Current Interests....

The Boy, thanks to a game on his phone, has become deeply interested in the world of immunology... disease, pathogens, epidemics, pandemics... so he's decided to make a little study on the subject, and related topics.

He's starting with:

which certainly looks intriguing!

And, for a little more historical perspective:

 And then for fun, if he likes, he might also read:

This last is purely for fun, as he enjoys Asimov's writings.

And The Girl is wrapping up her study of animals for the year, as we are down to the last two chapters of her main book: 

She'll be looking through: 

and 

We also plan to finally dissect our owl pellets, and then frogs, as the grand finale to animal studies! 

She liked the textbook well enough that we are moving on to another from the series:

To which we will add a few "fun" titles:

and 

In the meantime, math is going well... The Boy is doing, on average, two lessons a day in Life of Fred Beginning Algebra. The Girl finished up LoF Butterflies and is starting Cats today. The Boy is talking about writing a story, from a first-person perspective, about a pandemic, while also working on his essay about Ford and Chevy. The Girl is still enjoying poetry, so we read and discuss it, and she's continuing her work in Writing Skills. We're continuing our journey through [local] California history -- about halfway through the book -- and both kids have requested medieval times (especially British) next, so we might read:

I'm not sure if we'll get to this before or after our summer break!

Hmmmm....

Truthfully, I've been feeling a bit blah about homeschooling lately, not looking forward to fall nearly as much as I have in the past, hence all my flip-flopping and indecision.

I think a big part of it is that I allowed my "oh my god, The Boy hits high school in two years and I'm worried about being behind" fears to overwhelm me. I forgot about enjoying the journey, and focused only on the potential goals. For a few minutes, I even considered going all textbook-y! Which, by the way, is the exact opposite of how my kids enjoy learning.

I read this bit on Kim's Our Enchanted Place blog not long ago, and it really struck a chord with me: "I always get a little worked up at the beginning of our year and think I need to get everything done by some certain time. Well, you know what? I really don't! Our focus is math, and then doing whatever we can get to from the Sonlight cores. After all, it really does not matter if we finish a Core in a year or two years! We are still learning a ton. I am also realizing that I need to be careful about adding too much to the Cores." Of course, I'm not using Sonlight, but the gist of this really applies. We are still learning a ton, even when we slow down to enjoy what we're learning!

Then I worried myself that using vintage books, and living books, wouldn't be "enough", even though we love the language of older books (like Builders of the Old World versus some of the newer texts). I'm still wrestling a little with history for next year, but I'm starting to look at it from a different angle. What would we enjoy and learn from? I also need to think, instead of "oh my god, The Boy hits high school in two years and I'm worried about being behind" that I have SIX more years to give The Boy the education he needs and EIGHT more for The Girl. Isn't that enough time to fill in some gaps without getting so worried? Plus, since both my kids plan on transitioning through the local junior/community college, not going straight off to a four year college, I can ease up on those graduation requirements... a little.

So now, I am looking at adding more beauty and enjoyment to our schooling in the fall. I'm researching a lot of Waldorf stuff, and a little more Charlotte Mason. I'm thinking about a lovely progression of [vintage] history (Read up through the Romans in Builders of the Old World, and then read Our Island Story alongside bits of Builders, and then, when we finish Builders, we could read through Makers of the Americas) rather than a more "structured" approach. Still not absolutely sure, but I feel like I am getting somewhere!

In the meantime, I would like to highly recommend this book...

I really like the balance in it between stories and (environmental) activities. I think today we might try one where we go out into a wild place and each child finds a special spot to simply sit, be quiet, and really appreciate nature.

And The Boy is really enjoying this Steampunk-inspired book...

The Girl and I are having fun reading The Garden Princess together (a strange tale), and we're hooked on Downton Abbey. I am anxiously awaiting Below Stairs at the library, and The Girl is really into fashion from the 1910's-1920's. And we're all loving Cheaper by the Dozen, one of my favorite childhood books! We finally finished the third Percy Jackson audio book, and will be listening to The Peculiar next, before returning to Percy Jackson.

Hope you've all had a good week!

Has It Really Been That Long?

Seventeen years already! And some people said it would never last (we married less than 3 months after we met)! So a Happy Anniversary to my sweetie, and here's to many more years!

It was a good weekend. I made homemade playdough, scented this time with pine oil, and that kept the kids occupied during downpours. We also made bubble soap for between downpours. We discovered Vi Hart's Math Doodles, which both kids, especially The Boy, found quite inspirational. We ate a delicious, and very easy, chicken dish that the whole family begged me to add to our regular repertoire.We played several rounds of Apples to Apples Junior, which is always a blast!

