The Holistic Homeschooler

Homeschool Mother's Journal #46: Overworked

2012-05-24T23:29:00.000-04:00

In my life this week...
I worked. I worked a lot. I totally missed being at home. But I'm grateful to have the work all the same. It was exhausting and completely off of the schedule I usually plan for working. I went out every morning to clean houses. Usually, I schedule cleanings after homeschool. It's just the way the ball bounced this week I suppose. But it came when I most needed it, so I went with the flow.

In our homeschool this week...

We're at the end of Week 8 of Term I. Due to the work schedule, we had a surprise break this week. I can't do lessons when I drag in at dinner time. It's enough to get dinner going and the rest of the at-home tasks. But it looks like we'll be back to normal Friday. So I'll be doing what I can and maybe do some lessons over the weekend as well.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
Schedules, routines and developing habits are essential. It's best to instill these things when they are young. However, I also believe that we don't want children who can't veer from the normal course at all. I've seen children like this. I've seen a child have a complete meltdown because he didn't have time to make his bed immediately after he got dressed because the parents had to run out the door. My point is, routine is good but so is flexibility. A tree must be strong enough to bend in the winds, otherwise it will be uprooted or break.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
I don't think I'll be going anywhere. I've spent too much time "out". My 21-year-old daughter, however, is going to be at a friend's this Saturday making the decorations and such for Alexis' 8th grade graduation party! We're going with a Japanese theme and since my daughter and her friend are the artsy-craftsy sort that I am not, they've taken on this task. The grad party is June 16th and Alexis is quite excited!

Things I’m working on…
I've been working on promoting my business (apparently this is working). But I also need to get on our schedule/routine. I function better and they function better with routine. I've been trying to adjust the homeschool schedule to accommodate Alexis being more independent for the high school years. I've just been so busy and tired that I can't think straight when I sit down to do it.

I’m grateful for…
My daughter and her dedication to the cleaning service. She never lets me quit or give up. She loves what we do. She's just as passionate about eco-living as I am and always stands by the concept of green cleaning. I realized today how important it is to truly believe in what we do and if an employee doesn't share those ideals, they probably won't be the best for our business.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
As many of you already know, Alexis loves Japan, the culture and the language. She's been teaching herself Japanese for a while. She's also begun teaching Lorelai. Below is a video I took of them singing in Japanese last night. It was impromptu and so it's shaky and out of proper composition. Then again, I'm no videographer. I was just capturing the moment.

It's starts a little slow as Lorelai struggles but Alexis steps in to help her then sings a bit herself.

Please go pay a visit (or link up!) the Homeschool Mother's Journal linkup this week.

But first...

What was your favorite thing about the week?

Happy Homeschooling!

Top 10 Charlotte Mason Homeschool Resources

2012-05-23T12:16:00.002-04:00

Today, I'm listing my top ten favorite sites for Charlotte Mason homeschooling. In no particular order, they are:

1. Jimmie's Collage- I am not an artsy-craftsy, creative person. Jimmie, however, takes the practical application of the Charlotte Mason methods and turns them into something inspiring! She's one of those moms who really knows how to make learning fun.

2. Charlotte Mason Home Education- This site is chock full of resources for anyone interested in the CM method.

3. Handbook of Nature Study- This is my top pick for learning nature study as well as getting ideas. You can even purchase lesson plans here and participate in Barb's Outdoor Hour challenges.

4. Harmony Art Mom- On this site, Barb leads the way in teaching art as well as offering help with artist and composer studies.

5. The Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival- Every two weeks, Charlotte Mason blogging moms contribute their CM-related blog posts to this carnival. It's an excellent resource for finding other CM blogs as well as getting some ideas and peering into the homeschool rooms of others using this method.

6. Simply Charlotte Mason- Although I write my own curriculum, I find myself visiting Simply Charlotte Mason regularly. I get ideas for books to use as well as help at planning my schedule from this site.

7. Heart of the Matter Online- While this site is operated by a team of bloggers, there are definitely some Charlotte Mason leanings that you may find helpful. This site may be perfect for a more eclectic CM education.

8. Heritage History- This wonderful curriculum (which we started using recently) is great for CM educators. They offer a literature-based history curriculum that can be used as the spine of your curriculum.

9. The CM Series- This is actually a part of the AmblesideOnline site but I find myself visiting it often to re-read pieces and parts of Charlotte Mason's writings.

10. Amazon.com- I buy nearly all of my books (tangible and ebook) here. I can always find great literature at low prices or free through the Kindle search.

Happy Homeschooling!

Homeschool Mother's Journal #45: Acceptance

2012-05-18T13:04:00.002-04:00

In my life this week...
I spent a lot of time working on my cleaning website. A lot. Too much. Otherwise, the week is pretty much a blur in other respects. I did however, make some personal discoveries over the last few days that have been kind of ..well... overwhelming. These were discoveries about certain "special needs" within our household. While overwhelming, it has also been freeing in many ways. It's funny how putting a name/diagnosis on something can help you to cope with the various symptoms. It stops a person from wondering 'why' or 'what's wrong with me' and allows you to say "Oh I can deal with that!" or "Well this makes a lot more sense!!"

In our homeschool this week...

We're at the end of Week 7 of Term I. Alexis is very interested in writing and publishing a book and has been working on that. She's has been writing for months but is now interested in how to format the writing and such. Dyslexia is a language processing issue so this is quite an endeavor! But she, like her mother, loves to write. I'm going to take her grammar/language arts lessons into a more writing-focused direction to help her in this area.

Lorelai and I have been reading to one another. We are both enjoying this very much. She loves The Wind in the Willows which is what I've been reading to her. She, in turn, reads to me from whatever literature is on her literature list. Her reading seems to improve daily.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
Do whatever works for you and your family. Worry not about what the other homeschool moms are doing or how they do it. Don't worry about what their kids are doing or how they do it. As long as you try to be them, you'll never do what works for you.

My favorite thing this week was…
Spending time with my 21 year old. Talking.

What’s working/not working for us…
I've come to realize that my absolute need to schedule things and live on a routine isn't just some weird thing I do. It isn't something I need to fight (a fight I always lose, mind you). I've tried so long to "be like everyone else" and just "go with the flow". Well, I am coming to terms with the fact that I will never be able to do that. I must have a routine if I am to function correctly. I'm tired of fighting it. I'm tired of my life falling into chaos because I'm trying to prove (to whom?) that I can do it. I can't do it. Period. Now I know why and I am free to go with the flow of not going with the flow. Schedules it is. That is what works for me and my family.

I’m grateful for…
My friend, Elizabeth, who helps me to understand various aspects of a disorder, what to do with it, how to accept it.

Please go pay a visit (or link up!) the Homeschool Mother's Journal linkup this week.

But first...

We've all had to accept or come to terms with something in our lives that we didn't expect. Was it a big challenge for you? Or were you relieved? Or perhaps both?

Happy Homeschooling!

10 Steps to Ruining a Homeschool Day

2012-05-15T22:30:00.000-04:00

I'm perfectly late with this. Who had time to post? I was busy ruining a homeschool day. So I thought I'd share with you just how to accomplish that feat.

1. Don't get up when the alarm goes off. Just hit snooze (or better yet, hit dismiss) and go back to sleep.

2. When you finally get up, decide that you should check your Facebook and email "really quick" before waking the kids.

3. Two hours later (Man! That must have been some interesting email, huh?), wake the kids and realize you never took the dog out this morning.

4. Take the dog out and while he's doing his business, decide you'd better call around and rearrange your schedule to fit in that customer that left a message on your business Facebook page saying she needs you tomorrow.

5. After 3 phone calls and an hour of time, get back to attending to the kids who have now sucked themselves into Zelda and YouTube. Decide that it's closer to lunch than breakfast so they can stay on the screens while you get that going.

6. While they're eating lunch, realize that Bipolar Bear #3 doesn't appear to be doing too well. She did, after all, miss her morning "meds" when you overslept. Note that she can't take her "meds" until 15 minutes after eating.

7. Answer the phone call that's coming in because you don't recognize the number. Oh! It's a business call! This will only take 5 minutes.

8. Thirty minutes later, hang up the phone and take another look at Bipolar Bear #3. Her lips are pale. Give "meds" to her and hope they kick in before the mania does. Pull out some school books and decide you'll just focus on math and reading today because it's so late.

9. Walk by computer and decide that you'll see if Facebook customer got back with you. While there, check your online scheduler to see if any customers booked any cleaning jobs for the week.

10. An hour later, decide that the day is pretty much over and there's no point in getting started with lessons at this point. Besides, Bipolar Bear #3 just hopped a plane to the north pole.

