This was our first week using Five in a Row (FIAR) and it went great! So much smoother then I expected, even with schedule interruptions. Not only did we bring in an entire new curriculum this week, I've changed my view on how homeschooling and other daily activities need to be scheduled. Both have led to us being able to get more done and with much less stress. I'm not a very regimented person when it comes to schedule, but for some reason I thought that was the way I needed to do things when it came to homeschooling. Our schedule is back to having a much more organic feel, and we are all much happier for it. I think I will post separately the details of our schedule.
The Story About Ping: Our first FIAR book. Ok so not everything went well, the kids groaned when I sat down to read it the third time. . .but absolutely loved the discussions, and activities afterward. I don't think they will ever forget the Yangtze river or that it's in China. They particularly enjoyed the art and science lessons. In fact as I write this Patch is still at the kitchen sink experimenting with different objects to test buoyancy. He also decided to take the art lesson and expand on it by writing and illustrating an entire book of his own, he plans to work on it over the next few days. Em was thrilled to learn new drawing techniques (as I expected she would be) and drew a very detailed picture with the new knowledge.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Row, row, row your boat!
I ordered and received Vol. 1 of Five in a Row, and started my planning. We start Monday!!! I wanted to start this week, but between Patch having a 103 fever Sunday night, and somewhere to be everyday but Tuesday and Friday, I choose to wait. I'm really glad I've got a few extra days to plan things. I've been able to take my time planning, go over board with activities, and then back off realizing I need to be realistic. Also, I just came across a great blog about doing multiple levels of FIAR. This was my biggest concern, is always my biggest concern. I've decided to put off doing Beyond FIAR with Em until fall. However, when I do begin doing both, I have a lot more confidence I will be able to make it work. On Monday we will also be starting new spelling program, Sequential Spelling.
So our busy week. . .yesterday we had a field trip with our homeschool group to Greenfield Village. Only Em went, thanks to one of the other moms who volunteered to take her, because Patch was sick. Tomorrow is the last day of zoo class for the year. Thursday we go to one of the homeschool group members house for a geology lesson and swimming. (Yes swimming in MI in May. . .they have an indoor pool!!!!) I should really post some pics of this stuff. . .we shall see.
So our busy week. . .yesterday we had a field trip with our homeschool group to Greenfield Village. Only Em went, thanks to one of the other moms who volunteered to take her, because Patch was sick. Tomorrow is the last day of zoo class for the year. Thursday we go to one of the homeschool group members house for a geology lesson and swimming. (Yes swimming in MI in May. . .they have an indoor pool!!!!) I should really post some pics of this stuff. . .we shall see.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Hurts so good.
Ok, I can't limit myself to homeschool posts in the strictest of definition. It's the unschooler in me that sees all of life's lessons as equally important. Nor do I see myself as any less a student then my children. And lets face it, isn't one of the things we homeschooling parents strive for is a LIFE LONG love of learning. How better to teach that then by example?
My lesson actually occurred last night after my last post. I logged off and took a shower. As the relaxing hot water hit my knee it ceased to be relaxing due to the scrape on my knee I got while gardening earlier that day. I had completely forgotten about it. I had also forgotten how much getting water on a scraped up knee hurts, it's been 20 years. When I first got the scrape I reacted much like I did 20+ years ago. I thought to myself "ow ow ow," then looked at it as blood started to gather, took a moment to admire the beautiful color (yeah that's weird but blood really is a beautiful color if you don't think about what it is.) then went back to whatever I was doing with out a second thought. (Until the shower, lol.) Realizing that reminded me of a motto I had as a kid. "I wasn't having a good enough summer if my knees weren't scabbed over the whole time." This years scrape came about as I was gardening, something I haven't had the opportunity to do in a few years. It felt really good to get my hands back in the dirt, to be sore after working my body to provide my family with good food, to smell the earth. Even as I sat outside that evening there was a calm that came over me seeing the garden in it's beginning stage. That scrape was a reminder that things are going well. That it's the small things I need to appreciate. I've had a lot of subtle reminding lately, and I'm glad that I've been aware of it.
