Journal May 4th

This week went pretty well.  I'm trying to simplify our school days so that I don't have to "think" so hard and come up with lesson plans.

It doesn't mean that we aren't learning or using our brains it's just that this old brain needs some down time!

Here's what we got done this week:
Algebra 1.  I noticed that ds knows the concepts, however he doesn't know the vernacular.  So we spent some time learning what all those terms mean.  He did great studying them on his own and reciting them back to me at the end of the week!  This is great improvement on his independence and study skills!

History/Literature: These go together right now because he is listening to The Iliad and also Age of Fable.  I have him listen and then narrate right into the Mp3.  I'm not sure if we will go back and type them up or just leave them verbal for now. We are also reading Augustus Caesar's World a couple of days a week and working on a timeline.

He also did some writing and some grammar.  The thing that is lacking right now is science, but I have some ideas for that later and right now just want to focus on the three R's.

My favorite resource this week has to be the Mp3!  It's a great little tool.

 

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~3-2-12

I wrote this a while back and missed the link party, but thought I would post it anyway!  I have a tendency to write posts, not finish them or think they have to be perfect. But today I'm posting imperfect posts!  Yay!

In my life this week…

My “baby” turned 14 years old this week!  He’s been counting down the days until his birthday but more importantly his party.  He’s tried every year to get his friends together and have an overnight party with outdoor activities and video game marathons and this year it’s happening. Tonight his friends will all come over and they will have a wiener roast, play capture the flag, football, video games and who knows what else?



In our homeschool this week…
We had a good week this week.  I know it’s almost spring but I am just now getting stuff really organized for the year!  Back in August we were gone 3 weeks and it really put a kink in my planning and we’ve been really just “doing the next thing” all year.  That’s fine, but I don’t think we were moving like I think we should.  So this week I dusted off the old Homeschool Tracker Software and got everything up to date. This is what his daily list looks like:

I always have to make a list like this so I don’t miss anything when I’m planning lessons.  It really helps!  I know it looks like a lot but many things don’t take but a couple of minutes.  Then of course somethings take a while, like Algebra!!

February 24, 2012

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

In my life this week…
It's been a while since I journaled. Computer problems are driving me crazy!  I downloaded a "clean up" tool... so far it's not working. :/  I may not even finish this post before my computer freezes up.

In our homeschool this week…
DS started Algebra officially a couple of weeks ago.  We used Teaching Textbooks last semester, but switched Chalk Dust this semester for Algebra 1.  So far we really like it.  The video explanations are very helpful. And will you believe that I got it all for free?  A friend gave me the videos and I got the student book and solutions book on Amazon.com used and paid with my free Swagbucks Amazon gift cards!  Can't beat that!!

My favorite thing this week was…
Working out!  Really!  I love these Walking DVD's.

Things I’m working on…
I've been doing some sewing for my granddaughter and a few other babies. ;)  I love to sew for girls!! I'll be showing some projects on here soon hopefully.

I’m reading…
Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman) again! It's a fun read.

I’m cooking…
Right this very moment I happen to be making bbq chicken legs!  I'm making extra to freeze for quick dinners.

I’m praying for…
My prayer partners.  I am so blessed to have several prayer partners.

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~

In my life this week…
It's thanksgiving week!  At my house that means my son, dil and new grandbaby from out of state are here, my daughter, sil and grandson were here some too, my next daughter's birthday (she's 21 gasp!) and her college theatre play ALL this week!

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
I came across this in a really old cookbook.

"We may live without poetry, music and art;
We may live without conscience, and live without heart;
We may live without friends; we may live without books;
But civilized man cannot live without cooks."
-Owen Meredith

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~


In my life this week…
Well, I totally missed posting last week, so today's journal may include some of last week's happenings.  Although I don't really remember what went on!  I'm getting old and if I don't write things down right away, they just get by me.  I do know we performed our black light show on the 31st and it was a huge hit!  Everyone loved it. :)  This week, it was time to put everything away and start focusing back on school and the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.  I have a lot of planning to do.  My kids are coming from out of state and will be staying a week. YAY!  I get to see my new granddaughter!!