Pretty masterful huh? Eh.. just keepin' it real. Gotta laugh at myself sometimes.

We all have those days that kind of fall off the calendar. There are days when we are diverted by whatever may divert us. In this case, I allowed business to get in the way. Really that's an odd thing because usually I put that off until late afternoon (phone calls and scheduling). But the point is that every one us is capable of letting the day slip away. For me, it's important to have my plans laid out before me. By plans, I mean a schedule and routine. It's something to guide me along.

But the good news is that even on an "off" day, learning still takes place. We can still sit down and read a wonderful piece of literature or have an impromptu nature study or discussion about the life of Thomas Jefferson. Sometimes our formal lessons go 'ker-splat' but informal lessons are just as important and knowledge-imparting.

Happy Homeschooling!

Homeschool Mother's Journal #44: Challenges Abound!

2012-05-11T09:57:00.000-04:00

In my life this week...
I returned from screen-free week with ambition and determination. Unfortunately, not everyone else did the same. Yeah.. it all went to pot. Change comes more slowly to some than others I suppose. But mama is gonna crack the whip next week.

In our homeschool this week...

We're at the end of Week 6 of Term I. There has been little focus this week. I've spoken with a Special Needs specialist about Alexis. We have hit a big iron wall in math. We strongly suspect Dyscalculia (the sister to Dyslexia). So we're setting her up with appointments to get to the bottom of this and learn how we can overcome her issues with learning.

Otherwise, Lorelai is quickly moving along in her reading. We have been moving forward in our Greek and U.S. history studies and it's been fun. Alexis doesn't like studying the Greek gods, by the way. She hates it. She has such a certain sense of "right" and "wrong". She's realizing how much of our language, names of planets, etc are tied into those gods and this displeases her moral senses.

What’s working/not working for us…
Remaining "screen free" has not gone well. The girls enjoyed our screen-free week so much and yet, when Monday came around, it was as if the week had never happened! In fact, they seem to have forgotten the rule about earning screen time! Granted, I've been distracted by some personal life issues that have caused me emotional distress and this has made it easier for them to "slide by".

So, last night, I made a firm announcement that they should enjoy all this free screen time because when Monday rolls around... all screens and remotes to screens are going to be confiscated each morning. No one is getting on anything until lessons are complete and they've actually earned their time as stated months ago. I'm not playing here. I am going to fill up so much time with activities such as the ones we had during screen free week that perhaps they'll forget even to spend the time they've earned.

I’m cooking…
I'm sure I've not mentioned it here but Alexis is a vegetarian. She has been since she was 4 years old. Usually, I make our meals with a lot of sides so that she has enough to eat and I don't make two different meals. I'll admit, though, that sometimes I forget. (You'd wonder how I could do that when she's been eating this way for 10 years!) I'll make some casserole or something.. let's say lasagna.. with meat and totally forget that I should have made something else for her.

Last week on Library Day, my 21-year-old and I were standing in the cookbook section and I mentioned that I wish there was a vegetarian cookbook with "normal" foods in it. It seems that cookbooks for vegetarians are often Indian foods or things full of unusual ingredients or made almost entirely of mushrooms and Tabouli. She'd never eat it! Then right before my eyes was a book which was "normal" foods made vegetarian style!!! So I got it, took it home and made a menu which consisted of 5 vegetarian dinners. That's right! Five of our seven nights were vegetarian and no one seemed to notice. Yay!

I’m grateful for…
Finally having a my van back! That's right. It's repaired! A friend's husband did it for the cost of parts and we'll barter the labor with my cleaning services. $1900 repair for $400 and some housecleaning? You bet!!

I’m praying for…
Those in my life who seem to be going astray.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…**Note: I love this quote as it falls into line with Charlotte Mason's teachings about artificial environment, needing outdoors and the uselessness of "pea and stick" work.

“I am beginning to suspect all elaborate and special systems of education. They seem to me to be built upon the supposition that every child is a kind of idiot who must be taught to think. Whereas, if the child is left to himself, he will think more and better, if less showily. Let him go and come freely, let him touch real things and combine his impressions for himself, instead of sitting indoors at a little round table, while a sweet-voiced teacher suggests that he build a stone wall with his wooden blocks, or make a rainbow out of strips of coloured paper, or plant straw trees in bead flower-pots. Such teaching fills the mind with artificial associations that must be got rid of, before the child can develop independent ideas out of actual experience."
~ Anne Sullivan (Helen Keller's teacher)

Please go pay a visit (or link up!) the Homeschool Mother's Journal linkup this week.

But first...

How was your week? Are you having any challenges in your homeschool that you're trying to overcome?

Happy Homeschooling!

A Note to Dyslexia

2012-05-09T17:21:00.000-04:00

Written by my daughter, Alexis:

Even though I can't, I try so hard to speak properly, and actually make sense. But I feel like quitting the conversation when you don't understand me. I feel dumb afterwards.

And I know exactly what my feelings are when I have them, at that moment. But I could never explain it to you.

I mix up words and use the wrong ones. And I don't even notice.

I can draw or dance around, and still hear you when you're speaking to me. But I won't hear a single thing you say, when I just listen to you. Because my mind wanders like crazy. Drawing actually helps me pay attention.

I can't remember how to spell so many words, that I have known for years.

I can only do math problems which are in a vertical position.

I mix up my right and left without noticing.

Some words don't look like I spelled them right, because of our alphabet has only 26 letters but each letter makes a million different sounds. I remember how to spell things by saying it wrong, or how it looks. (Ex. "People". I sound it out in my head: "pee-oh-pull")

I have so many other problems, but I would run out of room.

Thank You, Dyslexia.

The Face of Homeschooling: Interview with Melissa

2012-05-08T15:27:00.004-04:00

Welcome to the May 2012 edition of The Face of Homeschooling! Each month I have the pleasure of interviewing a homeschool mom in an effort to show the individuality of homeschooling. No two homeschools are alike which means that not one stereotype applies to the homeschool community as a whole.

Today, I present an interview with Melissa of Life on the Narrow Path.

Q: How long have you been homeschooling?
A: I have two daughters, ages 7 ½ and 9. My oldest daughter did attend a public school kindergarten, but we have been homeschooling ever since. This is our 3rd year of homeschooling.

Q: How did you get started homeschooling?
A: The funny thing is, we talked about homeschooling all the way back when my oldest was a baby. We knew we wanted to do it, but I knew nothing at all about it. This was before we were so attached to our computers and I didn’t know back then that I could learn everything there was to know by searching online. I didn’t know anything about methods or yahoo groups or forums or even about the books on the topic. I knew nothing at all.

And, so, when the time came that I was supposed to start my daughter in kindergarten, I chickened out. I thought I didn’t know “how to” do it, so we enrolled her in what was supposed to be the best school (public) around. It was a small school that only housed kindergarten and first grades. Even with all of that, we knew immediately that we didn’t like it and that we would homeschool after that. Unfortunately, I had no idea that I could pull her out mid-year, so she finished the entire year of kindergarten, even though we hated it. Now that I know more, it kills me that I put her through that year. She was five years old and had homework. She was a baby and had to write all day. Everything about that year goes against everything I believe about education now. But, I didn’t know. When you know better, you do better. From the last day of kindergarten, we have been educating at home, learning along the way and getting better and better at it.

Narrations can be drawn! This is a narration of Snow White and Rose Red by the Brothers Grimm.

Q: I often ask others if they have a particular style of homeschooling. How would you answer that?
A: I would say that we are relaxed, eclectic, Charlotte Mason homeschoolers. I like to have a plan (for me) and do spend a lot of time outlining the year and planning a possible progression to the years ahead. But, in the day to day, we are fairly relaxed. I try to come up with precise schedules, but we always fall out of them. In this season of our life, we do have a plan and we do have daily checklists, but the order in which we do things varies by our mood. And, I never say 'no' to fun opportunities because “we have to do our lessons”. We try to make education a part of our life, so when life has something fun to offer, we jump on it. We have 365 days in a year to educate, so spending a day at the park with friends is not going to throw everything off schedule!

As far as philosophies, most of my “Momma Education” has come in the forms of Waldorf and Charlotte Mason educational philosophies. We’ve dabbled in Unschooling as well, but I just couldn’t let go enough for that one. The beauty of our educational style is that it can mix the Waldorf and the Charlotte Mason in the morning, be finished by lunch time and the girls can have the benefits of the Unschooling in the afternoon. Of course, a purist of ANY of those philosophies would not agree with me. But, again, that is the beauty of homeschooling. There are no “philosophy police” coming to your house to make sure you follow any one philosophy to the letter.

