We've been busy...the good kind of busy;) Busy wrapping up a semester at the college (my students took their finals yesterday...woohoo, it's summer break) Busy working in the yard and garden, playing outside, learning together, trying new recipes, volunteering in our community, and finishing the loft space remodel upstairs. And while it's nice to be busy, I'm ready for a few days rest. Guess our summer fun list will have to wait just a couple more days! 1-3 Farmer's Market Day- there's always a crowd. We found all sorts of fresh, local goodies to tide us over until our garden is producing. M. stopped to take pictures of the flowers in the town square. The beautiful azaleas are in bloom:) 4-6 What these two girls spend all afternoon doing...oh, to have that kind of energy again! 7 Mother's Day morning:) M. gave me a coupon...she'll get up early and take care of the hens and chicks for me (offer expires on 12/31/13). I plan on cashing in that coupon very soon! 8-11 Mother's Day afternoon...because there are no holidays for DIYers;) Glad Hutch is willing to do all the work up high! I prefer to keep my feet on solid ground. I could hardly watch him work on the platform he made across the top of the stairs...yikes! 12-14 A. spent a lot of time on Khan Academy this week...what a great resource! M. made cooking videos and treated us to homemade strawberry shortcake with fresh local berries that a friend gave us:) 15 Sharing M.'s recipe at the end of this post! You don't want to miss it. 16-18 Sharing games with kids at the children's shelter and teaching them to play some of our favorites. They especially loved Guess Who, Jenga, Candlyland, and Battleship. We'll be doing that again soon...what a fun and crazy day! 19 My friend Tami and I had an opportunity to visit with seniors at our local high school and pass out Bibles and copies of The Life Book to them! Curious? Follow the Life Book link and download a free copy of it:) Our "schoolish" endeavors this week: Gardening Researching and trying new recipes, especially gluten free recipes Blimeycow on YouTube Autobiography writing- this was fun! Loved reading the story of A.'s life through her own eyes Making comics Bird watching- we saw a beautiful painted bunting in the backyard:) BrainPop Mine Craft Seven Cool Homeschoolers- This is one of the highlights of each week...check it out! Playwriting Braille (M.) Shel Silverstein poems Khan Academy math tutorials- both girls love this incredible free resource! Take Two (A.) Photography AG Treasures game- a pretty fun American Girl game (it takes a while to play, so we only get it out every once in a while, but it's a favorite) Camp Out (M.)- a very cool book for kids interested in camping, hiking , and outdoor skills. We're planning on camping soon so I think M. wants to be prepared! Gymnastics Tuesdays at the Castle (A.) Nurse Matilda (M.) and I can't forget to share this- M.'s recipe for Strawberry Shortcake 1 1/2 pints fresh strawberries 2 T. sugar 1 1/8 c. flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1/8 tsp. salt 1/3 c. unsalted sweet cream butter 1 egg, beaten 1/3 c. milk (M. substituted vanilla coconut milk) heavy whipping cream plus a small amount of powdered sugar *Makes about 8 cupcake size shortcakes* Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Rinse and slice strawberries in a bowl. Sprinkle with a little sugar (to taste), toss lightly, and set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in another bowl. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center for the egg and milk. Stir until combined. Spoon batter into cupcake liners (about half to 3/4 full) and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. They will look more like biscuits than cupcakes:) Cool, slice, and serve with strawberries on top:) To make the whipped cream, just put heavy cream into a bowl and beat on low until it begins to thicken. Begin to add powdered sugar by the spoonful (to taste...it doesn't take much) while continuing to beat the cream. Stop when you reached the desired consistency. Enjoy! I am eating gluten free now so I had my berries and cream with Udi's Gluten Free Granola instead:) Yum! I didn't feel like I was missing out;) I planted a whole bed of strawberry plants last year, so I'm hoping for a big bunch of berries this year. I sure hope there's more strawberry shortcake (or strawberries with granola) in our future:) Linking up here today:) I guess it's better late than never!
