bags, campfires and mosquitoes.  But that is not the only kind of camping people do in the summer.  Sports camps are very popular, especially for athletic kids, but don't think those are the only kids who should go.  Sports camps are a good way to introduce your child to new experiences and get them exercising, even if they are not that good at the game.  From basketball and baseball to football, soccer and more you can find a sport camp that your kid might love.    Some camps are overnight and some are day camps in your local community.  Some are expensive and some not so much.  You need to shop around and see what is out there in your area and what your kid might be interested in.  There is also a new trend that I am really excited about.  Many churches are now offering free sport camps to the local area and include some bible lessons as well as sports training....

Earlier this week I told you about our trip to Civil War Days that was an event full of reenactments and other events dedicated to the Border Wars between Kansas and Missouri during the Civil War.  One of those items was The North Star Express and I have to tell you this was a very humbling experience. The North Star Express is a museum-on-wheels.  What they do is put displays and interactive activities on a bus and then bring the "museum" to wherever you are.  This was open to everyone all day and it was absolutely free to experience it!  "This two section museum brings to life the history of slavery in Kansas with the use of hands-on interactive and audio-visual technologies." And boy did it bring it to life!  For such a small thing, it can really have an impact on how you understand slavery!  This is especially important for Gess who I don't think gets the fact that people can treat other people in such an awful way.  That's one of the mixed ...

Field Trips involving history are always fun, but there is nothing more fun than actually traveling back to the past and experiencing the history as it happens!  That's exactly what we did for our first summer field trip.   Civil War Days takes place in Humboldt Kansas about every 3 years in the month of June and this was our second time attending.  This Civil War Days event is not about the Civil War in general but rather is focused on the Civil War that took place after the Kansas Territory was opened in 1854.  This war is often referred to as the Border Wars or Bleeding Kansas. You see, Pro-slave Missourians wanted to expand slavery in the new Kansas Territory but Free State Kansans did not want slavery so they began to battle it out and it got rather nasty.  Many abolitionists including John Brown came to fight to keep Kansas a free state.  Kansas Jayhawkers and Missouri Bushwhackers battled and crossed state lines raiding towns and burning communi...

Having a child excel in math is every parent's wish come true, but it's not every parent's reality, especially those of us who have kids with special needs.  IXL is there to help by offering students a focused learning environment that rewards hard work, encourages students to learn from their mistakes and is free from gimmicks and distractions. For the purpose of our review I received a  six-month subscription to IXL which includes access to all of their content, and let me tell you, they have a lot!  They currently offer math for Pre-K to 8th Grade plus Algebra which includes over 2,000 skills.  They also have such a wide variety of problems that your child is not likely to encounter the same problem twice.  When your child gets the answer wrong, it not only shows them what the correct answer is, it even gives an explanation specific to the problem your child had just encountered.  IXL also has what I believe every great practice site needs, tons...