My lesson actually occurred last night after my last post. I logged off and took a shower. As the relaxing hot water hit my knee it ceased to be relaxing due to the scrape on my knee I got while gardening earlier that day. I had completely forgotten about it. I had also forgotten how much getting water on a scraped up knee hurts, it's been 20 years. When I first got the scrape I reacted much like I did 20+ years ago. I thought to myself "ow ow ow," then looked at it as blood started to gather, took a moment to admire the beautiful color (yeah that's weird but blood really is a beautiful color if you don't think about what it is.) then went back to whatever I was doing with out a second thought. (Until the shower, lol.) Realizing that reminded me of a motto I had as a kid. "I wasn't having a good enough summer if my knees weren't scabbed over the whole time." This years scrape came about as I was gardening, something I haven't had the opportunity to do in a few years. It felt really good to get my hands back in the dirt, to be sore after working my body to provide my family with good food, to smell the earth. Even as I sat outside that evening there was a calm that came over me seeing the garden in it's beginning stage. That scrape was a reminder that things are going well. That it's the small things I need to appreciate. I've had a lot of subtle reminding lately, and I'm glad that I've been aware of it.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
A case of the crazies!
Ok who are we kidding I'm always a little nuts, and being a stay at homeschooling mom means it's ALWAYS crazy in our house. Last weekend my sister got married, it was beautiful and went down with out a glitch. Now I'm waiting for her to blog from Ireland so I can live vicariously through her. And I can't wait to see her wedding photos. She looked awesome! And her photographer was great. So basically last week no "real" school work got done.
This week we are working on our garden. (Let me make clear that I use the word garden very loosely.) We dug up the big flower beds in the front of the house to plant our spinach, romaine, and broccoli, and our basil and chives. More herbs to come. I'm going to get a tiller for the back yard for tomatoes and maybe some others, not sure yet. In our digging this morning I pulled out 15 grubs, which my children made a home for. (They now rest in peace.) And this HUGE beetle! Which I need to look up on the internet.
To go along with having a garden this year we are going to do a few "plant experiments" this week. Well start them. I will post more about that later. That should tide us over until we order new curriculum. I'm back to debating between Moving Beyond the Page and Five in a Row. UGH! Also we started looking at the Ice Age before the wedding took over, and I want to wrap that up.
Other major changes since I last posted are: Our homeschool group has really gone through some defining moments. Last fall we decided to rent a space for the cold weather and to move into doing more structured activities, with each family taking a month to plan activities. I think it went really well. However because of the more structured approach, before it was basically a playdate once a week, we've lost a couple members. Also I've since taken on a leadership position in the group. (I guess I thought I needed more to do, lol.) And, as if on cue to our numbers dropping we've got some new families coming to check us out!
The other big change, Em has glasses now! She is too freaking cute with them. She has this whole cute disheveled professor look going.
Guess that's all for now!
This week we are working on our garden. (Let me make clear that I use the word garden very loosely.) We dug up the big flower beds in the front of the house to plant our spinach, romaine, and broccoli, and our basil and chives. More herbs to come. I'm going to get a tiller for the back yard for tomatoes and maybe some others, not sure yet. In our digging this morning I pulled out 15 grubs, which my children made a home for. (They now rest in peace.) And this HUGE beetle! Which I need to look up on the internet.
To go along with having a garden this year we are going to do a few "plant experiments" this week. Well start them. I will post more about that later. That should tide us over until we order new curriculum. I'm back to debating between Moving Beyond the Page and Five in a Row. UGH! Also we started looking at the Ice Age before the wedding took over, and I want to wrap that up.
Other major changes since I last posted are: Our homeschool group has really gone through some defining moments. Last fall we decided to rent a space for the cold weather and to move into doing more structured activities, with each family taking a month to plan activities. I think it went really well. However because of the more structured approach, before it was basically a playdate once a week, we've lost a couple members. Also I've since taken on a leadership position in the group. (I guess I thought I needed more to do, lol.) And, as if on cue to our numbers dropping we've got some new families coming to check us out!
The other big change, Em has glasses now! She is too freaking cute with them. She has this whole cute disheveled professor look going.
Guess that's all for now!
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