As of this week, our homeschool group is finished for the spring and won't start back up until fall. The girls are already wondering, "Now what?" I'm thinking of restful days at home, working on the house, and maybe completing the dozen or more projects I started earlier in the year and didn't have time to finish. The girls are worried that they'll be bored this summer... what?! Never... not when you are used to learning all the time! This week was far from boring- Play performances Birding- spotting new birds, observing nesting birds Photo collages- Thank you, A. I love the collage you made! Coin collections and coin history Keepers of the Faith badges Trip to the library The Big Book of Spy Stuff How movies are made The Sound of Music (one of our favorite movies...we've been singing the songs all week:) Also learning about the history from that time and the real Von Trapp family RootWords app Storycubes Adam of the Road (reading it at bedtime...almost finished!) Babysitting Craft Monday- we were behind in posting our recent crafts, but we updated the page, so check it out!! Drawing, lettering and cardmaking Seven Cool Homeschoolers video making:) Alone Yet Not Alone (started this one on our road trip...a really good book about having faith through difficult circumstances. M. kept asking me to read just a little bit more!) Tigers (M.) Math/logic games The Essential Book of Presidential Trivia (A) Episodes of the Waltons and great discussion on life during the Depression Crafts- The girls made a gift and cards for a friend's birthday party Space Silver Dollar City- The weather was eighty degrees and sunny...perfect for the water rides and walking around the park (which is beautiful this time of year). Everyone rode their favorite rides, then the girls went to "school" at the 1880's school house. Cooking and trying new recipes Visiting the Emergency Children's Shelter- taking lunch and playing games with the kids there today:) Something we enjoy doing as a family and with our church family 1. Drawing the planets 2. These two cuties are one of the best parts of each week! The girls look forward to babysitting them. 3-4. It snowed in May...for the first time in history for our area! We stayed warm inside, worked on crafts, and watched reruns of the Waltons. 5. A. was the narrator for the play that her theater class performed. She did a wonderful job! 1. Tell me these aren't the cutest bugs ever?! M. and friends after their performance:) 2. Studying her coin collection...she's gotten a lot of new ones lately as friends and family have realized that she's interested in coins:) 3. Daddy and M. heading to Silver Dollar City 4. Navigating the park 5. Mama and A. 6. Trying not to get splashed by the log ride!! 7.-8. Going back in time to school in the 1880's. They liked the slates;) 9.-11. The park is shaded and beautiful this time of year but also very hilly (definitely a workout for the legs:) 12. We were tired at the end of the day and rode the train through the park to give our feet a break. Lots of crafty things going on this week. I hope to see more to come this summer as our days slow down! “You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” Maya Angelou Love that quote! Linking up with Savannah at Hammock Tracks this week and these ladies too:)
I had an interesting conversation with a gentleman this week. I ran into him on one of our outings into the community. He felt it necessary to express his opinion (in front of my children, no less) that homeschoolers are too sheltered and not learning the skills that they need to be successful in life. Really?! Obviously, he hasn't met too many homeschoolers! I bit my tongue at my first response (which wasn't going to be kind) and took a deep breath. I explained as sweetly as I could that his idea of homeschooling might be a little skewed. I invited him to look around at the homeschoolers in our group who were visiting the air and space museum. They were busy actively learning all around him. I talked to him for about ten minutes and explained a little bit about how and why we homeschool and how we stay active in the world around us. I didn't have to do that, but I wanted to show him that there's more to homeschooling than his narrow point of view. I hope I made a positive impression on him, I really just wanted to say, "Really?! You've got to be kidding me. Clearly, you've never spent any time with a homeschooler!" Here's what my sheltered children did this week...I doubt any of this will help them be successful in the real world. Just