Weekly Wrap Up

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In my life this week…  The Little Misses went ‘swimming’ in the marsh behind our place.  Although most of the snow has melted, the water was so cold that Miss 8 took several hours to warm up.  No, I had not forbidden swimming; that never occurred to me.

In our homeschool this week…While we did the usual book learning, sometimes with very little focus, the educational parts of the week were not bookish at all:  another Pride and Prejudice video, the leader’s debate for the Canadian election, Kipling’s Just So Stories, and so much more.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…  Mr. 15 wrote the Galois test, a math competition from the University of Waterloo.  These tests are a great incentive to focus on problem solving skills.  Past tests, available on the website, are a goldmine. 

Our teens attended an art gallery tour for high school students, led by a retired homeschool mom who’s an artist.  The Little Misses and I toured on our own, finding all sorts of things to look at in each work.   

Our homeschool conference, with its teen sessions, was Saturday.  We met new people, visited with old friends, and browsed so many vendor tables!  I’m recharged, and so are Miss 13 and Mr. 15.  Miss 18 was in Paris at the time, an excellent alternative to a conference.

My husband and I attended an art lecture, Hear it with Eyes: Christian Art and the Gospel, by Professor Tingley of Augustine College.  I have rarely experienced such a well-crafted lecture!  You may soon be able to view it on the college website.  Be warned, though, that this lecture is not suitable for children and young teens. 

My favorite thing this week was… When one of the dogs cut his leg, Miss 18 knew exactly what to do, and did it.  She’s worked a great deal with cows and vets, and has become competent at so many things!

What’s working/not working for us… What’s not working:  book learning, keeping the children focused, concentrating.  What is working:  other learning.  Why don’t we drop the book learning?  Because the other learning, while useful, is so casual that the children are becoming slack and self-indulgent rather than self-disciplined, and that is a bad thing. 

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have…  I’ve fallen into a homeschooling rut.  We’re doing relatively well academically, but there’s so much else to improve.  That’s what I learned at the conference.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…  Here’s a link to a post I wrote about a ‘conference miracle.’

This post is linked to The Homeschool Mother’s Journal  and Weekly Wrap Up at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.