Nature Study in the yard

Q: Are you influenced by any other homeschooling or educational philosophies?
A: Oops. I guess I sort of answered that above. Let me explain again in brief. I would say that we are mostly Charlotte Mason. Her philosophies resonate with me the most. There is no question about that at all. But, I learned a lot in my Waldorf studies and I do bring a bit of that to the table on occasion. I believe I am veering away from that more and more as we go along, but we have had our times of mostly Waldorf. I have also been influenced by Unschooling and Interest-led learning. I am flexible enough to allow for that in the sense of “rabbit trails”. When a passion or interest arises, we can come at it in a Waldorf or Charlotte Mason way ~ read living books about the topic, draw it, paint it, bake it, read poems about it, copy something about it … you get the idea. I’ve also read about the Classical method and like some of it, but did not agree with the early years ~ I’m a better-late-than-early kind of Momma. I’m pretty big on hanging onto childhood and honoring it. One other philosophy that has come into my own education has been the Thomas Jefferson Education/Leadership Education philosophy. Again, there were some interesting things to think about there, but where I feel most “at home” is with Charlotte Mason. I’d say about the only philosophy that does not play into our educational style would be “school at home”. That is the one thing we try hard not to replicate.

Q: What curriculum/books do you recommend most often to fellow homeschoolers?
A: Oh boy. That is a tough one. It has been such a journey for me to get here. I started with no knowledge at all and so I bought “school at home” type materials. That lasted about a week or two. Since then, I’ve been on a roller coaster journey, learning what I could, making changes along the way and finally getting to where we are today. I cannot even begin to remember what all I’ve read by now. I would definitely recommend these books and websites:

“A Charlotte Mason Education” and “More Charlotte Mason Education” by Catherine Levison.
“A Charlotte Mason Companion” by Karen Andreola
“For the Children’s Sake” by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
“Educating the Whole-hearted Child” by Clay and Sally Clarkson
The website www.charlottemasonhelp.com
The website www.simplycharlottemason.com
The all day seminar by Simply Charlotte Mason
The website www.whywaldorfworks.com

As far as curriculum, I write my own at this point, but I could recommend a few to new homeschoolers. Some that I think are worth checking into are:

www.charlottemasonhelp.com (she puts it all together similarly to Ambleside Online, but in a more user-friendly manner, in my opinion)
Oak Meadow
Five in a Row for littles
Anything from Simply Charlotte Mason
Sonlight (if you want detailed instructions)
Living Books Curriculum
Beautiful Feet Books
Queen Homeschool Supplies
Tanglewood Education ~ a curriculum online like AO and CMH that combines the Charlotte Mason and Classical philosophies.
For Waldorf, I find Christopherus to be the easiest to use. According to the purists, Live Education is the most pure.
The magazine Homeschooling Today has a curriculum that is very Charlotte Mason feeling called Organic Homeschooling.
For preschoolers or littles if you want to follow the seasons and natural rhythms, Little Acorn Learning has seasonal guides. These could also be added to your more academic subjects to give your homeschool a more Waldorf feel.

Reading Time!

Q: Do you homeschool set hours/days?
A: We do, sort of. I know myself well enough to know that I am not going to want to do anything for school after lunch. So, we try to do our school in the morning. I’ve tried strict schedules and they are great, but don’t last long. At this point, we have a predictable rhythm, but not set times. We generally follow this rhythm on home days:

Morning routine (make bed, get dressed, breakfast, kitchen clean-up, animal care, brush teeth and hair, room cleaned up, chores … in all honesty, sometimes they watch a show first)
School (snack will fall someplace in here)
Lunch and clean-up
Quiet time (they read or draw or play or sometimes watch a movie)
Snack
Play outside with friends
Dinner & clean-up
Bedtime routine (bath/shower, teeth, pjs, read-aloud, loving, lullabies, sleep)

Q: Where do you do most of your homeschooling? Do you have a specific homeschooling room?
A: We do have a school room, but it is only for storage. That is where we keep our books and materials, but we do school on the couch and at the kitchen table. And, we sit outside once in a while. I have dreams of a beautiful and large school room, with the maps on the walls and the huge white board and the nice big table in the middle for us to do our written work at and a big comfy couch for our read-alouds (the bulk of our school) and bookshelves galore. But, I do the best with what I have. Our school room does have a globe and some small maps and even a small couch (love seat), but again, we mostly read on our living room couch and do the table work at the kitchen table.

Q: Tell us a bit about your family. Married? Single? How many children and what are their ages?
A: I am married to my college sweetheart. We have been together for 16 years, married for 12 years. We only have the two children, ages 7 ½ and 9. We also have two dogs and two cats.

Q: What is your favorite thing about homeschooling?

A: My favorite thing about homeschooling is the relationship it builds in our family. I love getting to share all of these things with my children. I love being available to answer questions or address issues when they arise, rather than hear about them after school. I love that my children can wake up naturally (somewhere in the 7:00 hour) instead of by alarm at 6:00 in the morning. I love that my children can get all of their schoolwork done in only a couple of hours and have the rest of the day to follow their dreams. I love the relationship it builds between two sisters, who would otherwise be separated all day and living separate lives. I love that we get to go to the zoo and the symphony and museums and parks together. I love that my children don’t have to waste precious childhood on homework. I love that I am learning right along with them. I could go on and on ~ this one is a hard one to answer in one little paragraph. J I’d suggest taking a read at my blog. I created a post about a year ago on WHY we homeschool. You can read that here http://irienarrowpath.blogspot.com/p/why-we-homeschool.html.

Q: What is the most difficult thing about homeschooling?
A: Whew. Another hard one. It is difficult to push through the bad Momma days. The days when I don’t feel like it. It is difficult to never have a moment to just do whatever I want or need to do, to always have little people in tow. It is difficult to fit in taking care of me. It is difficult when I day dream about the stay-at-home moms whose children are in school for 6 to 8 hours a day and I think about what all they must be able to get done. But, in total honesty, I wouldn’t change it for the world. My life would not have purpose or meaning if I weren’t doing what I am doing right now. This is my life’s purpose … at least at this time in my life.

Q: As a homeschooling family, what is the one item you couldn’t do without?
A: My computer. I research all of my methods, philosophies, books, curriculum choices, composers, etc online. I also blog about our homeschooling and do my planning online. I would have a hard time without my computer!

Q: If you had to create a motto for your homeschool, what would it be?
A: Well, it wouldn’t be original, but I would say that “Education is a LIFE” would be our motto. As I said before, even though I try to have a general plan and outline, we do try to make every part of our family life educational. We explore and discuss and read and learn and do … all the time. I do not want my children to see education as this thing that stays in the box except for between the hours of 9am and noon. Education takes place all day, every day and forever. Even when you are old. Education is a LIFE.

Please share your thoughts or comments below! If you're interested in being the next "Face of Homeschooling", feel free to contact me at HolisticHomeschooler@gmail.com

Happy Homeschooling!

Screen-Free Week in Pictures

2012-05-07T00:17:00.000-04:00

We are officially back from "Screen-Free Week"!!. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I've enjoyed returning to a screen-free life. If not for blogging, I think I'd remain screen-free forever! Alas, I love interacting with other homeschool moms and learning from so many of you. So leaving the blogosphere is not going to happen. Still, I had a far more productive week than usual. It was wonderful! For that reason I will be scheduling my blogging time and avoiding as much Facebook as possible.

Our Week
The first day wasn't quite what we expected. Due to the lack of vehicle, I had to spend half my day just figuring out how to get the grocery store (I ended up walking) and then doing so. There were some other issues as well. This left the children bored and by the night's end, they each had said to me, "I've learned my lesson! Can we not do this screen-free thing!?" I laughed and explained, "It's not a punishment!! Today just wasn't good. It'll be better tomorrow." And it was. For the rest of the week, I never heard another word about returning to the screens.

I can not find the words to express the happiness I felt all week because we were on routine. We were productive. We had impromptu nature studies in the garden; I was able to spend more time reading to Lorelai and listening to her read because she's so excited at her reading progress. Nothing beats those in-the-moment conversations about everything from the economic benefits of machinery to corporations vs the hardship they place on small businesses and the environment (yeah..this was a conversation with the 9-year-old sitting on a bench at the grocery store) to how to convert military time or say "Come here a minute" in Japanese. Lessons can be found in so many places and with just a single question from a curious mind. We've all experienced these things, of course, but do you realize how much of this we miss by being in front of a computer?!