kidding;) Thomas Jefferson bio The Indian in the Cupboard- we finally finished it...so good! Crafts- for AG dolls and also creating puzzles for each other (this took a couple of days, but ended with each of them creating an original seventy piece puzzle of artwork for the other to try to put together- pretty cool!) Civil War reenactment- We are participating in a local battle reenactment in honor of the sesquicentennial anniversary of the battle. Love Living History and the opportunity to be a part of it. Woodworking- Daddy helped the girls repair and restore their AG doll beds. Junior Electrician's Kit- a favorite this week, but always right before bed for some reason...probably part of a plan to stay up all night;) Adam of the Road- still reading aloud just a few chapters a week, but enjoying it Gymnastics- the girls created a "vault" from the ground up to the trampoline...not sure if I should be worried or not:/ Math games Puzzles Seven Cool Homeschoolers on YouTube:) Episodes of Fetch The Brain unit study Field trip to the Animal Safari- a great day trip with friends, lots of fun, and loads of animal science. Definitely one of the best things we did this week:) Writing- family newspaper, a play, and short stories with Storycubes Video Star Another road trip to the Tulsa Air and Space Museum trip-Wow! So much learned in one day...parts of an airplane and function, flight simulator- Cessna 172, forces of flight (lift, drag, gravity, thrust), parts of the instrument panel, centrifugal force Planetarium- the highlight of the Tulsa museum for all of us. I had never been to a planetarium before. M. said that it was "amazing"! And now, please excuse me. My sheltered children are participating in a local Civil War battle reenactment as part of a living history demonstration. I love homeschooling, even if some people just don't get it!
"It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things." Leonardo da Vinci We homeschool a little differently than many people we know. I don't usually tell the girls what to do or when to do it. We don't work through a set curriculum or a set schedule at a set pace. But that doesn't mean that the girls are idle... not by a long shot- in fact, they are quite industrious. Industriousness is a matter of attitude Of wanting to take the initiative to create, to learn, to serve, and to develop new skills. It's realizing that idleness serves no godly purpose, and seeking to avoid it. It's not just staying busy for busy's sake. It's being busy with a purpose... with a goal in mind. Now I don't know what my girls will be doing when they grow up, but I do know that I want to teach them to work at whatever they do enthusiastically, energetically and diligently right now. so that when they are grown, it's a part of their character. If I can model industriousness for them now and give them opportunities to practice it, then they will have learned a most valuable skill that will prepare them whatever they do in the future. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Ephesians 6:7 NLT Our week: DIY.org- check this out...such a cool site! Thanks, Susan:) The girls are so excited about this. Cooking tutorials- M. makes videos of her own while she's cooking in the kitchen The Silver Chair (M.) The Indian in the Cupboard (both) Literature Fair with our homeschool group. Thanks for the idea, Mary! A.'s presentation based on a biography of Leonardo da Vinci won first for her age group, and M.'s Pie project won second place for her age. Nancy Drews book and the movie (a favorite of ours:) Caddie Woodlawn- we finished the book and are looking forward to the second one...definitely going to add this to our favorites list! Seven Cool Homeschoolers- This week's assignment was to make a craft tutorial. Loved watching all the videos! Root Words App ( Thanks again, Susan:), 94 seconds, BrainPOP How It's Made episodes Girls Who Rocked the World- A.'s reading it now...M. just finished it:) Piano Little Women, the movie (both book and movie are much loved here:) Garden planning and prep work AG doll crafts Caring for the chicks and rabbits Helping with the remodel- Oh no, I forgot to take pictures of the new bathroom! I will work on that this week. Photography- both girls practiced using their photography skills at the garden center:) Thomas Jefferson bio The brain- A.'s been wanting to know more about the brain so we found a unit study for her...it's pretty fascinating. Olga Korbut- M.'s been watching all the videos from her gymnastics routines form the 1970s Schoolhouse Rock Roald Dahl and Dr. Seuss bios Episodes of Fetch M. made me some lemon honey this week: local honey, a few drops of pure lemon essential oil, juice from a lemon (with a little pulp and zest too). We add a tablespoon or two of this to hot water and drink it for allergy related issues like drainage, sore throat, or cough. I'll add this little recipe to our Natural Health page:) 2. A. answers questions as she interacts with one of the judges at the Literature Fair with our homeschool group. 