In our homeschool this week…
Surprisingly we got almost everything done this week.  We are still dragging our feet in biology.  I really just need to take a day and go over it and get those lesson plans done!  But enough about what we didn't do, what we did do was DS finished his math program!  Now, I don't have the money to get the next level right away, so we are going to spend some time on drills.  He really needs that anyway.  I think I will make some powerpoints too for him.  I like making powerpoints, they are just so time consuming.

I am inspired by…
Prayer.  Isn't prayer just the most amazing thing?  At our church we are going to have a churchwide prayer and fast in December but people are praying fervently NOW.  We are posting prayers for each other on facebook and just really lifting each other up to the Lord.  AWESOME!

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
We saw a lot of people come to our show last week, this week, this morning in fact we are going to see the orthodontist!  We'll find out if DS needs braces.


My favorite thing this week was…
NOT the time change.  I mean I know this is the "real" time, but I feel like I'm sleepy at night, sleepy in the morning, sleepy all the time!

What’s working/not working for us…
We are still doing the schedule where we do a chore, do an assignment, take a short break.  Kind of a rotation.  It's just helping us stay on track where we would rather be sleeping. :)

I’m cooking…
I'm going to be doing some freezer cooking for the upcoming holiday season.  Not so much the holiday food but the daily meals so I can stay sane!

I’m grateful for…I’m praying for…
(These go together for me this week.)
My husband.  He has been sick a lot and without getting too personal, I am so grateful that he is still here and tries to be a good father and husband when he does feel good.  We've been together 25 years and I still love him.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
"Living He loved me
Dying He saved me
Buried He carried my sins far away"

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

In my life this week…
I had soooo much to do this week.  Our puppet team performances are Saturday and Monday.
Almost there!
I got new glasses this week.  Yay!  I had gotten my contacts earlier but I needed new back up glasses badly, not to mention the new prescription change. Yep. Bifocals. They've arrived.
But the neat thing I want to share is the place that I got my glasses.  I ordered them from http://www.zennioptical.com/.  I got frames #717121. I got the progressive lenses, anti-glare and all the trimmings. Total cost with shipping under $45!!! Amazing!  I would recommend this site to anyone except maybe if it were your very first pair of glasses.  But having worn glasses since the 4th grade myself, I know what styles and sizes work for me.  I will order from them again.  So many cute glasses and the prices just can NOT be beat!
I brought home groceries this week and we put everything away and went about our business.  Only the next morning I noticed a bag in the corner of the kitchen, by the desk.  Hmmm..what is this doing here? When I opened it... TWO GALLONS OF MILK!!! I was so upset!  That's a fortune you know?  Oh well, nothing I can do about it now.  But boy was I really mad at myself for not noticing that!

In our homeschool this week…
It was so overwhelming trying to get everything done this week.  We took  a little different approach to our schedule.  So we made up a list each day of what needed to be done for our home and outside projects (like the puppet team stuff) and divided it up school assignment, chore, assignment, chore, school assignment. etc. throughout the day with a few Skip-bo games thrown in for good measure. ;) It certainly helped!  Many times when DS had an independent assignment I could do an extra chore or even just a short break to clear my mind and check the list.  I prioritized them throughout the week and we really got so much done!  Even some mopping and the sheets got washed and changed!  Anyone that knows me knows the three chores I hate are cleaning the tub, changing the sheets and mopping.  I don't know why but I'd rather clean a thousand toilets than clean one tub. LOL.  I'm weird maybe but that's the way it is.  So if those chores get done, well it's an awesome week in my book. The one thing that did not get done was biology.  I'm working on some more planning.  This is one subject that takes a bit more planning on my part and I'm the one who's fallen a bit "behind" on it.  I'm getting ready to incorporate some Simple School units I downloaded from Currclick.  I'll report on those as we go.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
My advice is if you're overwhelmed with life, just break it into bite sized pieces and spread things out through the day like I did this week.  It really works wonders for your state of mind.

My favorite thing this week was…
Dark chocolate.  Need I say more?


Questions/thoughts I have…
Anyone else doing something different than the usual texts in upper sciences?  I'd like to learn about some plans with low budget and less texts.

I’m reading…
I didn't read much of anything this week except 1 Samuel.  I'm reading through this in my quiet time.