In homeschooling yesterday, we:
~ Read about homo habilis and tool making
~ Visited the Mayan temples of Chichen Itza with Richard Halliburton
~ Completed 2 chapters in Life of Fred Apples (The Girl), and one in Life of Fred Fractions (The Boy)
~ Completed some copywork in Primary Language Lessons (The Girl) and a brief story paragraph in Intermediate Language Lessons (The Boy)
~ Both kids took spelling tests, and aced them!
~ The Girl read a long vowel story from Reading Pathways aloud
~ We read two chapters of Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone
~ There was painting, playdough sculpting, and math doodles all mixed in there too! My kids love to work on crafts, etc. while I read
~ And at bedtime, we read another chapter of Dorothy & the Wizard In Oz, with our old friend the Wizard just arriving on the scene.

Today will be another relaxed day of learning. I have science, language arts, math, a couple of books from A Picture Perfect Childhood, and literature on the agenda, and we'll see how that goes. I am trying to be more flexible these days in my approach, mainly setting general goals for the week, such as 4 math lessons each, coverage of a topic from Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding, a chapter or two in history, and so forth. Then, when and how we get to it is determined by how our days are going! I find too that logging what we have done works much better for me than writing up a plan each week, as I get very frustrated when we don't follow said plan!

Then maybe a nice dinner, and a family movie. The Girl has agreed to miss roller derby training tonight so we can enjoy our anniversary evening at home.



We also changed up our Thanksgiving plans. I'm taking the kids to my mom's house on Wednesday, then on Thursday, it will be this:






and, weather permitting, this.




Something a little different this year! So no cooking for me, except a apple-quince-mince pie for my mom's house, and a pumpkin pie at home, at The Girl's particular request.

Hope you are all off to a good start with your week!

It's Raining...

image courtesy of itsmeithink

It's pouring...

Well, not really pouring, but definitely wet out! And it is supposed to rain the next five days running. I'm kind of glad -- yes, that means the kids won't get to play outside as much, but at the same time, we need the rain! And I love cozy days inside, the fire crackling in the fireplace, soup simmering on the stove... good days and evenings for board games, stories, family movie time with popcorn... my kids like their (air-popped) popcorn with nutritional yeast sprinkled on it, along with smoked black pepper.

How do you/your kids like your/their popcorn?

I think in place of today's park day, we'll catch up on a little homeschooling I wanted to get done this week, and then we'll watch Shrek Forever After, since we recently finished up the first three in the series. That does mean a trip to the library, where I have it waiting for me, but then we don't have to go tomorrow! And it means I can pick up the book for my 12-14 page seminar paper due in mid-December. I'm thinking of getting this Kindle edition as well - the annotations could prove to be very helpful! Maybe the library will have my science materials on hand as well... our first BFSU topic will be gravity, so I have a few books and a video (Disney Imagineering) picked out.

Speaking of books, I'm throwing together a Harry Potter lit study, at the impassioned request of the kids. We did listen to books 1-3 on audiobook a couple of years ago, but they would like the whole series, and somehow they are just not excited, right now at least, about the Narnia lit study. I love all things Harry Potter, so I am not complaining! I am sure too that I will be able to find plenty of resources, starting with The Sorcerer's Companion and The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter. I think I'll change up my Narnia Lit Page and turn it into a general book list page. I really don't know quite yet if we'll do this as a full-blown lit study, or something more casual...

A Brief Run-down of This Week

The Girl: We worked through 4 chapters in Life of Fred Apples. When your kids giggle all the way through math, it is a very good thing! (At least it is when they get the answers right) I'm going to have to sell this one soon, and get the second book! She also read several stories from Reading Pathways; worked in Explode the Code; painted a few pictures; helped with baking and cooking; listened to some stories from a lovely library book she picked up... I am glad there is a pronunciation guide in the back, as Irish names are not my forte.

image courtesy of suite101

The Boy: He worked through another lesson in Primary Challenge Math, as well as a lesson in Life of Fred Fractions. He also completed another spelling lesson; did a free write; worked on computer animation/modeling (he taught himself to animate hair this week!); finished reading The Headless Cupid, and started reading The Famous Stanley Kidnapping Case; and started a science experiment that involves vinegar, rubber, and plastic. I made a lab sheet for him, and he's recording all his data on it. Basically, the idea is to see if vinegar can break down either the rubber (model car tire), or the plastic (small plastic toy). He weighed the objects before submerging them, and will be re-weighing them daily for a week, as well as making note of any changes. He conceived this project himself, and I am happy to support him in it!

With Both Kids:

We finally finished The Lightning Thief (audiobook) and are ready to start The Sea of Monsters. I have been pleasantly surprised at how rich and in depth the book is in comparison to the movie! We also finished The Graveyard Book, and are happily back in Oz with Dorothy and the Wizard In Oz (book 4). We read about Austrolopithicus afarensis and, specifically, Lucy this week for history, as well as The Wall, which is a story about the Memorial Wall, in honor of Veteran's Day. We watched Disney Imagineering's video on fluids, which was pretty interesting! Then there was housework, yard work, lots of Frisbee playing, some art, and so forth.

I think as long as we hit the basic at least 4 times a week, I'm pretty comfortable with what we are doing. History, art, science... all important yes, but I consider them "gravy", and as often as not, even if I don't actually schedule them, we get everything in those areas worked in somewhere!

