Ideas for challenging Jonathan more!

I've been meaning to get the kids involved in this blog for weeks now, and I think this is one very good idea especially for Jonathan! Each week they list several items to give your kids along with instructions on what to do, and then we get pictures and/or video and send it in. Then they show the pictures and videos a few days later. I have somewhat kept up with it and have shown it to my kids, but we haven't actually done any of the challenges yet. So I am going to make a point to do these each week. Most of the items are things we already have on hand, so it should be cheap or free and tons of fun! I'll try to post their results here each week along with a button to the blog.

Other things I have come up with today (some before) are Legos, Lego Club and possibly a Lego Mindstorms (robotics) club! He is interested in robotics, but I'm not sure if we're ready to fork out $250 that we don't really have, so we'll take it slowly and see how serious he is about it. On a similar note though he is also interested in computer programming and/or making games. He has asked about this before. He wants to make a web site (so he also wants to learn HTML) for his comic characters (he has probably 30 or so now!!!) and make some games for his site. He also is interested in making computer programs for a robot. I can teach him some basic HTML to build a web site, but I don't know very much at all about that other stuff, so I guess we'll learn together! It should be great fun!

He also really likes taking pictures and video and has always been good with a computer, so I would eventually like to get him his own camera and laptop. But Myles wants a laptop for himself first. :)

So we've got so far:

1. Legos and other similar type things (K'nex, various blocks, etc.)
2. Lego Club with the homeschool group
3. Lego Mindstorms Club (possibly)
4. computer programming
5. HTML for his own web site
6. comic books
7. photography/videography
8. Think! blog (and other similar challenges, probably random)
9. Possibly some how-to videos from the library for guitar and piano
10. I want to get him involved in a more challenging homeschool group focusing more on hands-on activities, possibly for gifted (but not necessarily tested) children.
    

So can anyone help me come up with other ideas like these that I have not thought of yet?

I've got ideas for the other kids too, but Jonathan is really needing the extra mental challenge right now, so I need to get him going on some things first. :)

I'm a Google addict. I "google" everything. In fact, that is how we learn much of what we know here in our house.

From Google and the Bible.

Obviously the Bible is much more important to us than Google, but I even read and study the Bible online since there are so many different versions available at the click of a mouse, and I am always googling various Bible topics.

I've heard of people who are "Professional Googlers". Is that for real? If I can make money at what I'm already doing, please someone tell me how! I want to be a Professional Googler too!!!

Anyone need help googling anything? :)

I have even learned (and am still learning) a lot about HTML online! Having the knowledge of the entire world (mostly) at your fingertips is way better than a set of encyclopedias or a college course! Too bad I can't get a degree for it because I'd have a few of them earned by now.

Seriously, if you don't take advantage of the internet for learning, whether it is for yourself or your kids, you really should give it a try.

And if I ever figure out how to get paid for doing it, I'll let ya know. ;)

Still working with the pictures

Okay, see, I have Linux instead of Windows. I really, really LOVE it, but since everything is so Windows-friendly (an evil plot formed by Microsoft to increase their sales and dominate the computer world!!!!!), I am having a difficult time getting all my pictures onto my computer. That is why I haven't blogged about it yet. I have almost all of them on my computer now, but I need to clear up some disk space so I can edit and save them. (sigh) I am actually learning some technical stuff on the computer while trying different things to get my system to read the Windows Vista-saved CD. (I have learned that I have the problem because of Vista!!! Grrr!!!!)

So I know you are all just DYING to see our vacation pictures. There are some really awesome ones! It won't be much longer now. :)