I’m cooking…
Enchiladas for the Lord's Supper.  At our church we "sup" together as the disciples did (although I doubt they ate enchiladas ;)).  I love doing it this way. It's so personal and such a loving, and family oriented atmosphere.

I’m praying for…
A friend.  There is a history of breast cancer in her family and she is having some issues there.  So far good news, mammogram was clear! Praise the Lord.

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~
Week 6.5 C.J.'s 8th grade

In our homeschool this week…
I'm calling this week "6.5" because we used it as a catch up week.  It is our 7th week of school, but we didn't do week 7's work.  Make sense?  Not that we got so much caught up, but it helped!

In my life this week…
I have a hard time with this one because my weeks seem to run together, so I thought I'd break it down day by day and find out what it actually is that we do each week.

Sunday 
Go to church early for dd to practice for praise band and I join the prayer group in Pastor's office.
Sunday school - I love my class!
Church - this week I had to teach in Children's church even though it wasn't my month.  The teachers were out of town so I taught for them.  I am the Children's Church director, so it was no burden for me to teach.  I love it!  We are on a "Winners" unit and this week we learned about "paying attention" to God.  We learned about the boy Samuel and how he heard God calling him and giving him instruction.  It was a good lesson.
After church - PIT Crew practice for the Black Light Show!!! This lasted until 7pm!!! I'm exhausted by now.


Monday
I think we slept in on Monday I can't remember anything specific about Monday.  It was Monday.  I had some paper work/planning/organizing to do and I did that all day.  DH took DS to soccer practice that evening. Storms rolled in later that evening.  We need the rain so badly here in Texas, it was wonderful!

Tuesday
Again, I can't remember anything special about Tuesday.  We did some school work and some housework.  Got caught up on laundry. Whoo Hoo!

Wednesday
My day to work at church.  Get up, rush around trying to get lunch and all necessities gathered up and out the door.  Spill Diet Dr Pepper all over myself in the car, turn around to change clothes. Arrive at 8:05am. Just 5 minutes late.  A long list of tasks and projects to get done.  Lots of e-mails, copies, questions to answer, orders to make.  Somewhere in there DS got some schoolwork done.
Ordered the pizzas for dinner at church.  Made the tea, served pizza, cleaned up.  Got ready for our children's department program.  I do a skit every week with the children's pastor.  Finished the skit.  SAT DOWN FOR 15 minutes!!! Church is over at 7:30pm.  Ran an errand for hubby.  Go home.  Get a snack.  Fall asleep on the couch.

Thursday
My second work day at the church. This morning's fiasco was the carnation instant breakfast my son made for me leaking out all over the car and into the lunch bag.  What a mess!!  Got that cleaned up.  We have a little girl coming in to record a skit for us for our Black Light Show.  That takes a couple of hours.  Now I'm behind on my tasks, but somehow I get it all done.  Ate lunch with my friend who cleans the church and her daughter and granddaughter.  Back to work.  Now DS isn't feeling well.  He ends up sleeping on the couch in Pastor's office the rest of the afternoon. Text the coach. He's not making it for soccer practice.  I had to wake him up at 5:00pm to leave.  Had to run an errand for my mom.  Had to get gas in my van.  Drive home. Walk in the door and throw a very quick dinner in the oven.  I didn't have anything thawed! Why??  Sat down at the computer and have a little down time where I decide to write this post.

Friday (at the time of this writing, this is the tentative plan)
Get up.  Meet a friend who is the treasurer of our church to get her to sign a check so I can pick up banners our pastor ordered for a parade in our town Saturday.  Go to the city to pick up my contacts and while I'm there pick up the banners too.  Come back to town.  Get the parade float ready.  Also work on some last minute props for the Black Light show (sense a theme here?).  At home maybe do some light housework and laundry.  Fix dinner, clean up and go to bed.

Saturday
7:00am, arrive at church to finish last minute touches on the parade float.  Meet at the parade starting point at 8:00am.  Ride in the parade.  Hope to get back to my van in time to get DS to a 12:30 soccer game in a neighboring town.  Go HOME!!!

