Hiking

5 hikes around lake Keystone

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  1. Two Rivers Trail

Just over two miles, this trail has easy parts and difficult parts.

This was one of the more difficult sections.

It is a fun hike though, right on the lake!

2. Ranger Trail ~Keystone State Park

A nice easy loop trail, it is just over a mile long but Keystone State Park is part of the Park pass system so there is a fee.

3. Keystone Mountain Bike Trail

You can do the large loop for over 4 miles or the smaller loop for 2 miles (that is what we did), there are other trails also that can cut it shorter I believe.

I have gotten lost here in the past but this time used the AllTrails app and it worked great! I love hiking here, a nice beautiful hike that still has enough challenges it feels like a hike 😉

This is right across from the Keystone State Park but is not part of the fee area so no charge to park there.

4. Falls Trail ~Keystone Ancient Forest

A difficult trail it is 3.5 miles long but takes around 1.5 miles to get to it from the parking lot.

My youngest had trouble finishing this hike but thankfully her brothers kept her distracted.

I would image that the waterfalls are only really there after some rain, there were not really any falls when we went this time.

Bonus ~ Wilson Hike at Keystone Ancient Forest

It is only 1 mile long but you have to hike on the Frank trail to get to it. The Frank Trail is a moderate hike though and less than a mile to reach the Wilson Trail, the Wilson Trail is difficult but beautiful. They also have other trails there but check to make sure they are open before going. They are usually only open on the weekends.

5. Washington Irving Trail

This is a very easy out and back trail that is just over a mile.

They have signs throughout the trail giving information about the area but some of them are too messed up to read.

We did all of these trails last week while we stayed in our trailer nearby and really enjoyed them!

I would love to live closer to this area to take advantage of all the great hiking every day!

Homeschooling

Our Homeschool Day -2022

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Here is a look into my day of homeschooling 10th, 5th, and 2nd grade. I have five kids but 4 are doing the same grade as a sibling 😉

My boys have been starting school before my girls for a while now but since I switched my twins to the Teaching Textbooks app they have been starting early also!

My twins take turns eating so while one is eating breakfast and getting ready the other usually starts her math for the day.

I have really liked our switch to Teaching Textbooks for my twins so far! It has basically helped me keep my sanity, for the most part.

The first things my boys work on are their dual enrollment classes through a local college.

They are taking physics and composition this semester through them. There have been some hiccups that made me question all my life choices but they are doing well. I just realize that I don’t like working around other people’s time tables. Ha

After eating and morning chores are done we usually go for a walk, I had one that was tired this day so we opted for just playing outside (she also did not want to be in any pictures so one is missing from our day).

Posers…

After our outside break my youngest starts on her books. One on phonics and one that helps with switching B’s and D’s. While my twins finish up math and if they are being fast they will start on their folder work, phonics and handwriting.

Next they eat lunch while watching an educational video or a cooking video(which I still call educational) and do quiet time. Sometimes the girls will read or they listen to an audiobook during quiet time. The boys do the same. I hide in my room…

After quiet time it can get a bit crazy as I try to work with my youngest on her math and my twins usually need help with their folder work. No one is allowed to ask me for help if I am helping someone else which has really helped with me feeling overwhelmed.

Next up is reading, all three of my youngest kids read aloud to me everyday.

My twins are currently reading “Heroes in Black History” by Dave and Neta Jackson for their history. They were reading aloud an abeka science before this.

I like to sneak history and science in with their reading, audiobook listening or our nightly read alouds instead of trying to do a specific curriculum for those things.

This is the end of our school day.

We are usually done by 2pm.

My boys are pretty much independent except for me checking over history assignments and making sure they are getting their work done.

I really enjoy looking over how our day has changed over the years!

Here is the last one I did in 2018! Our Homeschool Day ~2018

I had planned to do one of these so many times over the last several years but every time it ended up being a REALLY rough day! This day was not super easy but I decided done was better than perfect! Ha

Camping, Parks

Kansas

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I decided to stay in a state park near Monument Rocks Natural Landmark, I could not believe this beautiful (not flat) spot was in Kansas and was hoping to return if we liked it.

Also, stay two days to see the area.

My first mistake was not working harder to reserve a spot beforehand, so far we had zero trouble finding spots so I did not think it would be a big deal.

My second was travelling there on Thanksgiving, everything was closed, and we were all hungry because I was going to make Thanksgiving meal when we got to our spot…

We got to Lake Scott State Park and it looked super promising but then we started see the dreaded “R” for reserved on every single site.

Maybe three other families were there so we had no clue why everything said that but they had signs saying to not park in one of those spots.

We drove around for probably an hour (while hungry) trying to figure out how to get a spot.

I found their system super confusing and of course there was no one around to clarify.

We finally parked in a spot with no electric (thankfully I was not counting on the microwave to make any of the meal) and I set about trying to deep breath past the stress of the last hour and hurriedly get food cooking.

Nick was kind of done with Kansas after that.

We did everything I wanted to do in two days, in one.

It was a beautiful, interesting area though!

The Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park and Monument Rocks where so pretty to see.

There was also a pueblo at Lake Scott, the farthest east they have found one.

Super interesting.

I am glad I got to see it, just wish their system was not so confusing.

I was super thankful to head to an Oklahoma State Park the next day!

It made me grateful for our easy to use system!

Anyone know why Kansas would say they were all reserved?