Birthdays and Home Schooling

Like many home school parents, I was not home educated. Unlike my kids I went to school rather than stay at home. One of my favorite days to "go" to school was on my birthday. I loved going on my birthday, bringing candy for my class. I also loved when it was someone elses birthday and they brought in candy.

At our home school we have a tradition of taking the day off school on our children's birthdays. Last week Spider Droid went all double digits on us.

When SD was younger he really enjoyed trains. He loved playing with trains, watching and reading Thomas the Tank engine stories, visiting train museums, riding trains. He loved all things trains. As he has become interested in other things like robotics, Lego's and soccer, his train love has waned a bit. Thomas is old news, and he only plays with his trains when younger kids come to visit. He still likes to ride trains, though.

So for his birthday we went on a short family train trip. 2 of his friends, brothers who had gone to Joplin with us, came with. We took a Chicago commuter train from one suburb to another. Our destination was a place called the Choo Choo Cafe. It is a real cool restaurant that serves your food on a model train.

Here are some pics or Spider Droids special day. . .

After we ate lunch the train brought out some ice cream for the kids.

Not all our birthday celebrations are so elaborate. This was a nice birthday/field trip. So I got to wondering how other home educators spend birthdays. If you are visiting from this weeks Carnival of Homeschooling please comment and tell me what you do for birthdays. To get back to the Carnival click here.

Next Time: HSBA Challenge

Sunday's Cool: Bunny Circus

Sunday's Cool

A Link Up & A Look Ahead

A Link Up: In September and October when I was all but an absent figure in the blogosphere, I was also not pushing my children's presence there. Now that things at the Izola Becker Home School or more or less to back to normal, I hope my kids will get back to blogging as well.

On Friday, Bunny Girl wrote a post about our trip to the Circus. You can get to that post my clicking on the picture of the 12 year old ringmaster or by clicking here.

A Look Ahead: This week I plan to blog about birthdays. My son's that just passed and a birthday my late brother would have loved. I also will be working on the Carnival of Homeschooling that I will be hosting on the 16th of this month.

Next Time: Birthday Training

3 Ring Circus. 6 word review.

It's time once again for Six Word Saturday at Show My Face Dot Com.

Here are my Six:

Went to Circus, Here's some pictures.

Clowns

Bunny the Ringmaster

I look like circus folk don't I?

Signature Clown Move

Family Circus Clowns

The Greatest Show of Hands

Let's talk about the elephant in the room.

How many clowns does it take to change a light bulb?

High Wire Walking










High Wire Biking

Apparently the first Elephant didn't see the green light.

Sitting Tigers











Jumping Tigers

That's All Folks!

The circus in question was the Ringling Brother's Barnum and Bailey Circus doing their Fully Charged show. I had never been to see this circus before as I mentioned in my last post. It was a fantastic show as I hope you can see by all the pics and vids. For More Six Word Saturday show your face with or without the clown nose @showmyface.com. If you are or will be in the Chicago area this month click here for discount tickets to the show.

Two Questions Thursday: Things I've always wanted to do edition.

I am participating in Self Sagacity's Two Question Thursday for the first time in a long time. Here are my questions:

# 1 What have you always wanted to do, but never have done?

One of mine is go to the Ringling Brother's and Barnum Bailey Circus. I never have been. Sure, when I was a kid I was part of the audience at the Bozo Show. I even was one of those foolish kids who stood up thinking the arrow was pointing to them so they could play Bozo Buckets.
It was the kid next to me :(

I have even been to one of those travelling circuses that come to neighborhoods throughout the summer. But Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey. Those are they guys that do this

and this . . .


My wife and kids went a few years ago but I had to work.

Question # 2 What have you always wanted to do and did?

There are so many ways that I can answer that question. Tomorrow night I will be able to answer, going to the Ringling Brother's Barnum and Bailey Circus!

Yes, my dream is coming true tomorrow! Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Feld Entertainment is proud to present. . . Starting tomorrow, November 3rd and ending November 13th, the circus will be at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Il. Then the circus rolls into Chicago proper November 16th through the 27th at the United Center. If you are in the Chicago area this month I hope you can make it! But wait, you say, the circus is expensive. Well here is a special offer that I can pass on to you. All weekday shows: 4 tickets for $44.00. weekend shows $4.00 off. Here's the skinny.

Until tomorrow night, my answer will have to be running to and hopping on a train as it is moving out the station. This is one of those scenes you see on so many movies, A River Runs Through It, and A League of Their Own, just to mention a few that start with A. I had always wanted to do it and when I lived in Russia, and used to travel from Khabarovsk to Birobidjan, I accomplished that goal on more than one occasion. I never missed the train, and that's good, cause missing a train was never a thing I always wanted to do.

Speaking of trains, did you know . . .

That The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® circus train that brings Fully Charged® to each city on tour has a total of 59 cars, and has a total length over a mile long?

and . . .

That The 59 cars on the Blue Unit Train include: 4 animal stock cars, 30 coaches for living, 2 concession storage cars, 19 flat bed equipment cars, 1 pie car (diner), 1 generator car, 1 shop car, and 1 auxiliary generator/shop car?

So that's it for me and my questions. I am looking forward to your answers. I'll be back on Friday to talk about our time at the circus. For more of this week's questions click here.

Circus without a Circus Trip :(

Every year about this time in Chicago, like clockwork, a familiar pattern repeats itself. The Bulls begin their NBA season and almost as soon as it began they hit the road for thier longest trip of the year. This road trip is generally called the Circus trip as the trip is necessitated by the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus coming to town and landing smack dab @ the United Center AKA the house that Jordan built.


This year the NBA season has not gotten underway so while The Greatest Show on Earth must go on, it can do so without disturbing one of it's tenants. Sure the Blackhawks still have to take a Circus trip of their own, but hey that's just Hockey.








The Bulls loss can be your gain if you are in the Chicago area.

The circus will be at the United Center November 16th through the 27th

It will also be at the All State Arena in Rosemont starting tomorrow and running through the 13th.


I am passing on a special promotion for the event. You can get 4 tickets for $44.00 for weekday shows or save $4.00 per ticket on weekend *Friday -Sunday) shows.

So be a good sport and head over to the UC or ASA and have a great time.

For more info on the event click here to chck out my other blog.

NABLOPOMO is just over and I have decided to start it again.

If you are reading this on November 1 2011 or later I am to be considered a time traveller from the past. It is 11 months ago December 1, 2010 as I write this. In my time it is 5 days from my daughters 5th birthday. In your time, it is my son's 10th birthday.

So you are probably wondering what is so important to pull me out of the past. I have decided to participate in Nablopomo again this year. But this year I hope to write some of the blog posts early. That way I will not be forced to write every day. November is generally a busy month for our family. Spider Droid's birthday, Thanksgiving, the end of fall semester at our co-op. I generally don't post everyday anyway. Just about 3-5 times a week. I have done Nablopomo 2 times previously. The first time it put great stress on me and my family. Last year (or yesterday to me) didn't take as much of a toll. Amy wrote a few posts and I introduced HSD rewinds (reprints of previous posts and got through it). These prewritten posts can be considered HSD forwards.

I still will be popping in from your present from time to time but you will also get these blasts from the past as well. The thing is I might not always mention when I am while writing these.

Meanwhile back in the present . . . I have decided not to participate in NABLOPOMO this year.

Even with advance written posts and the ability to go HSD rewind when I need to, it just wasn't worth the extra time comittment. I hope to get back to the 3-5 posts per week that I was doing pre sabbatical.

Happy Birthday Spider Droid. We are going to have a great day.