3. We had a nice turnout of kiddos from kindergarten through eighth grade for the fair and some amazing project board displays. 4. If you ask the girls, the best part was hanging out with their friends all morning! 5. M. did her project on the book Pie, of course;) She made passed out samples of the peanut butter raspberry cream pie that is mentioned in the book too (it's surprisingly yummy:) 6. I love that this fair was an opportunity to share a favorite book with others and to interact with people of all ages. Here M. is visiting with someone's grandparents about her project...awesome! 7. I have no idea what she is doing, but she has drawn a crowd...looks like cheerleading, but that doesn't really fit in with the theme of her book. There's no telling! 8. Both girls brought home ribbons and book prizes from the fair. 9. Love this stoneware egg crates from a friend in my favorite colors! 10. It was raining one day and I heard laughing from the other room. I walk in to find M. covering A.'s face with tin foil and duct tape. What?! No worries...they were just making masks. Good to know! 11. We take an archery class together every week. The girls are waiting for class to start and enjoying the beautiful view:) 12. My favorite of A.'s flower pics! I love the color. 13. I had a hard time picking a favorite from M.'s, so I picked three! She's really gotten interested in taking better pictures lately:) Linking up here today. Join me!
“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” Mother Theresa I really want to make every day count... to be intentional... to make each day meaningful... to find joy in the little things. Sometimes that's easier said than done. Sometimes I just need a reminder that time is precious. This week, I turned another year older... how's that for a reminder that time is precious?! This is how we spent part of our time this week- Gymnastics- haha, even Mama...cartwheels and flips aren't as easy as they used to be;) Girls That Rocked the World Caddie Woodlawn Drawing Helping out with Preschool/K class at church (both the girls and I) and volunteering at preschool (A.) Literature Fair with friends- M. worked on her Pie display board and A. finished her Leonardo da Vinci display board. I worked on book related prizes for everyone;) Creative writing- M.'s writing a play, and we are editing it together:) Standardized testing- math and reading (required by our state every year...the girls actually look forward to it, probably because we don't do tests or grades, so it's a novelty;) I got to spend the morning with other homeschool moms...what an encouragement! The Essential Book of Presidential Trivia (A.) Jane Goodall Autism Multiplication- M. watched this video to learn a trick for her 6's through tens...cool! How did I not know this?! Eggsperiments:) Sign language Piano Archery lessons- I'm taking lessons too:) I want the girls to see that you are never too old to follow your passions! Seven Cool Homeschoolers video- definitely a favorite activity (both to see and do) around here each week! Theater (for all...the girls take a class and I teach one for high school homeschoolers) and choir (for M.) The brain- A.'s been wanting to learn more about the brain...we found a cool unit study and both girls are doing it independently and sharing cool info. with me. I found a kit called Brain Workout: 100 Days to a Sharper Mind at the thrift store- I started it today:) Let's see if I am any sharper in a hundred days;) Art journals for Craft Monday- all three of us worked on entries plus a friend joined us too Remodeling the loft space upstairs Games- Bubble Talk, Scattergories Apps- 94 seconds (my fave), lots of Minecraft (the girls' fave) BrainPOP Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds- We found a lost dog this week (a beagle mix) and took care of him until we could get him to a no-kill animal shelter. We have photos and are trying to find his owner or someone who would like to adopt him. We would have loved to have kept this little guy, but in his brief stay... he ate two of my chickens:( 1.Learning something new on my birthday! 2. The bow was as big as M. but she handles it well! 3. A. started off with a bullseye. Maybe we should call her Katniss;) 4. That face! 5.-6. Easter Sunday- a beautiful day of worship and time with family 7. Learning on the screened porch...great idea, girls! 8. The chicks are starting to grow up! They're losing their fluff and getting feathers now. 9.-10. Art journals for Craft Monday- We created "50 Things About Me" layouts Hope you have a great week and make each moment count! Linking up here today:)
