DNA DAY

I am blessed to work part time for a local biotechnology institute.  While I don't work in a scientific capacity I am always intrigued by the scientific geniuses that are working right here in our own little town.

We were invited to tag along on a field trip organized by a friend I work with today and we had such a GREAT experience. 

The kids got to extract DNA from a strawberry, first mechanically and then chemically....science for the win!

We won't talk about the tears that ensued over math once we got home!

Riggle U is out for SUMMER!

Last Friday we closed out the books on the second year of this crazy-fun-exhausting-patience building-education redeeming-dirty-exciting homeschooling journey.

We have learned SO MUCH!

We have grown SO MUCH!

We are excited for another year....after a 6 or so week break that we all desperately need.

These boys worked hard all year and I "kind" of tested them last week on their history.  We studied US history this year and they both conquered a great deal of information.  I would say 90% of the 24 history points we worked through were fully attached in their little brains.  Seriously, I could not have told you what year the 14th Amendment was signed or list the Bill of Rights to you in order BUT now we all can!  It is unbelievably cool to me that they can and will have such a leg up when they have such a strong grasp on the where and when of history so that they can draw connections between events as they grow.


A few snaps from our highlight reel over the school year....

Skins and Skulls

This homeschooling life, while crazy some days, affords us many opportunities for learning outside the box.  We went on a field trip to the Madison County Extension Office yesterday and got to learn all about local animals and explore their SKINS and their SKULLS.  We all learned something, did you know when opossums are well, playing possum it is called SULLING?  Us neither.  We also learned that the eye placement is different for carnivores and herbivores.  Super interesting stuff and these boys of mine had an ABSOLUTE blast.  Did I mention it was free??

Matthew channeling his inner Davy Crockett

Kimber was super intrigued by the beaver skin

A bobcat skull