Then start it all over again!
I'm going to bed now. ;)

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~ Week 6 C.J.'s 8th grade

In my life this week…

We planned on going to see the movie Courageous, but it didn't happen.  I'm disappointed, but am trusting in God's timing.  I've heard such great things about this movie, I hope we get to see it eventually.  It seems like every week brings challenges and I am just working through them one day at a time.

In our homeschool this week…

We took a nice break Monday.  It was much needed. sigh. 

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing… emphasis on seeing!

I had another eye appointment Friday. 3 weeks in a row. But it's worth it. I can see again!  I've had some trouble with contacts/glasses the last couple of years and this set is the best yet.  It's nice to go from reading, to computer to TV, to driving and not have to take glasses off or put them on.  I'm so happy!
DS had a dentist appointment Monday. Happy to report, no cavities!  But we have a consultation with the orthodontist next month.  Braces are on the horizon I'm sure. :(

My favorite thing this week was…

We hosted a prayer meeting at our church Wed morning. I work there two days a week as the pastor's admin asst.  My friend and I prepared some brunch type foods to serve. What a blessing to know that our pastor and other leaders around the community are gathering with the local school superintendent and praying for the schools, and the community!
Another fav, please don't judge but  Psych!, one of my fav TV shows, came back this week and I have yet to get to watch it!!! But when I do, I know it'll be a fav spot in my week. ;)

Questions/thoughts I have…

Does anyone else still homeschool and yet have to be out of the house regularly to work or to care for others?  I know that God only allowed this in my life now that I only have one and he is older.  I seriously don't think I could have handled it when my kids were younger.

Things I’m working on…

I finally took a break from puppets and made this for my new granddaughter. I had to mail it to her and wasn't able to try it on her, so I hope it fits.  Fitting babies can be tricky!  Especially when I wasn't really using a pattern.

I’m cooking…

Actually I'm chopping.  You know, all those fruits and veggies that no one else will eat unless you chop and slice and package them up in the fridge?  At least that's how it is in my house.  Celery in a bag?  Will just sit and sit until I end up throwing it away. Celery de-stringed (is that a word?) and sliced into sticks?  Will get eaten with salsa or dip.  And by the way, I made a HUGE container of salsa too.  I like to make my own.  We love eating fresh salsa, and I had a recipe or two in the next couple of weeks that calls for salsa, so I just made a bunch all at once.

I’m grateful for…

My fridge and freezer full of food ready to go this week! :)

I’m praying for…

My husband and children one by one.  I have two books called "The Power of a Praying Parent" and "The Power of a Praying Wife" both by Stormie Omartian.  I learned soooo much from these books about how to pray specifically for my kids and husband.  

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

In our homeschool this week…

We are in our 5th week of school this year. We haven't been doing anything really "exciting" in our homeschool. Just clicking along in our books.  This made me realize I haven't been writing too much about it, but it occurred to me that lots of days and weeks of homeschool are like this and maybe others want to know that. So I'll share in a little more detail, what ds is actually doing.  
First off he has some learning difficulties and he is all over the place in "level".  I say level in quotes because we quit caring about that long ago.  
He begins his day with breakfast, usually cereal, and completes a few chores.  
Then he reads his Bible.  He is still struggling to read well so I let him choose his own passage.  He's been reading a Psalm every day. 
Then he works on a memory verse.  This week's is -
"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. " Ephesians 4:29. 
He does some drills in reading and digit span.  
He reads a poem.  Currently he is reading Alfred, Lord Tennyson.  
Then he does math.  We are using Teaching Textbooks.  He's finishing up Book 6 and I think we are going to skip 7 and go to Pre-Algebra.  He is developing at a fast pace this year and it's exciting!
We do grammar and word roots study alternately.  
In history we are always slow!  I don't know why but it always happens!  We are studying some ancient world history and I found a plan online somewhere (I'll post about it sometime when I find it) , I can't remember where, and I adapted it for us.  It's going well except where I planned to use library books, we keep skipping those days because I haven't made it to the library yet this year! Just keepin' it real. 
He reads a book on his own every day.  He is reading Pinocchio in the Great Illustrated Classics version.  We've read many books unabridged in the past so he is reading them now on his own, and it has been very good practice for him.
Last but not least.  Biology.  I ordered Biology: A Self Teaching Guide. It was recommended in the old The Well Trained Mind. I chose it because we used Apologia for my daughter, and it is a really good program. But, for my son it is way too much reading. So I decided to give this a try.  It is definitely more condensed but at this stage it seems like it is going to work out.  I've been trying to make booklets and notebook pages for him, but have gotten behind.  That is another advantage of Apologia, there seem to be plenty ready made lapbooks and notebooking sets to go with it. 
There are a few other things we do but I'll talk about them another day. 

