Back in the Swing of Things

I never intended to take three weeks off of school. But with Jason home for the break it was just too nice being a family and being able to go and do whatever we wanted.  We enjoyed a glorious three weeks doing lots of cooking, fun activities, great day trips, and lots of snuggle time. I have a little guilt about not doing "school" -- but not to much! Home education extends much farther than planned "school" time.   It was a great mental break for me -- just not having to worry about planning and prepping.

This week we were back into things full force, though. I'm really happy with the balance we have found in our homeschooling schedule and I am really looking forward to this semester.  Each of the kids are blossoming in their own special ways and it is so fun to see.

Here is our first week back in pictures.  A few things to note:

1. I apologize for the picture quality.  My camera is almost completely dead and one of its most frustrating ailments is that my automatic focus no longer works.  Manual focus + moving kids just don't mix. I am hoping that someone can bring me a new camera from the States!

2. Although it looks like we just do "fun" stuff, we also do more "regular" schooling activities like reading together, math work, Bible time, etc.  I just usually share pictures of some of the extras and/or the way we beef up what we are doing because that is what people seem to be looking for.  I get emails all the time asking about what kinds of activities they can do with their kids.

3.  You will also notice that we do things that are really about home education, not just home school.  We want to educate the entire child and that involves more than typical academic subjects.

4. Levi wears his basketball outfit any chance he gets.  The moment it is dry on the line he pulls it down and changes.  Therefore 75% of pictures of him show him wearing his too-small outfit.

Matching upper and lower case letter (aassessing Caleb's recognition of letters as well as engaging him in searching/scanning)

Block towers (demonstrating cuteness to the total extreme)

Putting together a pasta alphabet (scanning and searching as well as a great fine motor skill activity)

Making life-size versions of themselves (Levi is learning body parts -- elbows, shoulders, ankles, etc. so all of the kids did a bunch of body related activities together.  I like using the older ones to help the little ones in what they are learning).  

Getting ready to teach Alaina how to sew on buttons (and knot/finish them at the end). (Domestic arts as well as fine motor skills)

Not bad for her first try!

Chocolate pie making (I think I would just rather eat her! She is so delicious!)

Alphabet puzzle (learning to recognize lowercase letters)

I just gave Alaina some colored papers and some scissors and told her to make a flower.  I just love seeing her creativity explode. Can you see the "storm" she created with the dark cloud and rain? (art, creative thinking, tactile work)

Matching numbers to animals (counting, pairing items with numerals, indulging his undying love for all animals)

Later in the week he used the same animal sheet and counted off the animals using an abacus. (Counting, tactile stimulation, object to number correlation)

Drawing family pictures (working on drawing people with specific features, showing relationship between size)

Estimation and measurement of water (Measuring, guestimation, sensory activity)

A new verse for this week (Bible, memorization skills).  We have also started on the catechism for young children.

It just makes me smile (Levi had a pictorial list of all the features he had to include on his person)

Caleb and Levi got to make their own sandwiches for the first time (I will not raise boys who don't know their way around a kitchen...and you've got to start simple!  It's not that I think men need to be fabulous cooks or that cooking should be part of their family responsibility -- though if they enjoy it, it can be -- but they DO need to know the basics.  I worked with a teenage boy once who was supposed to be helping me in the kitchen.  I gave him the easy task of making buttered toast.  A few minutes later I smelled a burning smell and realized that he was buttering the bread before it went into the toaster! So come on moms...let's save our future daughter in laws the nightmare of a helpless man in the kitchen!)

Many tears were shed over this writing assignment (her attention span does not last longer than about ten minutes and this was easily a 30 minute assignment.) (Language arts expository writing).

In Social Studies/Science we continued on our trip around the world, this time landing us in Kenya.  We're excited for the next few weeks as we learn about African animals, the Kenyan people, and the ways that we can be involved in helping the poor and needy (we're already donating money to the Kenyakidscan feeding program and we are looking into sponsoring a child through Compassion International or World Vision).

And for my own brain stimulation I tried my first Sudoku puzzles (while I am waiting on the kids to finish up assignments).  I can see why people say these things are addicting! 

So that's it...our first week back.  Feels SO good to be back in the swing of things!

Comments

[jennyg]

That's a busy week for sure!

[Kellie]

I love how you are able to get a vision and follow it through! Hope you get a new camera soon!

[Anne]

Your homeschool activities look so well thought out! Are you using a particular curriculum or pulling from different ones? I'd love to know what you are using. Or maybe you are coming up with it all yourself? Anyway, looks like you are doing a great job!