Taking a Fall Break!

We've completed 6 weeks of school so far and I think Momma needs a break.  : )  We've been pushing hard the past 6 weeks and since fall has just begun, and the weather is cooler, and just because I have a TON of things I need to catch up on (hello piled up laundry) we're going to take a few days off.  BUT...I do think it's a great time to still do some fun things together that could still be considered "school" even if we aren't tackling week 7 in Classical Conversations.  We'll do that next week.

One thing I've been inspired to do is learn how to play chess...and teach our children.  We had a college student visit us during the summer and he is very good at chess.  He convinced me that chess is "brain sport" and really helps develop the mind.  Last night I started trying to find some good resources to first of all learn, and then to try and find something somewhat interactive.  I came across a site called "Chess Kid" that was helpful.  You can sign up for free, and you can sign up as a parent/coach and then add the kids that you want to learn.  You can go to a "learn" section and it teaches you step by step about the pieces, how the board is set up, and then moves on to strategy.  I learned a lot in a very short time.  I wanted to try and play a simple game and that's where I started to lose interest because it wanted to set me up with online people I didn't know and then the games that you could set up against the computer didn't really look like a full game...just specific strategies.  But, once you set your kids up you can play against each other (at least that's what I think it said).  It definitely got me up to speed on the basics.  I also found a 3-in-1 chess, tic tac toe, and checkers set at Walmart for less than $10.  It was just right for our purposes.

Another thing I want to do next week is pick out a pumpkin.  We don't always get to do this every year and I found out there's a pumpkin patch with a corn maze and other fun things to do.  We have really enjoyed pumpkin carving in the past so I think we need to do that while we've got some down time! : )

Next weekend we're also visiting my alma mater, Berry College, for it's annual Mountain Day.  This year will be my 15 year reunion (and yes, I do feel old right now) and it's also the 100th anniversary of the college.  I can't even cover how much I loved my 4 years at Berry.  I spent my summers working there, too, so it really felt like home during that time.  I was able to explore several neat spots and made SO many memories! Here are a few pics of the campus <3 .="" p="">

    The Grand March on Mountain Day                            The Ford buildings on campus...I lived here!

                                                  The Old Mill on the Mountain Campus

I can't wait to go back...after all these years!  I have visited since I graduated but I haven't been on Mountain Day since my senior year.  The story of Martha Berry and how she founded the school is fascinating.  I hope we'll be able to fit in a little of the history while we're there.

This is also the first week of the fair!  We LOVE going to the fair each year as a family.  There are fun rides but also a circus, animal exhibits, and last year we did the petting zoo.  A definite October activity that we look forward to...and it can be educational! : )

There are plenty of fall crafts, too. The blog Art for Kids is having a Fall Art Contest!  They are giving away a great set of art supplies as a prize and entries are due on October 6th!  I think we're definitely going to try to do this! Click on my link to get the guidelines.

Happy fall, everyone!  I'll be back in the groove next week with week 7 and as many activities as I can find ; ).