I simply cannot return to a place where I'm sucked into the internet. We don't have T.V. and Netflix never really sucks me in.. but that Facebook...OH BOY! But no more. Life out here is far more interesting! This is the time to build and maintain relationships. I can always be a computer-using hermit cat-less cat lady when I'm 70. (GRIN)

Below are pictures (and a video) from our week. They do not fully depict the joy, freedom and activities from the entire week. We took many walks; our homeschool days were perfectly on schedule; and we spent a lot of time reading together outside of "school time". Certainly they give a good idea of the fun we had.

Going for a walk

Recess time!

My 9 year old, Lorelai, getting some fun exercise.

Lorelai brought her BFF (middle) along to the playground

Lubber Grasshopper in the "nymph" stage.

Caterpillar of a Giant Leopard Moth

And here's a video.... of my other daughter, Alexis making her first attempt at pancakes.

(Sorry about the "spin" towards the end of the video... Ooops!)
I might add...the pancakes came out flavorless and rather "white" looking *lol*

Happy Homeschooling!

Screen-Free Week: An Educational Tool

2012-04-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I announced that our homeschool is going screen-free this coming week. The purpose of the screen-free week is to create a springboard from which a new lifestyle can be made. It is for the prevention of attention issues and obesity problems. It can also be used as an educational tool. But how?

Here are a few things that we can teach the children:

Character Training: This is an excellent opportunity to help children learn to differentiate between wants and needs.
Awareness: We can help the children to see the marketing tactics used in commercials; reinforce that we were created with free will and that these companies are trying to infringe upon that.
Environmentalism: What happens to all the stuff we buy that we outgrow or become bored with after a while? Yes, it goes into the landfills at some point. How does that affect the environment?

In order to be successful at being screen-free we will be building ourselves up in the the following areas:

Determination
Self-regulation
Commitment
Creativity
Perseverance
Cooperation
Honesty (in other words.. no sneaking in screen time)

I think there is much that we can all learn here (and we're pretty screen-free!) and am very excited about this as is Alexis. (Lorelai is not quite so excited.. she has to give up Mario games and she's made her displeasure known... repeatedly.)

I am definitely going to be using the Organizer Kit for ideas and activities. I don't have the entire week planned out but I guarantee you that when I return, I'll have much to tell about what we did during the week!

Do you have any other ideas about using this as a teaching tool?

Happy Homeschooling!

Taking the Screen-Free Week Challenge

2012-04-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

I am so very excited about the upcoming week. Our homeschool is participating in Screen-Free Week, April 30th-May 6th. Our family is pretty "screen-free" all the time. We don't have cable or a converter box. My kids must earn screen time with chores and doing their daily math/reading (motivation for those with learning challenges in those areas!) They earn 30 minutes of screen time per task accomplished. That means they can earn up to 1.5 hours per day each and can use those towards any combination of Netflix, pc, Kindle, Wii and Android. I'd say we're pretty "screen-free" wouldn't you?

But this coming week, we will be even more screen-less than usual...

During screen-free week, we will rely only on these devices for work and educational purposes:

The computer will be used solely for work (that's right. No Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter!)
The Kindle will be used solely for reading books
The Android becomes a phone only.
The Wii gets a break.
Netflix will not be used, unless there's a documentary that fits into our history studies.

There are some excellent resources at the Screen-Free Week site. There is even a really cool organizer kit that you can download free full of ideas for things to do, pledge cards and even printable certificates of achievement. This is an excellent time to educate kids on how harmful too much media can be.

Also, take a look at this video:

What do you think of this idea? Could you do it? Are you going to try?
Happy Homeschooling!

HSV Garden Challenge 2012: April Update

2012-04-27T15:26:00.001-04:00

Wow! It's been a month since I shared my gardening plans? I haven't gotten everything done that I thought I would by now. I spent my time spring cleaning and beginning our new school year. But I do I have some lovely flowers out in the yard! I've also gathered some cinder blocks to build a raised garden and some bricks for borders. I just need to get out there and pull it together.

The following photos were taken on two different days. One was a cloudy day but I was trying to capture the first blooms of the Zinnias and Sunflowers. The others were taken today..bright and sunny with many blooms!!

Beautiful Plumbago!

I'm 99% sure this is a Lipstick Bromeliad.

..and this is a bloom

Giant Milkweed in bloom (sorry..cloudy day!)

First Zinnia bloom

First Sunflower bloom

Impatiens

Lorelai smelling the Arabian Jasmine

How are your gardening plans coming along so far?

Happy Homeschooling!

Homeschool Mother's Journal #43: Moving Forward!

2012-04-26T22:28:00.001-04:00

In my life this week...
It has been a productive week. Since all the many blessings we experienced last week, I've been very calm in spirit and caught up on everything. My van is in the shop and I'm hoping for a positive outcome!

In our homeschool this week...

We're at the end of Week 4 of Term I. This week we have been focusing in on Greek mythology. Lorelai is having a lot of fun trying to "take notes" like Alexis does. Of course, it's very 9-year-oldish and not at all like Alexis' note taking. But it's cute to watch her trying to do it. I'll give her this: She really paid attention and wrote down all the names of the gods and how they were related!

I am inspired by...
Using the definition of inspire: Create (a feeling, esp. a positive one) in a person
My eldest child, Amy. She really managed to pull me through some things over the last week. She helped me catch up; validated some feelings I've been second-guessing. I feel good; I feel strengthened!

My favorite thing this week was…
The many blessings of my friends and seeing my dad and his wife on Sunday. Their visit was short but pleasant. Hopefully, they can visit again soon!

Things I’m working on…
I'm going to do a little restructuring of our schedule. We've been very laid back lately but the next "habit" I want to focus on is completing things in a given time. Now that the children have what they need to help with their particular challenges, they're on a better sleep schedule. Also, I am planning to work afternoons. Schedules will become necessary again so that homeschool, chores, my job, etc can all be accomplished rather than sacrificing one for another.

"This idea of definite work to be finished in a given time is valuable to the child, not only as training him in habits of order, but in diligence; he learns that one time is not 'as good as another'; that there is no right time left for what is not done in its own time; and this knowledge alone does a great deal to secure the child's attention to his work."- Charlotte Mason

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

"When you wish to instruct, be brief... Every word that is unnecessary only pours over the side of a brimming mind." -Cicero, Roman orator

Please go pay a visit (or link up!) the Homeschool Mother's Journal linkup this week.

But first...

What history lessons are your homeschool children studying?

Happy Homeschooling!

How to Do Music Study

2012-04-25T14:55:00.001-04:00

This is a guest post by Dana of Epi Kardia.

How to Do Music Study

Old Man In Nursing Home Reacts To Hearing Music From His Era - Wow! (If you have trouble seeing the video when clicking on the picture or link above, search YouTube under the title in blue. This is amazing to watch.)

Music.

What an incredible power it has to inspire us, as the stirring video above demonstrates!

Although we don’t fully understand why this is so, music has been proven in numerous studies to increase the spatial-temporal abilities and intelligence of children. (You probably have heard of “The Mozart Effect.”)
Not only has this been documented by others, we have often experienced the effects of music ourselves – lifting our spirits when we are down, energizing us when we are weary, bringing us closer to God in worship.
With such a proven and profound influence, music certainly should be a part of our children’s education.

Charlotte Mason thought so, too.

What we want (education to result in) is a common basis of thought, such a ground work as we get from having read the same books, grown familiar with the same pictures, the same musical compositions, the same interests; when we have such a fundamental basis, we shall be able to speak to each other whether in public speaking or common talk; we shall “all hear in our own tongue the wonderful works of God” because we have learned a common speech…
–Charlotte Mason, Vol. 6
Just as children…were given the greatest literature and art, so they should have the greatest music as well…
–Mrs. Howard Glover, quoted by Charlotte Mason, Vol. 6
In the past, one was not considered educated without an appreciation and ability to recognize the more common composers and pieces of music.
For all or any of the reasons above: music study/appreciation should be part of our students’ education!

What Does Music Study Look Like?

You don’t have to buy a special curriculum or or make detailed plans to “teach” music to include music study in your homeschooling . Thankfully, you don’t have to play an instrument yourself or be trained musically to enjoy and listen to excellent music, either.
Similar to Picture Study, you can simply just choose one composer a semester or so and play several pieces until the style is familiar and recognizable to your children. Additional ideas:

You may read a book on the composer’s life.
One book written from a Christian perspective that might be fun to read to your children as you listen to music is Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers.
You may purposefully just ‘sit and just listen’ to pieces of music, especially as you introduce your students to a newer composer, or you may…
Make it a daily habit to listen to a particular piece of music for one week when you are accomplishing other tasks– upon rising, at meal time, when doing chores, when children are getting ready for bed, etc.
You may incorporate Music and Composer Study into history, as we do with our curricula, studying each composer and listening to his* music as we learn about the time period in which he lived.