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

I went to see a play my dd was working on, Agnes of God, she wasn't in the play, but did the costuming and some staging. It's a very interesting story.  A bit perverted religiously, but interesting nonetheless. And the actresses did a very good job. 
DS went to our churches D-Now this past weekend.  He had a blast!  D-Now stands for Disciple Now and it's a weekend set aside for youth to be discipled in Christ and they get to know each other and the adults better in the process.  

Things I’m working on…

I'm still working on planning and preparing for our puppet team's performances.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

"Peeling potatoes carelessly, cutting thick peels, became one of my daydreams of the high life."
-The Endless Steppe

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

In my life this week…
The weeks of fall go so fast they all seem to blur together.  Every time I sit down to write this journal, it makes me stop and think. What did go on in my life this week besides just "busy-ness"?  I worked an extra day outside of the home and that always makes life a little more hectic.  But one thing I've been procrastinating about all year I finally got around to doing.  I got my eyes examined and got new contacts. YAY! I can see again! 


In our homeschool this week…
DS was on his own a lot this week.  Good and bad.  Good because he needs to be more independent, bad because a few things slid by the way side.  But all in all we are doing well on our 4th week into schooling.  I don't have anything really special to report.  Except that he got a new Bible from a friend and I hope he will be able to read it easier than the version he has been using.


Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
Plan, plan, plan and then organize, organize, organize.  When I have everything set for the week, all print outs, supplies, books etc. all lined up, things go so much more smoothly and we don't waste time looking for things, or saying , "Oh well, we'll just get to that later".  This week wasn't like that! LOL So next week I really need to get myself in gear!


My favorite thing this week was…
Wednesday night children's ministry.  I usually do a skit and I did that this week, but I also took the 1st & 2nd grade group because the usual leader was out this week.  Those kids really blessed me.  They were so "into" the lesson.


Things I’m working on…
This is going to sound like a broken record, but I am working on our annual black light show for the puppet team I direct.  I will be working on it non-stop until the end of the month.  Not to mention we threw in a parade float and a school carnival this month too!!!


I’m reading…
The Endless Steppe.  I've never read it.  It's always on the reading lists for school, so I decided to read it myself.  It's an easy read that I pick up at night for about 5 min before I fall to sleep.
I'm also reading 1 Samuel in my quiet time.


I’m cooking…
Meals from my freezer and anything fast and easy!  


I’m praying for…
Children at my church.  I was convicted this week to pray for the kids in our children's ministry.  Many of them come on the church van and I'm pretty sure they don't have praying parents.  I have been so distracted by other things, I've neglected praying for them.  This week I'm standing in the gap for them. 


A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed. -G.K. Chesterson

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

In my life this week…
My oldest brother had open heart surgery this week, so we went to see him. He’s doing well and was already home this weekend! Praise the Lord! Other than that this week really seems like a blur. I’m sure we accomplished something????

In our homeschool this week…
We started biology this week. It wasn’t too bad. Yet. :)

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
We had a soccer game in a town about 30 miles away, that we never go to, so it was an interesting drive. And a really LONG walk to our field! We won the game in spite of no practice. Our local fields are closed because of the huge cracks in the ground!

My favorite thing this week was…
The thunderstorm that rolled in last night! Thank you Lord for the rain!!!!

Things I’m working on…
I’m still working on black light puppets and props. I hope to have some pictures to share soon. I’ll share them on my puppet blog and then link to them here.

I’m reading…
I’m always reading several books but for an “easy” read I’ve been reading the “Love Comes Softly” series. I just finished book 4.

I’m cooking…
Not much. Did some freezer cooking last week so haven’t had to cook much this week. Yay!