After visiting family last week and this past weekend, we spent a quiet week at home. We got out of the house two days so I could teach at the college and the girls could attend their homeschool classes like choir, sign language, and theater but that was all. The rest of the week we were home. Ah...home days are the best days. The girls have plenty of time throughout the day to get involved in big projects, craft all afternoon, get lost in a book, or just play outside. Just one of the many blessings of our relaxed homeschool...uninterrupted time to pursue passions:) Our passions this week- DK Eyewitness book- Space Exploration (M.) Trading Faces, by Julia de Villers and Jennifer Roy (A.) 2013 SEC Gymnastics Championship- last weekend with Mimi:) Lots of gymnastics practice outside in the beautiful spring weather Olga Korbut- a gymnast from the 1970's; M. found this amazing video of her performance in the 1972 Olympics...watch it- you won't be disappointed;) Episodes of Fetch Mr. Z.'s science class (A.) Practice standardized tests- their idea, not mine!! I guess when you don't have textbooks, tests, or grades, this seems kind of fun so I went with it and downloaded practice tests for reading and math. Exploring Careers: A Young Person's Guide to 1,000 Jobs book The Space Shuttle, by Gregory Vougt (M.) Baking- blueberry muffins, no bake cookies (boiled cookies) Board games- Yamodo, Bubble Talk, Scattergories New apps- Minecraft, 94 seconds (this one's my fave) Little House on the Prairie movie (mini-series from 2005...love it!) It follows the book fairly well, if you haven't seen it. U.S. Presidents trivia- A. loves to quiz us...I think Daddy knows more than the rest of us on that subject! Remodeling- we have a new bathroom upstairs:) Putting it in was a family affair for sure, though Hutch definitely did the majority of the work! Pictures later this week..promise:) Girls Who Rocked the World- a favorite book this week; Thanks, Susan for the idea! Traveling Trio DVD Piano Photography and blog design (A.) Outside play- trampoline and balance beam Art, drawing, and lettering Seven Cool Homeschoolers video- the girls are really enjoying this collaborative project! I am too. Check it out:) Our read alouds- Adam of the Road, Caddie Woodlawn, and The Indian in the Cupboard are taking forever but that's because we are reading all three at the same time I guess. We are enjoying all three:) Sign language Egg business Caring for chicks and rabbits Lots of babysitting this week and A. volunteered at preschool Art, choir, and theater classes Dessert date with Daddy! Tonight's special?! Pie:) 1. The chicks are getting bigger but still have a long way to go before they are ready to be out in the yard. 2. Spring is here finally! We've some rain and everything is turning green:) 3. Watching over little ones is one of A.'s favorite things to do! 4.-8. What they do all day when the weather is nice...sometimes we get out there too;) 9. One fat bunny:) 10. Learning on the screened porch 11. Our oven is broken:( Hutch is waiting for a part so he can fix it, so it seemed like the perfect time to show the girl how to make no-bake cookies (boiled cookies) from my grandmother's recipe. M. and her friends made fairy crafts one afternoon:)
“School” is not something we do Or something to be checked of a daily to-do list.
Now I know our approach is one that doesn’t work for everybody,
But just think… What would happen if you trusted your children, Followed their lead, And let them pursue learning on their own?
You might be surprised! You might see your kids Enjoy learning And see it as a normal part of everyday life.
You might notice that they play more And create all kinds of things. Eventually, you’ll probably notice That they don’t need you to direct them Or tell them what to do when it’s time to learn. They can come up with endless things to do and independently pursue those things… With just uninterrupted time And resources for learning.