*Did you know there were also female classical composers? This subject begs to be researched further – perhaps by your high school student.

How Do I Make Sure My Students Are Engaged?

Just as with reading a book or Picture Study, we desire for our students to actively ‘engage’ while they are listening to music. Especially if Music Study is new to your students, giving them a few pointers to help them listen may be warranted. Consider the following questions and activities while listening to music:

How does this music make you feel when you are listening? (Happy? Sad? Worried? Peaceful?)
Is this music fast, slow, in between…?
Close your eyes and think of the ‘story’ this music suggests to you. (And can you tell me the story/draw the story/write the story?)
Draw a picture of what the music “looks like.”

Ideas for Further Study

Can you hear any of the instruments that were played in this music?
Do you hear any parts of this music that are repeated?
Consider using resources to learn a little about the fundamentals of music theory.
Have your students complete a lapbook about different musical instruments or their favorite composers.
Provide instrument lessons for your students.

Music and Composers per Historical Period

We have included the historical period of the music/composer if you are incorporating music/composer study into history, like we do. A few resources we have enjoyed are also provided.

Middle Ages –
There were not many composers named during this era, but here are a few sources of period music:

Both the CD above and below feature Gregorian Chants. The first one is solely male voices, while the one below includes male and female voices.

Renaissance & Reformation -
This includes several of the works of Martin Luther with his words interspersed.

Quiet and tranquil, this CD might especially be enjoyed by mom.

Find music from these composers on YouTube, or buy a “Best of__” CD to listen to them:

Colonial – Revolution
Claudio Monteverdi
Johann Pachelbel
Georg Friedrich Handel – make sure to listen to The Messiah
Franz Joseph Haydn
Schubert
Ludwig v. Beethoven
Johann Sebastian Bach

Westward Expansion – Immigration
Franz Liszt
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Richard Wagner
Frédéric Chopin
Claude Debussy
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Modern
Sergei Rachmaninov
Claude Debussy
Igor Stravinsky
George Gershwin
Aaron Copland
Ottorino Respighi

Do you do music study in your household? How do you think it has affected your children?

Dana Wilson is co-creator of Epi Kardia curricula. Epi Kardia is a literature-based home schooling curricula using Charlotte Mason methods, integrating history, science, language arts and fine arts for kindergarten through high school. Dana and her husband, Cameron have been married for almost 30 years and have two children, Aliece and Michael.

This post originally appeared at http://epikardia.com/blog/how-to-do-music-study/

Blessings Abound

2012-04-21T19:38:00.001-04:00

For someone who never blogs her "personal life", I sure have this week! I've had a rough week. I won't go into all the details of my life, but suffice it to say that the van needing a $2000 repair was only a piece of the broken puzzle. But I'm not here to whine and complain about how things are falling apart. I'm here to show gratitude for how all the pieces are being picked up and put back together.

It's been a while since I've fallen on difficult financial times. This van has really put a dent into things. Again, I won't go into personal details of what all the problems have been. It's enough it to say that Friday morning started horribly and by dinner time I would have broken down in tears if I were the type to break down in tears.

Blessing #1
The next morning, a friend sent a message on Facebook offering me a ride if I needed anything. Later a mutual friend and I were chatting and I told her about my dinnertime disaster. She offered help. These two friends teamed up and showered me with a blessing that afternoon!

Blessing #2
One of those friends offered her husband, a mechanic, as a help too. He is going to repair the van for the cost of parts and we can barter out the labor with my cleaning service. $2000 down to $300-400. Big help!

Blessing #3
What? That's not enough? Sure it is but there's still more.

I was able to spend my Friday with Lorelai. My other kids were gone so I had the entire day with her. We went for a walk through a park and on to the convenience store. We stopped to pick wildflowers on the way and smell the jasmine in the yard of a woman from our congregation. Lorelai spent her own money for a treat. She was so excited to count it herself at the counter! We had a mini-nature study about all the bugs on our Giant Milkweed and then watched a rainstorm through the window. We're in a drought, so this may be counted as a blessing too! We had a hearty dinner, took our showers and snuggled up to watch a movie together at the end of the night.

When I was putting her to bed, she narrated (yep.. she did) the entire day back. Each sentence ended in "together". "We went for a walk together." "We sorted groceries together." "We ate dinner together." Obviously this together time meant a lot to her. Bless her heart.

Blessing #4
My eldest daughter helped me out with another dilemma we were facing. She bailed me out of those deep waters this afternoon.

Blessing #5Remember yesterday's post when I mentioned I wanted Heritage History but can't financially squeeze that in just now? Well my friend read it and emailed me saying she has a copy that we can have. She mailed it out today.

Blessing: #1 repeated
I used my daughter's car while she's here to run to the store for bottled water (we have a well.. blech!) and apparently "just missed" my friend, Kristen. So close was the timing that said daughter thought I surely ran into Kristen on my way out! Alas, I did not. And I'm sorry that I missed her. She lives 5 minutes from me and yet we rarely see one another. She with her 4 children (and another on the way) and me with my 5. But she emailed me today asking what was distressing me (yeah FB status) and I told her what we've been going through and what my friends have done. Within an hour, she showed up at my door with an double-amazing gift. She did what the other friends did and then some.

And apparently, my other daughter's friend is doing the same for us tomorrow. Blessing #1 in triplicate! (If you knew what the "need" was that they are all filling, you'd know that there cannot be too much help in this area.)

My heart is so full of joy and thankfulness today. Although I make it a personal "rule" to not blog my personal life here, I cannot help but share my joy with you. I cannot contain myself. Of course there are daily blessings and all the things we should always be grateful for in our lives. But today, I'm so very thankful for these things. Words can hardly express how much gratitude I have right now.

To top it off... we have our first sunflower bloom of the season bringing it's beautiful brightness into our world...

What are some of your appreciations this week?

Happy Homeschooling!

Homeschool Mother's Journal #42: Stress, Progress and Gratitude

2012-04-20T13:13:00.000-04:00

In my life this week...
I've been stressed but busy. My van has cracked head gaskets. To have no vehicle nor $2000 to repair it is one of those single-mom headaches I have to face. It's really thrown a dent into our world. But I'm trying to be OK about it and not freak out. Otherwise, I've been working on pulling myself out of a "slump" by spring cleaning. It's been slow-to-go as I've had to force motivation. But it's the only way for me to get going so that I feel productive again.

In our homeschool this week...

We're at the end of Week 3 of Term I. I have used this week for reading, writing and house cleaning lessons. They may as well learn proper techniques while they're young! Lorelai's been practicing her cursive writing. We're trying to tidy it up a bit! She's doing great. Yesterday, we learned a lot about the bugs on our Giant Milkweed plant. I think I'll have her do some writing about it. Alexis is out of town right now, so Lorelai and I are having a mommy-daughter day today.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
Today Lorelai and I are going to walk around..wherever. I think we'll go over to the DeBary Hall grounds and maybe to the playground. She wants to walk to the convenience store to spend some money on treats. So I guess this is what we're doing today.

Questions/thoughts I have…
I really want to purchase the Heritage History curriculum for Ancient Greece. But funds are nil at this moment. I may just read the books on the Baldwin Project for now. It really looks like a great curriculum for history.

Things I’m working on…
I'm still working on our spring cleaning and overcoming my "slump". This weekend I hope to be done and focus more on getting us back into our daily routines.

I’m grateful for…
Having good friends and acquaintance who are willing to step up and help even though no one asked them to do so. Two such friends from our local mom group are being life-savers to our family today. Thanks Amy & Renee!!

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

"I believe that school makes complete fools of our young men, because they see and hear nothing of ordinary life there." ~ Petronius

Please go pay a visit to the other moms in the Homeschool Mother's Journal linkup this week.

But first...
What are you most grateful for this week?

Happy Homeschooling!

One Small Step and a Bit of History

2012-04-19T00:49:00.008-04:00

One Small Step
It's been two days since I posted Today, I Will Be Happy, a post about not letting my feelings of being overwhelmed overtake my life. Yes, life is overwhelming for me at times. I am a single mom to fatherless children. It's going to be overwhelming at times. With the exception of being the sole bread-winner, I don't mind being a single mom or the jobs that come with it. That's just a part of life.

