In my life this week…
I thought the harvest was finished, but we’re still busy with the last few things. We found a few onions we missed earlier, picked the last of the chard and broccoli, kept up with the windfall apples that drop down every day or two, and gathered over 10 gallons of carrots. We stored them in sand in large pails in our pantry.
All that’s left are undersized Brussels sprouts, leeks, kale, Jerusalem artichokes, and specialty items like horseradish and hardy herbs.
And yesterday we ‘harvested’ a huge pile of hay for our two ducks and four pet chickens. This will be their winter bedding, and I hope it will be enough. We have a large area of slough grass (yes, just like Laura and Pa in The Long Winter) and we cut it down and bring it to the barn by hand. It takes a few hours, just long enough for it to remain an adventure. Once again, I’m thankful I’m not a pioneer!
In our homeschool this week…
We worked. Hard. My teens and I are getting into a good routine with our French and Dutch studies. The Little Misses, however, need more attention when it comes to languages.
Some days I’m busy doing schoolwork from 8 to 12:30. Other mornings, once the language study is finished, no one needs me…until I try to freeze the last few tomatoes, fold some laundry, work on a project, or do my own ‘homework’.
Yes, I have homework too, such as catching up on my Henry V reading, or reviewing the subjunctive tense in French, or learning about South American history and the Monroe Doctrine.
Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
Take a fifteen minute exercise break halfway through the morning. That’s our latest innovation, and I love it.
Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
Swimming lessons, optometrist, judo, groceries, catechism, library…. Mostly we’re just being at home.
(Virtual) Field trips…
- We visited a sheep farm with Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy, a DVD.
- Life in the Age of Beowulf took us to West-Stowe Anglo-Saxon Village. We are reading a story about St. Patrick who lived at the time represented by this movie.
- A few weeks ago we watched the vastly different documentary Claiming the Blade, about sword-fighting in history. Such DVD’s make sections of history come alive, and we enjoy them.
My favorite thing this week was…
Enjoying the first warmth from our brand new fireplace insert. How cozy that is! It makes the air feel more pleasant than our usual oil furnace…and it’s supposed to save money.
Questions/thoughts I have…
How much studying do you find you need to do to keep up with your kids?
Ambleside Online always stretches me. There’s so much reading I need to do before I can hear the narrations! Occasionally I let the kids narrate to each other.
With the older kids I sometimes just choose not to do things. I did not read Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason with Mr. 16, nor will I, but I did read about it. I cannot keep up with all Miss 13’s Jane Austen reading, rereading, and discussions, though I do watch any Austen movie she watches. And I’ll be reading Sense and Sensibility for her blog event.
Things I’m working on…
- The mending pile. It has a parka with a broken zipper. Fixing the zipper is a big chore, but so is finding a long zipper like that. So I’m doing buttons and little repairs first, hoping the snow stays away.
- Reading, for school, for fun, and for reviews. I don’t think I’ll participate in NaNoWriMo, but I may have my own little NaNoReaMo—national novel reading month.
- Fall cleaning. Just the planning, not the actual work yet since we’re still doing garden work.
- And planning for Sinter Klaas who comes early in December to Dutch households.
I’m reading…
Amos, Fyodor Dostoevsky by Leithart, A Jane Austen Education, Henry V, Wild Animals I Have Known, House of Hope, Remembering You, and The Reason for God.
The children and I are still reading Saint Patrick by McHugh. Last night we watched a DVD about life during Patrick’s time, Life in the Age of Beowulf. We finished Jan en Janneke in Canada and are now enjoying Little House in the Big Woods. I’ll need to choose another Dutch book to read aloud.
I’m grateful for …
Warmth. Sunshine when it comes. A good harvest. Full freezers and a full pantry.
Just one picture…
This is just one of the blog banners and buttons available for Sense and Sensibility Week, hosted by Miss 13 at Miss Georgiana Darcy.
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This post is linked to The Homeschool Mother’s Journal and to Weekly Wrap Up at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.
Wow, you always are doing so much with all of your harvesting! And you manage to have a great homeschool experience for your children, as well. Way to go! 🙂
Hope you have a blessed (and restful!) weekend,
Lisa
Sounds like things are going great. Carrots in a bucket of sand. Hmmm, why would you do that? Just curious. I don’t do much work with my children at all, they are in 8th and 10th grade. But we mainly do independent style work with them, we always have. I don’t use ambleside, so I don’t about that.
Good idea to do a 15 minute work out or even recess would be good. I need to do that.
I do not always read ahead but much of our Ambleside reading we do together still. I would say learn to skim/speed read well, but that is not really helpful.
Many Blessings this week.
Amy