Interest led learning means that you, the parent, Are a part of the learning process- Not directing it, But observing, making suggestions, and finding resources to help them in their pursuits. You have the opportunity to listen and help your children find answers (if they should need help). You have the chance to enjoy learning alongside them.
That’s why I don’t lecture, Or give assignments and due dates, Or even tests
Because I believe Learning is joyful And a natural part of our everyday lives- Definitely Not just a task to be checked of a to-do list! 1. Enjoying a few days of spring by reading on the screened porch. 2. Setting up a writer's workshop one morning 3. A trip to the vet 4. Playing with cousins in the spider's web at the nature center 5. We just thought it was spring- it snowed all afternoon while we were in the library 6. Crafting! We came up with a way to display our Instagram photos:) 7.-8. We took the cousins and met some friends at The Museum of Modern American Art. The Norman Rockwell exhibit was fantastic! Highlights from our week: Virtual surgeryA Horse for Mandy (M.) BrainPopCrafts Literature Fair projects- reading, research, writing, design, planning, organization Wheel of Fortune app The Essential Book of Presidential Trivia, by Noah McCullough (A.) Vet's office- one of our dogs had his yearly check-up Leonardo da Vinci bio Baking- check out M's recipe for easy carrot cake with cream cheese frosting Story writing Visit to a local nature center Board games- Scattergories, Bubble Talk, Life Museum of Modern American Art with friends, just in time for the Norman Rockwell exhibit:) Business Math- egg business and Pet Shop math
Video making for Seven Cool Homeschoolers! Check it out:) It's an awesome collaborative project. Traveling Trio DVD Space books and a taste of astronaut ice cream The Indian in the Cupboard, audio book Sounder, audio book (M.) The Penderwicks at Pointe Mouette, audio book (A.)
Our week wasn't perfect... most weeks aren't. But it was still good, and I realized even at our worst, I know my girls have plenty of time to read, play games, take care of their animals, jump on the trampoline, play outside, craft, do experiments, make movies, build with legos, create new artwork, write or journal, take photos, bake yummy treats, and learn new things. And I am reminded... that this is why we homeschool! 1.-2. The weather's finally warm enough to play on the trampoline again! 3. Egg business:) 4. You are never to old for picture books! We have a chapter book of Irish lore and history and a stack of picture books too:) 5. My dining table right now! 6.-7. Tell me these chicks aren't the cutest things ever! 8. Checking out the Kindle...our favorite app this week is Tetris (reminds Mom and Dad of the Gameboy days:) 9. M.'s peeking through the window to entertain the babies. It worked, she was rewarded with a few belly laughs:) 10. A. has been volunteering at the preschool one day a week since August. It is one of the highlights of her week. I love hearing the enthusiasm in her voice when she shares what happened that day!
Other highlights from the week: Adam of the Road (read aloud...great book for both boys and girls...we like it a lot) Saxon Algebra 1/2- A. Found this and decided to tackle it on her own! Way to go! Mastering Math Essentials- M. Baking- biscuits, cookies, doll food for the American Girl dolls;) Legos (both) Art- drawing, lettering, paper crafts Babysitting- They are really getting good experience at taking care of little ones:) Science experiments Caddie Woodlawn (read aloud...loving it so far) Photography assignment for our homeschool group (A.) Piano Blog design- A. is creating her own blog...I'll let you know when she's ready to publish it:) American Girl Tiny Treats (M.) Caring for the new chicks! Ireland, Irish history and story books Read about filibusters and watched a clip from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Egg business- taking orders, gathering eggs, filling orders, keeping the books, and helping care for the hens Choir and Theater classes
Yep, this is why we homeschool! What about you? Linking here today...check it out!
We spent most of the week here at home, except for a day trip to see Hutch's parents. Funny how we can stay so busy without ever leaving the house:) But really...it's the best kind of busy to me! I love to see the girls busy at home pursuing what is meaningful to them and knowing that they have plenty of uninterrupted time to do so.