What really was getting to me was the darkness of my home. There have been 2 other places I've lived (one in 1990 and one in 2010) that had the same effect on my mood. I love sunshine in my home. The darkness rips away at my motivation and leaves me sleepy all the time. In fact, the symptoms look like Seasonal Affective Disorder. The previous two times, the problem was resolved by moving. I have no intention of moving. I love my yard, my town and that Lorelai's BFF is right down the street. We are not moving.

What To Do About It
On Tuesday, I decided that I would just push through and do my best with what I've got. And so far, I've been doing my best. It hasn't been perfect but I think I've done really well. I've been posting my affirmations on my personal Facebook page. Tuesday's read: "Today is Day One: Today I take control of my environment." I thought that posting it would commit me to the task. After all, my kids would see it and know if I didn't carry through on it. I was making myself accountable to an expectation. I am making my plan day-by-day. I thought environment should be first. Spring cleaning and perhaps ways to brighten our home. Then I'll tackle routines and so on until I feel I'm where I want to be.

I started spring cleaning. I was vacuuming baseboards, dusting shelves and the "high up" places. I scrubbed down my bathroom walls (we have those 1960's tiles in the entire bathroom. Yeah..tacky! ) On Wednesday, I continued with the same goal. I washed walls and reorganized my pots and pans. I only accomplished a few things. But rather than beating myself up for how little (a terrible habit of mine); I was happy with how much I accomplished.

I stayed away from the computer for the majority of the time and I didn't give way to the overwhelming urge to sleep. I went to sleep earlier than usual on both nights rather than staying up on the computer. Progress!!!

Thoughts on History
Have you seen Jimmie's post on Heritage History? I think I'm in love with this program and I haven't even purchased it yet! I've been looking over it. But by the time I sit down to the computer, I'm so sleepy, I can't fully focus. (This is a good thing, right?) Of course, given my finances, I may tweak things a bit. But I'm really considering going down this curriculum path! She seems to have taken the same sort of trail I have taken over the years by starting out with very detailed "do it this way" sort of curricula then slowly moved her way to more independent methods as she became more comfortable. Anyway, I thought I'd mention it, because her review sounds great and I thought it may help someone else.

Have you made any changes in your life this week? Tried to overcome a personal challenge?
What about history.. what path are you taking this year?

Happy Homeschooling!

Today, I Will Be Happy

2012-04-17T01:08:00.014-04:00

This is the most difficult post I've had to write here. I could move forward and not say a word. I've actually been back and forth with that idea. It has taken me two weeks to write this post. I start but grow weary and leave it alone. Tonight I finished it. I left it numerous times before completing it. My inclination after completing it has been to discard it and just go ahead with what I'm going to do.
It's hard to put myself "out there". It's one thing to admit to being imperfect; it's another to advertise one's own imperfections. But something else says I should post this. Something tells me I'm not the only one. Something is telling me that it will help someone else.... so I'm hitting the "post" button and hoping for the best...

As parents, it's common (I hope!) for us to set limits with the goal of correcting our children's behavior, to make life run more smoothly or to teach respect. There are times, however, when we must take a good look at ourselves. What is our behavior like? What are we doing that impedes the smooth running of our household? What are we doing that shows a lack of respect? Perhaps we're doing too much or little of something. Is there balance?

While we should always be on the lookout for things that need minding in ourselves and our family, sometimes we need to do a good, old-fashioned spring cleaning. That's where I am now. That is why there haven't been a lot of posts here. My creativity and thoughts are frazzled down to bare threads. I can't think. I've been both focused on my failings and yet sucked into "escapes". Painfully aware of where there need to be changes made, I must make them.

To live deliberately means to live in a place of thoughtful response to life. Our lives do not run smoothly by nature. It takes deliberate acts to spend time with our children; get our lesson work completed or achieve any sort of balance at all. It requires deliberate thought to make good choices. Otherwise, we are dragged along by our temptations, bad habits and problems.

Lately, I have felt dragged along. I'm a victim of my own lack of deliberation. My responsibilities overwhelm me. Being everything to everyone overwhelms me. When I become overwhelmed, I am sucked into "escapes". When I was younger, I'd sleep. Depression led to sleeping the majority of my day away. During times that I had a job, I'd spend the weekend in bed with I Love Lucy or Dick Van Dyke marathons on in the background during "rough" times. I'd just drift into the land of sleep where there are no problems or feeling overwhelmed by life. I don't do that anymore. I'm sleepy, yes. but my modern-day escape from problems is the internet.

A year ago, I spent hardly any time on the computer. I got up every morning, set my coffee to brew and went outside with my dog. He did his business while I looked at each and every flower in my garden to see what had changed overnight. I'd then return to my coffee and set to checking email and maybe Facebook. After that cup of coffee, I was off to real life. Laundry, lessons, vacuuming, etc. Daily life with a purpose was my enjoyment. Many days, I never sat at my desk at all. But that was a year ago. A year ago, I was happy. I loved my house, my yard and, with one exception, my life. Nowadays, I find that if I sit down to the internet for 5 minutes, I'll be there ... forever.

I think it's safe to say that if I had no internet, I'd be asleep right now.

Happiness is a deliberate act. Yet I'm waiting for that one morning when I'll wake up happy. I'll love my house and jump right into my daily routine! The house will be full of sunshine and I'll greet every morning with joy! Well ya know what? I don't like my house. There is no sunshine in it and there won't be any inside this house unless I turn the entire building around to face another direction. The darkness keeps my mood "down". But I still need to greet each day with joy. I still need to enjoy what I have. I still need to do the things I need to do regardless of whether I like my situation.

It's a vicious cycle:
I am overwhelmed and discouraged; I allow my routines to fall to the wayside; I am now not happy with myself ; my routines stay by the wayside; I am not happy with myself. .....on and on and on....

If I cannot be happy with myself, I cannot be happy with anything else. I cannot be an example of joy, self-control, good habits and deliberate living to my kids. I cannot think; I cannot write; I cannot truly enjoy things to the fullest. It's not that I walk around "sad" or looking melancholy. I laugh, I love and enjoy my family. It's just that the feeling of being overwhelmed discourages me. It sucks all motivation away. I feel like I don't know where to begin to get back to "normal".

But today, something changes. Today, I will live deliberately. I will deliberately do the things I need to do and I will deliberately enjoy my life. Today I will enjoy the routines I miss so much. Today, I'll be showing my girls what it means to exercise self-control and face our challenges whatever they are. Starting today, I'll be in cyberspace less. But you may see more writings from me. After all, with happiness comes a freeing of the mind and more creativity.

I have a plan. Day-by-day I'll take back control of how I respond (not react) to the things in my life. Today is Day 1.

Have you ever had to just take control and make things happen? Please tell me I'm not alone here.

Happy Homeschooling!

Homeschool Mother's Journal #41: A Non-productive Week

2012-04-06T13:39:00.001-04:00

In my life this week...
I've been so tired and sleepy. I don't know if it's the heat, recovering from illness or stress. But this has been an incredibly unproductive week for me. Our "first week of school" never really happened. My house is falling apart. No amount of sleep seems to be enough to rejuvenate me. I'm glad it's Friday. For me, the weekends always represent a cleaning of the slate and opportunity to start fresh on Monday.

In our homeschool this week...

We're at the end of Week 1 of Term I. It seemed there would be no homeschool lessons for Monday because I had been ill over the weekend. That's okay. One day, right? No, not one day. Alexis became ill with the "stomach flu" the rest of us had the week before and it took her down all week. Last night was the first night she could actually get on her feet for more than a minute or two. So... next week for a "first week of school"?? In the meantime, we've been working on our garden plans.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
I'm too tired of going and seeing. I want to stay home for a while.

Questions/thoughts I have…
Lorelai has expressed an interest in studying the stars. Time to break out the Handbook of Nature Study. Do you have any ideas or suggestions for a study on the night stars?

Things I’m working on…
Self-control/discipline: I've been doing a lot of time-wasting lately. I'm sure there will be a post about this. I can feel it coming. I'm also starting to plan for Alexis' 8th grade graduation party scheduled for June 16th.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see." - John Burroughs

Please go pay a visit to the other moms in the Homeschool Mother's Journal linkup this week.

But first...
I hope you had a productive week. In the comments, share one thing you did in your homeschool this week.

Happy Homeschooling!

Free Ebook: The Bee People

2012-04-05T23:59:00.000-04:00

We have reached 500 "likes" on the Facebook page. To reward you for all the sharing and interacting, I am posting this free ebook today. Spring is here and I thought "The Bee People" would be a good book to share with you. It's an introduction to the structure, habits, and activities of bees. Children will learn how the bees' body parts equip them to gather nectar and pollen, construct a hive, and nurture their young. The book also shares how the various types of bees interact within the hive.