I’m grateful for…
My husband. We have been married 25 years today. It’s been very rough lately with some illnesses and financial struggles but with all that I am so grateful that he has put up with me and all my ideas and projects over the years! I love you R!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

In my life this week…It was hard getting back into the swing of things after being gone for three weeks.  I loved spending time with my son, my daughter-in-law and sweet new granddaughter!!! Also the weather was 20 degrees cooler there.  I did some freezer meals the other day, and boy am I glad I did.  They came in so handy this week.  I am really determined to keep the meal-planning/shopping/cooking/cleaning up part of my life as stress-free as possible.

In our homeschool this week…Our first day was a little disjointed and I was so disorganized. But by Friday we felt really accomplished.  We didn’t do any science this first week.  I hope to start it next week.  I’m still tweaking and gathering.

My favorite thing this week was…My new hours at work. I’m only working two full days, not two halves and one full. It is soooo much better to have that extra day at home.

Questions/thoughts I have…Math, isn’t it always math? DS is finishing up Teaching Textbooks 6.  Yes 6.  I admit it.  He’s in “8th” grade and doing a level 6 math program. But it is very redundant for him so I’m going to let him take the quizzes and if he passes, we’re moving on.  In fact, I am thinking of moving on to pre-algebra.  I really think he’s ready.  He’s struggled with some learning “differences” but it seems like he’s moving into that logic stage now and things are coming easier for him.  If any of my close friends are reading this then they know the happy dance I’m doing right now for him!


Things I’m working on…Every year about this time, our puppet team’s black light show is what I spend all my free time on.  I love it but it is a lot of work!!!  I have scripts to work out, recording to do, puppets and props to make, painting and choreography. Whew! Pray for me!

I’m praying for…My church.  We are experiencing some tough times and I want to know God’s will for us.  I pray for all churches that are part of the body of Christ and that He will raise them up for His glory. AMEN.

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~12

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~


In my life this week…
Well, it's kind of two weeks.  I skipped last week. :(

In our homeschool this week…
Just did a little math and reading, nothing exciting.

I am inspired by…
My friends.  Several of my friends and I are going through the same thing, husbands who are sick (different issues).  God is very real to me as I go through each day, and knowing there are others who understand is comforting.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
We have been going to church mostly.  I don't think we even went anywhere else!

My favorite thing this week was…
Painting the hallways at church.  They are looking so bright and colorful!!! (Hopefully next time I'll have a picture.)

Things I’m working on…
Still working on baby bedding, puppets, Mission project, VBS...

I’m reading…
Pagan Christianity
The Spark
Roni's Weigh (she's not a Christian Blogger, but I still like reading it.  I started at the beginning and am working my way through)

I’m cooking…
Not much!!!

I’m grateful for…
My husband, my job and my church family!

I’m praying for…
My husband, and my kids.

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~11

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~

In my life this week...
I did some more sewing, I have too many projects going!  I need to get some finished before I start others. I have also been really wrapped in a lot of summer planning for missions, VBS, Wednesday night church and children's church.  Along with making a few puppets this week. Whew!

In our homeschool this week...
DS has continued with his math (at a pretty good clip!) and done some small amounts of other work.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...
DS had company this week and saw a movie.  I did the usual stuff. Friday we picked up my grandson for the week!  We're so excited to see him!

My favorite thing this week was...
Two favs this week, making a monster puppet (see pic below) and seeing my grandson!!!! :D

What's working/not working for us...
This week was pretty smooth.  Nothing to brag or complain about. ;)

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
I have no questions this week, but I have a thought.  This is what homeschool is about to me...life.  Living a life of learning, discovery, service and growth.  Constantly moving forward.  There is room for book work sure, but as I look back at my homeschool journey I worried waaaaay too much about "curriculum" and "credits" and finishing this or that book.  My focus should have been on LIFE and what the Lord has for us.  He is great and worthy to be praised and honored.  I hope you are honoring the Lord and His will for your life in your homeschool.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...
Another puppet ;)

The Homeschool Mother's Journal ~10

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~
This week was rather uneventful.  I rather like it. ;)


In my life this week...
I have so many projects on my to do list! The first is making baby bedding for my new granddaughter on the way.  I want to have it finished and shipped before her shower on June 25th.  She's due to arrive at the end of July.

