The Homeschool Mother's Journal - September 25, 2011

In our homeschool this week...
We had our ups and downs, just like any other school week.  However, due to some meditating and soul-searching, I do believe it was a bit more joyful and peaceful.  We are well into our routine and that is good (though I'm hoping routine doesn't turn into rut too soon!).

Tuesday was a big test day.  I've come to realize that I dread grading tests about as much as my children dread taking them, but I am happy to report that most of the tests resulted in great scores!

My daughter incubated 31 chicken eggs and we had 17 hatch!  1 passed on into chick heaven yesterday and 2 little lives are hanging in the balance, though my vet-daughter is doing all she can to nurse them back to health.  She's also in her glory with three very young goats that arrived last week!

Helpful homeschool tips/advice to share...
Keep on going.  When you feel like skipping a day - don't.  You'll just be tempted to skip another.  Trust me on this one.  So glad I overcame temptation this week!

Places we are going/people we are seeing...
My two oldest girls painted a shed for a friend this past week.  It was a great first experience for them and one for which they were paid!  Other than that and the library, we stayed close to home...again! :)

My favorite thing this week was...
Having coffee & cheesecake with my mom as she told me all about her recent trip to Vermont & Maine. Made me feel like I was living back in those places again.  So want to return for a visit.  But, it was good to see my mom so happy and hear that she had the time of her life!

What's working/not working for us...
I'm loving the fact that my oldest daughter has taken over the task of writing out the weekly chore list.  I never even see her do it, but it's done every week.  I don't even have to think about it, but the chores continue to get accomplished!

Thoughts I have...
The Bible says that a merry heart doeth good like a medicine.  My heart has not been merry as of late, but this week, I made sure I smiled more.  I asked God to help me focus on what was important.  While I saw through my own life and through the Bible that it is impossible to be happy all the time, I can rest in Christ and do what He asks of me.  This is peace.

I'm reading...
My Lucky Life by Dick Van Dyke.  While interesting, I'm even more convinced that if one is a celebrity, they are able to get a book published and printed without it actually being edited for major grammatical flaws.  I did finish reading Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs.  What a book!!!  I am so grateful for the freedom I have and the love I am shown by those around me.

I'm praying for...
Missionaries and pastors, a courting couple, and my family.

A quote to share...
"What happens IN you is much more important than what's happening TO you." -Gary Beikirch (Congressional Medal of Honor recipient).


What happened in YOUR homeschool this week?  Share with us over at the Homeschool Chick!

Homeschool Mother's Journal - September 12, 2011

In our homeschool this week...

We only had 2 days of written school-work.  Because my husband actually gets Labor Day off, we enjoy just having time with daddy.  It was a relaxing day at home - a much needed one!  As my oldest's birthday was on Thursday, we also took that day off, leaving us with 2 days to do school.  Oh, how sad we were...NOT!! 

Our bi-weekly homeschool co-op, HOPE (Helping Our Parents Educate) began on Friday.  This left me staying up until 2 a.m. finishing up lesson plans for my 2 geography courses I am teaching, as well as final arrangements in the overall organization of the day.  After 4 1/2 hours of sleep, I stretched before getting out of bed on Friday morning and did something horrible to my neck leaving me in quite a bit of pain over the weekend.  Good thing about the pain was that it really didn't get too bad until after HOPE - God gives blessing in the trials, amen?!  

Helpful homeschool advice to share...

Cut out as many of the extra-curricular you can.  I'm trying to tone it down this year and, so far, so good.  No matter what, our life is still busy, but I'm trying to be a bit more discriminating in what we choose to do and where we choose to go.

I am inspired by...

Anyone who coaches beginner soccer.  I watch my 6 year old daughter's Saturday Soccer coach and feel a mixture of humor, compassion, and awe.  Mostly, I feel exhausted.  This man coaches 8 little girls who have very little idea of what they are doing and he smiles the whole time!!  Amazing!

Places we are going & people we are seeing...

We really didn't go too far last week - and I loved it!!!  We did make a quick trip to the hair salon for my 11 year old to donate 10 inches of her hair to Locks of Love on Wednesday and I met up with my mom for some delicious coffee on Saturday before she left for a big trip the next day.

My favorite thing this week was...

 Having only 2 days of school to plan for.

Questions I have...