Download here: The Bee People

Happy Homeschooling!

HSV Garden Challenge 2012: Our Plans

2012-04-03T01:13:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was our first day of school for the 2012-13 homeschool year. While I had planned a usual day of lessons and such, that's not quite the way it turned out. You see, a few days after we returned from our camping trip, the children became ill with gastroenteritis. As it turns out, it was the adults' turn to have fun with the pain, nausea and other oh-so-pleasant symptoms over the weekend. That's right. The weekend before homeschool was to resume full force. I went to bed Sunday night but didn't get up early Monday morning. I guess I just needed to recover.

It just so happens that it's time for the 2nd Annual HSV Garden Challenge! So what I did yesterday, in lieu of formal lessons, was bring the children out of doors to plan our garden. I started my gardening at the beginning of February, as I always do. But there is much to be done. This yard is not the most... well....ok the yard needs work. We moved into this home June of 2011.

Today's entry into this garden challenge, as dictated by HSV, is to lay out our plans. So here we go...


The west side of our house. I've begun with some Mexican Petunias, Sunflowers and Zinnias. I do plan to dig out and create actual flowerbeds soon.

Mexican Petunias


Sunflowers

More Sunflowers

This is our Azalea. It blooms in March and October here in
Central Florida.
It looks rather pathetic at the moment.

Our Azalea just a few short weeks ago.

Morning Glory vines will climb this trellis

The back (south side) of the house.

This weed-covered ground once grew Gladiolas.
Sadly, my lawn guy cut them down with a weed-eater last summer.
I plan to dig around to see if I can locate the bulbs, clear out the area and re-grow them.

In the center, we have this. I'm not sure what type of tree it is
but the landlord keeps having it cut down. Recently, it began turning brown.
I suspect he sprayed a poison on it.

Frankly, I thought it was lovely and would
like to know what it is. I've not been able to identify it.

I've planted some Sunflowers and Zinnias here but plan to
grow more things as I get the weeds out. Since this is the sunny side,
I think I'll be planting some Lavender somewhere along the back of the house.

In a pot, I've been growing some Milkweed from cuttings that
someone gave me last month. It really is an easy plant to grow
from cuttings! This flower attracts the Monarch and Queen
Butterflies. I'm hoping to do a spring study on the life cycle of the butterfly
using this plant.

The east side of the house. Of course, the sun rises over here
but it's shaded most of the day. I've not decided what to plant.
There is much to be done. Lots of weeds and a palm tree stump to contend with first.

And now the north side.. my front yard. In this bed
I already have some things planted from last year like Arabian Jasmine,
Plumbago and a rose bush. But there's much room left for flowers once I do
the weeding.

The Arabian Jasmine is blooming

..and so is the Plumbago

..but not the rose just yet.

As this area has been laid with concrete slabs, I've decided to create a container garden here.

I need to identify the cactus and the plant behind it.

I'm certain this is some sort of Bromeliad. We found them growing in the woods
to the east of my yard and planted some here in the shade. Yesterday, we planted some red and
white impatiens in this flower bed, too.

We have come full circle to the fence again. I've yet to decide what will go on this
side of it. This the view from my carport. It's usually quite shady but I did notice
that spring has brought more sun in this area.

And there you have the basics of the perimeter of my home. Here are a few shots of the yard as a whole. Did I say much work is needed? This Florida sand really cuts my work out for me.

The driveway (Lorelai made a heart-shaped.. pool?.. in the driveway with her BFF the other day.

Front yard (north side)

Side yard (east)

Our fire pit

Back yard (south)

What are you planting this year?

Happy Homeschooling!

The Face of Homeschooling: Interview with Alexis

2012-04-01T11:04:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the April 2012 edition of The Face of Homeschooling! Each month I interview a homeschool mom, adding another face to the mosaic that makes up the homeschooling community. This month, however, I am doing something different. This month, I've decided to interview a homeschool student. This student happens to be my daughter, Alexis.

I had no idea what to ask my own child, so I put a call out on the Facebook page and ask you, the readers, to post your questions. Here is the interview: Your questions; my daughter's answers.

Q: Alexis, how old are you?
A: I'm 13. I'll be turning 14 this summer.

Q: We know that homeschooling begins at birth, but how long have you formally been homeschooled?
A: I've been homeschooled since I was 7 years old. Before that, I attended private and public schools.

Q: Do you ever consider going back to public school? Why or why not?
A: I never consider it. I have certain learning challenges. In school, teachers didn't recognize the problem. They reprimanded me for daydreaming when I was actually trying to decipher what was on the paper in front of me. And it seems that there is a lot of bullying in schools and I think I would be a target for that due to my challenges. So, no. I never consider going back.

Drawing by Alexis

Q: Is there anything that you think you miss out on as a homeschooler that you would get as a public school student? If so- how could those things be accommodated in a homeschool environment?

A: I used to think that I was missing out on art and music classes but I now realize that public schools have taken those classes away. When I first learned this, I felt sorry for all the kids who won't have a chance to learn those things. At home, I spend a huge amount of time drawing, music and dancing. I wouldn't be able to put as much time into those interests if I were in school.

Q: Do you think that homeschooling hinders acquiring the social interaction skills you gain when learning with other students such as in public school?
A: I think with all the school work and homework, there would be no time to socialize. When I was in 1st grade, I had homework that took up all my time from 2:30 to 9pm. I had no time to play at all. As for social skills, I don't think I'm missing anything. Being homeschooled, I have plenty of time to be around a variety of people of different ages. I am able to have conversations and socialize with people of all ages from toddlers to older adults. I wouldn't have that opportunity if I spent 6 hours a day in a classroom.

Wildlife Study: The Possum

Q: How do you (and your family) manage your learning to make sure that you are getting a complete education?
A: When we switched to the Charlotte Mason style, I found that I learn more in small periods of time than I ever learned in public school. The amount of things I learn, even in one day, is more than what I'd learn in weeks or months of sitting in a classroom. At home, we are able to study artists, composers and nature. I never would have learned those things in a classroom. This makes my education complete and well-rounded.

We study a variety of subjects and study them in-depth because we don't use textbooks as our only source of information. When we study something, it sort of becomes our life for a while. We spend a year on a period in history including geography, art, music, composers and anything else we come across. I know that I'm learning more this way than before we started the Charlotte Mason learning.

Q: How many of your ideas are put to use when planning what to learn? Are you able to be creative or do you have to stick to the curriculum?
A: I don't think I'm limited but I don't really offer ideas for our lessons. The things that I, personally, am interested in are the things I research and learn in my spare time. My sister may say "I want to learn about the stars" and mom will work that into the curriculum. I could do the same, but really my interests are not something everyone else would be interested in learning.

Gathering the invasive Air Potato at Gemini Springs

Q: What do you think makes your mom an effective homeschool teacher?
A: Wow! That's a hard question to answer! I don't know, but I think it's because she really enjoys being around us all the time. She didn't like when we were in school and couldn't wait for breaks and summer. I also think she likes learning with us. She isn't just teaching us; she's learning too.

Q: What is your favorite part of your day and why?
A: I like mornings. The air is crisp and everything is quiet and just getting going with the day. I know it's ironic that it's the morning that I like because I have a hard time sleeping and I don't always see the mornings. I think that makes me appreciate it because it's not common for me. I enjoy being able to get up early when I can.

Q: About what are you most interested in learning?
A: I have several things that I'm really interested in learning. I'm interested in writing. I also like learning about different cultures. My favorite is the Japanese culture. I've been studying the Japanese culture since I was 11 and I've been studying the language for the last 8 months. I love creating anime through drawing and digital art. I love photography too.

Digital art creation by Alexis when she was 12

Q: How would you describe who you are, and how did homeschooling help define this?
A: (laughter) I don't usually talk about myself! I am a quiet, artistic person. I think that I have a very strong imagination and it helps me to write and draw. Being homeschooled helps me keep my imagination going because I have the freedom to use it.

Clothing designs by Alexis

Q: Are most of your friends homeschoolers as well? Or do you have many friends from public school?
A: I would say it's half and half. I know many homeschoolers but I also know a lot of public school kids through our congregation. If not for our congregation, I would probably only know homeschoolers because there aren't a lot of kids around us. But my friends are both schooled and homeschooled.

Learning a game from the 19th century

Q: What is the biggest benefit that you feel you're receiving by being homeschooled?
A: The biggest benefit for me would be the freedom to study the things that interest me. I would probably not be able to focus on art, drawing, writing or learning Japanese if I were being limited by a public school curriculum and bogged down with homework.