I also have so many puppet and children's ministry projects to do, not to mention continuing some school through the summer and just housekeeping and life in general!  Lord, help me to prioritize!


In our homeschool this week...
We got back to the grindstone this week.  I still have some organizing to do.  Does it ever end?


Places we're going and people we're seeing...
Just going to church and shopping, nothing much exciting this week.


My favorite thing this week was...
Getting some decluttering and spring cleaning done!  Yes sometimes I actually like to clean. ;)  And sometimes it's my favorite thing. ;)

Another favorite thing, although kinda silly was a giant jar of peanut butter I made for a display at church.  I should have taken a picture of it for my photo to share but I forgot.  It was just fun to do.  Nothing more, nothing less.


What's working/not working for us...
Last week I said our schedule wasn't working.  This week it is. ;)


Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
I just downloaded Spelling Wisdom.  I have looked at this off and on for a while.  I have tried every spelling program under the sun just about and have even used dictation before.  My son actually did pretty well with dictation in the past, but I just got away from it for a while because of trying to find suitable passages.  No excuse, just procrastination. :(  Anyway, as we go forward with it, I'll review whether it's "working/not working" for us.  Anyone else used it?


A photo, video, link, or quote to share...

My most recent puppet

The Homeschool Mother's Journal ~9

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~


In my life this week...
I got the yard sale done! Yay!  They are such hard work and this one really was.  My mom pretty much put out everything she owned.  She asked my daughter, "Isn't this easier than doing it after I'm gone?"  Not sure what to think about that question.  I took my SIL to the dentist, had to drive for her since she was on medication. I worked out of the home 3 days.
Besides all of this, God is really working in me to understand sometimes that if he shows me something that a person does that isn't "right" He's calling me to pray for them, not just surface, but real intercessory prayer.  This is hard, cause my first instinct is to just gripe about it not to take it to the Lord and lift them up and encourage them.


In our homeschool this week...
Only one more week of our group study of Around the World in 80 Days.  We've enjoyed it, the other families have been great but I am ready for a break in our schedule.


Places we're going and people we're seeing...
We're not going many places this week, but we are seeing my daughter for a change! Now that college classes are over she's home everyday and we actually get to talk and work together!


My favorite thing this week was...
... at one moment in time, my bed was made, my bathroom was clean, my laundry was done.


What's working/not working for us...
What's not working is our schedule lately.  Things are calming down (I hope) and we can get into a new routine for summer.  Summer is always busy, but ds needs to do math and reading through the summer every time he gets a chance.


Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
I'm thinking about science lately.  We just don't get much of it done lately.  I need some time to make a plan that we can actually stick to.


A photo, video, link, or quote to share...
I came across this a few weeks ago and I just absolutely love it!  I so would love to be a part of something like this!  You really should take the time to watch.

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~8

*Note: I had filled in all these answers earlier and now they are gone! I don't have as much time now, so I'll do the best I can remembering what I wrote! Ugh!



The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~

In my life this week...
This week was jam packed by Monday!  We've fed a puppy with a bottle, visited with family, went fishing, saw our relatives' name on the Vietnam memorial as well as the WWII memorial, went to my dd showcase at college, had my mom spend a few days with us, work, school, getting ready for a yard sale next weekend.  All by Monday!  The rest of the week was spent getting ready for the yard sale, working, school, cooking, thunderstorms, yard sale (did I mention that already?).

In our homeschool this week...
It was back to basics this week.  Plugging along trying to catch up a bit from the days we've missed.  It was a good week.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...
You know how you can live near a monument or some attraction but you never stop because you're always on your way to somewhere else?  Well this week we stopped.  We have a war memorial in town so ds and I stopped.  We have some family members names on the memorial wall.  WWII and Vietnam. I didn't take a picture of the memorial, but I did take one of ds in front of a tank.

My favorite thing this week was...
Visiting at my brother's house and seeing family and this-

The mother and other pups died from a snake bite but this little guy survived.  My brother calls him "Killer Joe".

