In my life this week… We’ve settled back into our regular routine of meals, chores, school time, and read aloud time.
In our homeschool this week… Miss 9 has discovered the joy of working diligently for a few hours and then having the rest of the day to play. Usually she’d distract herself constantly and it would take her forever to get her day’s work finished. Miss 11 has focussed on intense mornings as well, so the two of them were able to spend several whole afternoons playing outside. This gives me deep satisfaction. I want them to work hard and cheerfully and then to be able to play without interruption.
Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share… Good for kids and moms, from the Pathway Readers:
An unpleasant chore is twice as bad
If the feet are slow and the face is sad;
The selfsame task is but half as long,
When done with a will and a cheery song.
Places we’re going and people we’re seeing… The library, judo, catechism, bowling.
My favorite thing this week was… Again there were so many things! Here are a few:
- getting the dishwasher fixed. My hardworking husband found unpopped popcorn, twist ties, and plum pits hidden inside.
- watching the Little Misses build a fort, with ropes made from bark.
- walking through the woods in sunshine, with little pools of sunlight in the clearings.
- watching Miss 9 enjoy her math rather than whine about it; she seems to have internalized the little verse above.
- enjoying the restaurant the children prepared: great food, pretty decorations, a delicious menu, some memory building moments when the deep fryer started to melt, and the maturity with which they dealt with the problem.
- watching Oceans by Disney to go with our reading of Kon-Tiki. God has created so much that is beautiful and astonishing! Of course, the movie did not say so, but said that we need to search in the ocean to find out where we come from. I feel so sad for people who do not believe the Bible.
- finishing Kon-Tiki, with our feet in warm sand and palm trees waving in the breeze. Virtually, that is. A good book can be like a sunny holiday and is a whole lot more accessible.
Questions/thoughts I have… When I make a rule for the children, I must enforce it, or else they will come to believe that these things don’t matter. And I must make sure that the consequences are something I am able to hand out cheerfully, without feeling too sorry for the kids…or else I will skip the consequences and thus encourage them to think that rules do not matter.
Things I’m working on…
Homeschooling, dejunking, spring cleaning, getting fit, planning the garden.
I’m reading…
John. I am also reading The Odyssey (the version by Samuel Butler) , Edwardian Farm, Mindsight, Fit and Fabulous in 15 Minutes, and Chosen by God.
With the kids, we’re reading John and Rozemarijntje Gaat Naar School, we finished Kon-Tiki, and we started Wambu by Piet Prins.
I’m grateful for … Sunshine. Sleep. Warmth. Hope.
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This post is linked to The Homeschool Mother’s Journal and to Weekly Wrap Up at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.
Oooo, scary things must get deep down in dishwashers. I’d hate to have the job of cleaning them out!
But oh, I love that little rhyme from your Pathways reader! Would be a great one to memorize. My 11yo and I had a talk last night about how her dilly-dallying is making it difficult for us to do all the extra fun things I’d like to do, because she isn’t getting her required daily work done as early as she should. I hope she’ll get back on track like it sound like your daughters have!
Yes that rhyme is a gem! It sure works for us.
God bless your hubby for working on that dishwasher! 🙂 I need to work on my children doing their schoolwork “cheerfully,” as well. I don’t like grumpy kids and I want to really cultivate an environment of joy. That is quite a challenge, though, while trying to get them to do Algebra or other difficult subjects, but I’m trying! 🙂
I know. When things are difficult, it is hard to be cheerful. I suppose that’s one reason Paul wrote Phillippians 4. We have memorized significant portions of that, too. But the rhyme is easier for kids to understand.
Sounds like a great week. Glad it all went well. Thanks for the encouraging words too. It’s just been hard the past couple of days. Thanks.
You’re welcome!
Love that rhyme! Thanks for sharing it–it might have to become part of our memory work. 🙂
Sounds like a great week!
You’re welcome. I think memorizing it would be a good investment of time.
I took the day off to do some intense cleaning and organizing. At some point, our 12 yo daughter said, “Mom, I don’t like cleaning days. I’d rather do school.” Ok, that was a pretty positive response, I guess :-). We did have a productive day.
Thanks for taking time to comment on my blog about high school, schedules, sleeping, etc. I have been letting our big girls sleep in between 7:30 and 8 a.m. I am a very scheduled person but am working on being a tad more relaxed when the situation warrants it. I’m also clinging to God’s mercy and goodness when I think about the unknowns of high school. He will make a way, in spite of my weakness. You are right that there are SO many options out there –but in some ways that’s part of the problem. We have so many choices and sometimes my head starts spinning when I consider what we should do, exactly!
You’re so welcome, Laraba!
As far as highschool goes, just make one decision at a time. For example, knowing you, I think you’ll probably want to do Apologia Science, as it’s rigorous, Christian, and as clear as possible for the students.
http://anniekateshomeschoolreviews.com/2011/02/review-apologia-high-school-science/
I think you’ll also be happy with The Comprehensive Record Solution.
http://anniekateshomeschoolreviews.com/2011/04/comprehensive-record-solution-2/
That’s already two major decisions out of the way! Feel free to contact me about other highschool courses. I looked at so many of the options out there!
One resource that really helped me was 100 Top Picks.
http://anniekateshomeschoolreviews.com/2009/06/one-of-the-best-home-schooling-books-100-top-picks-for-homeschool-curriculum/
Blessings,
Annie Kate