So here are the highlights of our relaxed week of learning:
Bubble Talk game with family- it's too funny! One of our favorite things this week- virtual surgery at Edheads.org BrainPOP- videos and games Weather watching and learning at NOAA- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's site Apples to Apples, Cranium, Spoons, and Hide and Seek with friends The history of Saint Patrick Several books about Ireland Party planning Video making Piano playing and lessons Volunteering at the Children's Shelter- We brought some donations from our church and spent part of the afternoon organizing the clothing closet for the shelter. Adam of the Road (read aloud) Leonardo da Vinci bio (A.) The Silver Chair (M.) Pet Shop Math College gymnastics meet- we go to every home meet to root for our team! The girls also watched the American Cup meet at Mamaw's house:) Sign Language- A. (then she comes home and teaches M. everything she's learned) THe girls shared some of what they were learning with their grandmother and she showed them some sign language videos she had taped for them. I love to see grandparents sharing in the girls' passions! Choir/Theater classes- Choir is just M. and both girls take Theater Preschool- Both girls volunteer with me once a month to keep preschoolers in extended session at church, but A. volunteers every week assisting the preschool teacher at our homeschool group. She has a way with little ones, and I think this is fantastic practical experience for her! Cultural Literacy- the book I'm reading but I love the list in the back...things every American should know. We're going through the list item by item to see what and how much we know:) So B. It, by Sarah Weeks, Martin Luther King, Jr. Bio (A.) Road to Revolution (M.) Bible Challenge (Bible trivia) Lego building- M. built a national park last week, complete with amphitheater. This week, it's a vet clinic. Exploring the woods and of course, reruns of Little House on the Prairie...our week just wouldn't be complete without 1. M. loves building with legos!
2. What our table really looks like most of the time;) 3. Enjoying an American Girl magazine with Mamaw 4. Video editing...with a little help from the cat!
5. A.'s sunrise art, inspired by this post and her favorite Toby Mac song:) 5. Love him and how hard he works for our family!
Linking up here today!
It was a long week. This time A. was sick,but we were able to treat hernaturallyhere at home.We had a lot of time at home,and surprisinglyeven with illness...got a lot done.I saw a lot of creativity,following interests,andpursuing new things.I saw a passion for learning.With no pressure to stay on schedule or complete a set number of lessons or pages from a book, we were freeto rest when we needed to and enjoy learningin our own way...at our own pace.That is why we love this relaxed homeschool life.I followed my interests tooand did a little rearranging on the blog I added a Natural Health page which I hope to update regularly:)And now, since everyone is well today,we have a baby shower to attendand volunteer work to doat the emergency children's home.Before I go,here are the highlights of our week of interest led learning:Little House on the Prairie reruns Archery practice Baking and cooking dinner (the girls are handling supper at least one night a week now:) Bald Eagles- we saw another one fly over the house this week...so beautiful and majestic! How It's Made episodes Hugo, the movie (the girls read the book earlier in the year). I liked it! Lego building Brainbox games- so fun, and we found them online too Discussion on how a bill becomes a law BrainPOP- watching videos, taking quizzes, and playing games, especially Law Craft and Executive Command:) Words with Friends Adam of the Road (read aloud) Life in the Middle Ages Armor of God Settlers of Catan board game Wii Fit Public speaking and making a video- The girls went with me to video one of my speech students who is competing in a speech contest. They learned a lot about what goes in to making a professional video and got to get a little hands-on with the equipment! College gymnastics- we love it:) Business math for both, also A. is interested in pre-algebra, so she read and worked a few problems there And I can't forget comparison shopping and calculating tax Piano Elements of poetry Science Experiments- Science Wiz Light kit, by Penny Norman Sign language Art- drawing, painting, lettering ...we got lots of inspiration from Deep Space Sparkle and A.'s new favorite site smART class! Blessings to you this week! Linking up here so I can see what every one else has been up to;)
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