What's working/not working for us...
*I had written something here, but I honestly don't remember it now! I'm in the middle of the yard sale now and brain power is at a minimum.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
*I had written something here... see above.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...
Photos of some costumes and sets my daughter worked on at her college. I believe it was "Plaza Suite".

This started as an ugly straw hat!

Very pretty!

Time flies (The HS Mother's Journal 3-7!)

Wow it's been a month since I last posted?  I really thought I could keep up with the weekly posts!  Well I'll lump the last few weeks into one, since that's how it feels anyway!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal ~3,4,5,6 & 7 ;-)



The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~

In my life this week(s)...
A lot of hard things have come my way through people lately.  Praise God I can count on Him!  I had been reading Zephaniah, and one of my favorite scriptures is in Zephaniah 3:17

The LORD your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.


In our homeschool this week(s)...
I guess we took an extended spring break, but not much "school" is getting done.  But ds is working really hard on a book.  I guess it's a comic book, but it's serious.  He draws pictures and captions for them in a spiral and it's getting better and better.  It's some kind of alien/war type adventure.  I'm not sure.  Maybe I'll get some pics of it and post it here next week.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...
We've.been.gone.every.single.day.  So I'm sure we've gone somewhere and saw someone??? Mostly I'm excited because tomorrow is homeschool bookfair day! Yay!

My favorite thing this week was...
Sleeping.

What's working/not working for us...
Our schedule right now is NOT working for us.  I need some margin!  Soon soccer will be over and our group literature study will be over.  Then I can breathe again. Sigh.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
I'm in "science mode" right now.  I will be looking at all the science curriculum at the fair tomorrow.  Is it bad that I don't want to look at Apologia?

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...
Okay, this video has nothing to do with homeschooling per say, but it's another passion of mine... puppets! This video gave me a chuckle.

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~2

My second Homeschool Mother's Journal  :)

In my life this week...
We had something on the calendar every day this week!  And this weekend we are moving my mom to a new place.  Busy, busy, busy! I'm reading a book right now called "The Fabulous Reinvention of Sunday School" I'm taking notes and feeling refreshed.  I love teaching kids!  


In our homeschool this week...
We had our first group session doing an Around the World in 80 Days unit study.  Met some new friends.  Played Whist!  We had a lot of fun.  I reinstated studied dictation in C's daily schedule.  Why did I stop doing that???


Places we're going and people we're seeing...
We went to a new dentist this week.  Trying a new dentist is very scary.  I mean, what if they just aren't good you know?  But my worries were unfounded.  It was great!  C had no cavities and got all the cleaning and treatments done and we were out in 30 minutes!!! Amen!


My favorite thing this week was...
The taco soup I made in the crock pot Wednesday.  And had again Thursday.  It's better the second time right?


What's working/not working for us...
Homeschool Tracker is working for us.  It's flexible enough for me to plan ahead, add something on the fly or reschedule if need be.


Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
I found out that as we progress through Teaching Textbooks, the program changes.  I'm very bummed about this.  I really thought we would use this all the way through.  I'm not jumping the gun and abandoning it just yet, but am disappointed to hear this.  Anybody have any insight here?


A photo, video, link, or quote to share...

A picture that C made in paintbrush about a year or so ago??? Can you tell what he's obsessed with? ;)

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~1

This is my first time to post "The Homeschool Mother's Journal". I hope to do this every week.

In my life this week...

It's been very hectic but I see an end in sight!  I took C to soccer practice a couple of times, walked several miles this week.  Attended a women's conference this weekend. Whoo Hoo!

In our homeschool this week...
We have had a hard time fitting everything in this week.  So many interruptions!  I hope to get more done next week.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...
We started soccer, so C has met  a few new boys.  Tomorrow we will meet two new homeschooling families that we are doing a unit study with.  It'll be fun.

My favorite thing this week was...
WE Weekend at Prestonwood Baptist Church.  What an awesome time in the Lord! I learned so much and I hope to post about it soon.

What's working/not working for us...
Daylight savings time.  Need I say more?

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
Lately I haven't even had time to *think* about anything else!  I really would like to have some quiet time to go over the bookfair schedule and decide what I want to look at and what seminars to attend.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...

 Just keep swimming...