Bees, Hives and Impromptu Homeschooling

Sunday afternoon we had a three hour drive to get home from a weekend with friends. We stopped on the way to buy a rabbit for Wesley's "business." (hard to have baby bunnies without a male and a female) The farmer was just about to "catch" a swarm of wild bees as we got there. I wanted to get right back in the car, but Philip wanted to see the "catch!" (and people think I am the curious one of the family!!!) I reluctantly followed the procession - two farmers carrying stepladders, Philip, and the kids - to the "bee tree." The bee tree was just an apple tree. The bees had stopped to rest on some of its branches on their search for the perfect home.
The beekeeper, Michel, had everything he needed, and had obviously caught a few swarms of bees before. The only thing he didn't have was protective gear. Said he didn't need it, and didn't mind being stung now and then. He thinks bees can feel or smell fear and that causes them to sting. (he did get stung a few times but mostly because the bees got caught under his clothes)
The bees were on three different branches so Michel had some work to do to get all (well, ok, most) of the bees into his temporary hive. Amazingly, once the queen bee was in Michel's hive, they played follow the leader and couldn't get in fast enough!
So thanks to my curious husband, the kids got a great lesson about bees!!!

The first bees aren't sure what to do.

Michel was pretty sure the queen was in the last swarm.

Michel couldn't get the whole branch so he knocked the swarm into a bucket. (He made us all back up before he did that though)

And now that the queen is with them, the bees are all headed for the hive.

Ants, ants, ants

This Summer. One of the little boys found an ant hill with eggs etc. He wanted to know more about ants. We found a good book with lots of pictures that I have, and they begged me to read it. Now, it was vacation, and I wasn't really up for too much reading... so after a few pages, I tried to put the book down, but the four youngest (our 12 year old reads just fine on his own) BEGGED me to finish the book. So I did. Then we went online to look for an ant farm. Too expensive. Then we went on Wikihow and made our own ant farm. That jar was the center of attention for many days! (I wish I could say that this is how I teach all the time, but mostly I am just caught up in getting things done, and I don't follow their lead enough. So don't think I am like this all the time! I guess since it was still summer vacation, I felt a little freer…)

We're famous!

We're famous!!! Well, if getting your picture in the local paper makes you famous, then we are. Last week a young journalist spent a couple hours at our house asking all sorts of questions about home-schooling. He wasn't sure what day the article would appear (ok, I admit to stopping at the newsstand every day. We didn't want to miss it!!!) Finally today, it appeared! Now, I was expecting a small article, not a whole page on the first page of the local section!


We have always tried to stay as low profile as possible with home-school. No sending a child to the store during school hours, no P.E. outside during school hours (except for snow days, of course!) After all, we are the ONLY family that home-schools in our area. I wonder if the low profile is a thing of the past. Guess we will find out in the days to come if anyone recognizes us, or if we are still invisible!

For those of you who read French (or are just curious) here is a link to the newspaper article on the "Voix du Nord" website.


And for those that have always wanted to see a French "café," here is a picture of one in our neighborhood (notice the headline ad on the door)!

Snow Day!

How can snow stop home-schoolers from school? I know, I know, it doesn't make sense. I am sure that most people from the northern half of the United States would laugh to see us call a snow day for this amount of snow, but the southerners must understand. We hardly ever get snow. (We live at the same latitude as Winnipeg, but somehow the proximity of the ocean and it's warm currents give us a mild climate) This year has been a bit exceptional, and this must be the fourth snow fall (and also the fourth snow day!).
My students are all outside having PE! They have already assembled the dusting of snow to try to make a snowman. Wesley came in to ask for walnuts for finishing touches. I will have to go out and see this!
Turns out there are two! About knee high. (The second one looks strangely female. I think they have been reading too much Calvin and Hobbes!)
And now I see they have set up a goal and gotten out all the balls (soccer and otherwise) that we own. So much for snow!
They will come back in soaking wet and muddy (it is above freezing) and my washing machine will get a work out.