Hope you all had a good week as well! Happy Friday!

Homeschool Boot Camp Update & Ramblings...

So this week I signed up, a wee bit late, for the:

Now, you might ask, how am I doing with this challenge? I'd say mixed results... so far. Yes, we have "hit the books" a bit more this week, but again, we should be doing it a little more.

I did have parent-teacher-student conferences this week! And I have reinstituted my checklist, although I updated it to include weekends, and a place for "notes". I do have goals - math 4 times a week, writing at least twice, history at least once, etc., but we don't do well with actual schedules. Sometimes, we'll get really excited about a topic, and we'll want to spend more time on it. Other times, it is not interesting, and we hurry through, or set it aside for something else, so no, scheduling doesn't work for me.

Overall, we're doing better this week, and I hope we continue to improve.

Thinking about homeschooling has gotten me reconsidering our goals, and whether we are working toward them. What do I really want for my kids in homeschooling? Earlier this year, there was a big thread (many pages) on a homeschooling message board I frequent about pursuing truth and beauty in homeschooling. Then there was a resulting spin-off Yahoo group on pursuing a classical, liberal arts education, and while the others in the group are far more religiously minded than I am, I still benefit from the depth of connections and ideas they share. My BA is in Liberal Studies, and I feel very fortunate that it was through the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies. We were encouraged to explore topics more deeply, to build and foster connections, and to discuss our ideas and thoughts. Ideally, that is my aim with homeschooling - deeper exploration, building connections, pursuing truth and beauty, fostering discussion. Are we reaching those goals, those ideals? Sometimes, when we get into the whole workbook-do-the-next-thing rut, I feel very far away from it. Other days, when we have a good history lesson, great literature, art, and living math, I feel as if we are stretching in the right direction.

I've gone from a mental image of at-the-table homeschooling... the kids answering questions, filling in the blanks, to an image of cuddling up on the couch or under the apple tree, perhaps sipping tea or lemonade, and discussing whatever book we are reading. I want our homeschool filled with good books, fine art, lovely music, a sense of the flow of history, and an appreciation for the scientific wonders of the world.

Now, how do we get there?

In other news, I decided I needed a better goal for myself in fitness. So (very late to the game), I am challenging myself to....  

I know, super geeky, aren't I? While I doubt I'll participate in any online forums, etc. with this, I do plan to track my journey with a Middle Earth map. I'll keep track in my sidebar too. It'll take a while!

Odds and Ends...

I updated and adjusted my curriculum page: Plans 2012-2013. I did this after individual conferences with the kids, since even I was feeling overwhelmed looking at all we were "supposed" to be using!

image courtesy of wordywoman

First I met with The Boy. We pulled out all his books - a rather big stack - and went through them. I allowed him to eliminate a few... Writing Skills (which he feels is boring), Math Mammoth (as he prefers Life of Fred and Zacarro's Primary Challenge Math), and Word Roots (which he simply never got around to). Then, we went through other resources I had set aside. He was very excited by The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way... he even liked the Student Quest Guide! He also really, really wants to take the National Mythology Exam this year, so I pulled out our copy of the D'Aulaires Greek Myths, and am coming up with a rough "suggested course of study" for him. I think I'll have him approach this in a more Waldorf inspired way, with a Main Lesson Book to record notes.

Then I met with The Girl. While she doesn't really like Reading Pathways, she can see that it is helping. She is fine with Explode the Code, and loves Primary Language Lessons! She's not sure on the math programs right now other than that she enjoys Life of Fred! She says the Challenge math is "too hard", so maybe I will try just level one with that for now. She does still like Math Mammoth though, so I may work in some of that too. Then we talked about individualized studies, and she would still really like to learn more about world cultures, so we'll study that while The Boy is studying mythology--again, I think we might do a Main Lesson Book on this.

Image courtesy of combat-diaries

Finally, we all met as a group, to go over group resources. They love history (though we need to catch up on the Books of Centuries work!), so we'll continue with that. They feel that we are not doing enough science or art. And I agree. So we looked at the topics covered in BFSU, and they liked what they saw. I am finding there are good topical books to supplement this--while the author makes many recommendations, we need "higher level" books, and I think I'm finding some good ones! We're going to give it a good try anyway. They also love geography--I can't recommend Richard Halliburton's work enough!

As for art, well, I will work that in!

In other news... wow, next week I will have been married for SEVENTEEN years! And next week we have Thanksgiving, so I need to start preparing for that. It will just be us this year, which makes it easy. We'll read a few appropriate books over the next week, cook a nice big dinner (I love leftovers!), maybe go for a walk in the woods...

I'm also trying to decide on classes for spring. I do know I plan to take the Advanced Shakespeare class - I've had a few classes with the professor offering this course (he was a substitute for one of my professors a few times this semester), and he is fantastic, plus Shakespeare is his specialty, so I am really looking forward to this experience! I'm not sure yet what else I will take.

Do you have big plans for Thanksgiving?