Alexis at age 13

Q: Finish this sentence: Homeschooling is…
A: Freedom.

Happy Homeschooling!

Homeschool Mother's Journal #40: Chillin' Before the New School Year

2012-03-30T00:15:00.000-04:00

In my life this week...
I recuperated from all of the vacationing we've been doing. We returned from our family camping trip at Adventures Unlimited on Sunday evening. We actually pulled into the driveway at midnight, so perhaps I should say "Monday morning".

In our homeschool this week...
We're at the end of Week 16 of Term III. With March being our "break" month but having taken a break in February, we've been sort of winging it lately. We aren't on break but we're not in full force either. April 1 is the beginning of our new school year. I'm geared up to move into our new studies!

But for now, we've been doing a Charlotte-Mason-Meets-Unschooling sort of thing. No strict schedules and we're not covering all things. It's been more like "I'm cooking lunch and while I do that, I want you to do a grammar lesson." or "Yes, you can play on the computer, but first I want you to do 30 minutes of Khan Academy." Thursday, Lorelai was down with a stomach flu but Alexis continued in her math studies. We have a field trip on Saturday. I hope that no one is sick so we can do it.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
Saturday we are scheduled to visit: Ormond Beach Historical Society for a history tour, the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens and The Casements (Rockefeller's winter home).

My favorite thing this week was…
..that Lorelai got to play with her "BFF" two days in a row. She has never been happier!

Things I’m working on…

Still trying to get my Homeschool Tracker all set up.
Writing a very special edition of The Face of Homeschooling. (Oh and while I'm on this subject.... I need more moms to interview! If you're interested, email me at holistichomeschooler@gmail.com )

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

“You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives.” ~~ Clay P. Bedford

Please go pay a visit to the other moms in the Homeschool Mother's Journal linkup this week.

But first...
What things are you currently working on in your life or homeschool (or both!)?

Happy Homeschooling!

Product Review: Khan Academy

2012-03-29T14:35:00.003-04:00

A few months ago, I stumbled upon Khan Academy. Always on the lookout for math programs to help Alexis along, I decided to give it a try. Alexis (age 13) has always struggled with math and is currently in the process of being evaluated for certain challenges to her learning abilities. We know there are some issues, it's just a matter of finding out what they are and how to work with them that we need.

Over the years, we've tried many things which have either resulted in frustration or the slowest of progress. I mean creeping at a snail's pace progress. Perhaps even barely-worth-mentioning" progress! Then came Khan Academy. "It can't hurt to try," I thought, "and it's free!" (I am ever so tired of expensive math programs which offer no better results for her.)

One thing that helped me decide to give it try was the FAQ's. I was left with a positive impression of the type of person Sal Khan is when I read:

Are you interested in turning this into a business? Maybe with some VC funding?
I've been approached several times, but it just didn't feel right. When I'm 80, I want to feel that I helped give access to a world-class education to billions of students around the world. Sounds a lot better than starting a business that educates some subset of the developed world that can pay $19.95/month and eventually selling it to some text book company or something. I already have a beautiful wife, a hilarious son, two Hondas and a decent house. What else does a man need?

With that said, if you are a social venture capitalist and are looking to deploy capital with the highest possible social return per dollar invested, we should talk. I think you'll find that there is no more measurable, scalable and high impact way to educate the world.

How can you not respect that? And that is precisely why I decided to give this site a try. Anyone willing to give up his well-paying career to run a site of this magnitude with such noble goals must have good reason for confidence in what he's doing, right?

In the few months since I found the site, Khan Academy has had amazing growth in numbers of subjects and videos. Mr. Khan has shown great dedication to providing a world-class education to anyone wanting to obtain it. He has garnered recognition from the likes of Bill Gates and 60 Minutes. And now many schools are doing away with textbooks in favor of a Khan Academy education.(Really.. just google "khan academy" and watch the results fill up with mentions of this great site!)

Features of Khan Academy:

Individualized learning: This is not one size or pace fits all learning. Each person moves at their own pace.
Visual help through videos: This is a big help. Sal uses colors and visuals to help teach the concepts.
Quality-focused rather than quantity-focused: Getting a few problems correct allows a person to move to the next level. There is no need for worksheet after worksheet drilling in the same information day after day. If a person demonstrates that they have grasped the concept, they may move forward in their lessons.
Progressive learning: Each new skill or concept builds upon previous skills and concepts.
Tracking: A parent or teacher can track his/her students progress through linked accounts.

But does it work?
My son, who had to deal with a learning challenge as a child, struggled with math his entire school career. Like Alexis, he couldn't grasp some very basic concepts. In time, he learned the basics but nothing more. (And I have to say he still handles math in some weird process that only he and Alexis grasp!) The day I discovered this site, I sent the link to him and signed Alexis up for it.

My son spends a good amount of time on Khan Academy. It has given him a better grasp on mathematical concepts and increased his confidence in that area. He also goes there to learn other subjects in which he has an interest. Now that he's in college, he plans to get through some of the college math using Khan Academy.

Has it helped Alexis? Indeed! This child who has never been able to do the simplest of math with any ease at all (mostly pushing through the mechanics and still not grasping the concepts) now has a firm understanding of the basics. She's not yet reached high school algebra, but in a few short months, she has managed to at least "catch up" to middle school. And that, for us, is huge progress! What the schools, several math programs and even I never managed to teach her, Sal Khan did. Now she goes to the computer for "30 minutes of math" and 2 hours later I find her still there. A few days ago she announced, "I'm actually starting to like math!"

I will never purchase another math textbook or program.

I have now enrolled Lorelai (age 9). She has no math "issues" (in fact, she loves math and does it for "fun") but the site isn't about helping the learning disabled but providing an education to anyone wanting it. As I see it, I need no other program or math curriculum. Khan Academy is now my math curriculum. Period.

Happy Homeschooling!

Homeschool Mother's Journal #39: I'm Absent This Week

2012-03-23T00:24:00.003-04:00

In my life this week...
I am out of town. We're having a great time at Adventures Unlimited with a whole slew of relatives I have seen in.. oh, I dunno... FOREVER!

In our homeschool this week...
We're at the end of Week 15 of Term III. We're just doing a "Homeschool Lite" this week. There's much too much fun to be had where we're staying. So we're starting the mornings with breakfast and some writing skills stuff in their Commonplace books. At night, we'll read a bit in a book on the Kindle Fire. Otherwise, nature is our classroom this week.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
My helpful advice this week comes in the form of a tongue-in-check post I made yesterday entitled, "10 Ways to Ensure Homeschool Burnout".

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
I think I covered this part. But the next step is to head home. I don't have any immediate plans to do much else.

My favorite thing this week was…
Visiting with my family. Aunts, uncles, cousins.... what a blast!

Things I’m working on…
Just before leaving, I actually upgraded the Homeschool Tracker on my computer. I've always had the basic version and, quite frankly, have never used it for anything more than an attendance keeper. I'm on the trial version of this upgraded version. If it proves to be worth it, I'll purchase. But anything I can pop info into and have it print a transcript 4 years from now sounds good to me! I'll let ya know.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

Please go pay a visit to the other journaling homeschool moms this week.

But first...
What was the your most exciting or favorite thing this week?

Happy Homeschooling!

Time for Another Trip

2012-03-21T12:38:00.002-04:00

I didn't want to go an entire week without posting. I have a lot of things in mind for when I return from our trip but for now.. just this brief post. Today we're packing to go on a trip to an outdoor resort. We're leaving first thing tomorrow morning and will return Sunday. In the meantime, I'm trying to remember all there is to take with us.

Pack linens for the cabin.
Pack dry stock foods.
Bring kids' binders. (Goodness forbid they can't write or draw!)
Make sure we have books and movies downloaded to the Kindle (in case there is no wi-fi)
At least 4 outfits each..and pj's.. and swimsuits...
Etc...
etc...

Yeah, you know the routine. I actually hate this part. I know I'll forget something. It's a given.

But I'm excited that we're going to be seeing some family members we've not seen in years. Some of them, my kids have never even met!

I am trying to remember to bring things related to school. Yes, there's canoeing, birding, geocaching and much else to be done. But I still envision us doing daily journals and reading books from our kindle. A 'lite' version of homeshool, if you will. I'm sure plenty of relatives are going to give us weird looks. But like my 21-year old said, "Your kids may be on spring break, but we had ours in February. We're still in school."

Anyway, I hope ya'll have a great week. I hope to bring back plenty of photos to share.

Happy Homeschooling!