How in the world do homeschool moms have so much time to blog, guest-blog, run a business, spend hours on a computer during the day and still educate their children?  I wish I could do all those things, but I seem only able to sit with my kids and do school...hmm....

I'm reading...

My first e-book.  I electronically signed a book out of our local library and it's pretty cool to be able to read it right from my phone.  The book is an amazing autobiography about a woman who escaped slavery in the mid-1800s and she attempts to let the North know exactly what slaves went through. Nothing is sugar-coated and it is a real eye-opener.  The book is entitled, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs.  I never heard of this woman until I went to a local museum.  She has local ties as she spent some time with Frederick Douglas and his family while they lived in Rochester.  I highly recommend this book, even if you already feel you know many of the atrocities of slavery.  Not recommended for young readers, however.

I'm cooking...

On the menu this week:  pulled pork, ham & mashed potatoes, chicken salad wraps, beans w/ hot dogs, golden potato soup, and Pasta al Forno.

I'm praying for...

A friend's mom who is recovering from surgery and a friend's nephew who was just reported injured on the battlefield in Afghanistan.

A picture to share...

So proud of her!!!! 

For more journal entries, go on over to the Homeschool Chick!!  Better yet, join in next time.  It's really great to be able to see that we do accomplish something in our homeschool each week!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - September 5, 2011

In our Homeschool this week...

We finished everything that was on the schedule for the 3rd week in a row!!!  So excited about my 6 year old's progress in reading - she is doing great.  This is not a surprise, but a blessing nonetheless.  One of my children had to be grounded due to a test grade, but then next test that child took was an A!!  So, lesson learned - which is the important thing in the end.  My son attempted something different with his schedule - basically he would do the week's work in one or 2 subjects a day.  It seemed to make for longer days, so we'll see what he does this week.

Helpful homeschooling tips to share...
I posted my lesson planning method in this post.  If you own a Mac, you may want to check it out.


Places we are going and people we are seeing...
My husband and I celebrate 17 years of marriage this coming Friday.  As are children are due to break out with Chicken Pox right about then, we decided to celebrate a week early by getting away for the entire day on Saturday.  We drove and saw many areas of our great state that we've never before seen.  While some were duds, some were wonderful.  Among my favorite places:  a newly discovered coffee joint about 20 min away from home!  The caramel latte - only THE BEST!!!!  Let's just say we were glad to find that before we found Starbucks...thankyouverymuch!

My favorite thing this week was...
hmmm....I would have to say my son's version of The Gift of the Magi.  Read on to the last section in order to find out.

What's working for us...
Consequences for poor test grades.  I hate to be a meanie, but, sometimes, you do what you gotta do.

Things I'm working on...
I'll give you a hint:  We begin our homeschool co-op (aka HOPE) this Friday.  I lead the group and am teaching two World Geography classes.

I'm reading...
Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton.  I finished Leap of Faith by Queen Noor last night (finally).  After that book, Surfer is a lot like reading Cat in the Hat by Seuss.  It's good to have some light reading after the last few heavier books I've read.

I'm cooking...
A lot of stereotypical large family meals - pasta, casseroles, & chicken.  At least my family is eating and relatively healthy, at that.

I'm praying for...
A great start to HOPE and another good school week.  Although, we only have 2 days of school work due Labor Day & my oldest son's birthday on Thursday.  What a shame...

A short story to share...
My son was studying O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi this week in Literature.  You know the story:  a young couple completely in love with each other agonize over the lack of funds with which to purchase the other the perfect Christmas gift.  They sacrificially give in order to surprise each other on Christmas Day.  Well, my son's assignment was to write a paragraph telling about Jim counting his money and thinking about what he can get for his dear wife.  He did not need to stay within the storyline of The Gift of the Magi.  Only a almost 14-year old boy would come up with the following:

     97, 98, 99, $1.00.  "Boy," Jim thought, "I don't have enough money to buy her a wardrobe."  Then he saw money on the ground; he picked it up and saw that it was $20.00.  "Only ten dollars more and I can buy that wardrobe!"  A rich man passed him.  Jim ran up to him, knocked him out, and took the money he needed.


Seriously, I laughed.  Hard.  No, I don't worry about my son having violent tendencies.   He is a normal 14 year old who was bored by a love story and showed some creativity.   Definitely a successful week!

To see what others are doing in their homeschools, head on over to the Homeschool Chick!