Resolutions

Happy New Year

So it's a new year and we've decided to climb the local butte as many times as we can. Here's our first of the year. It was a beautiful start. It seems as if the school year is deeply connected with the New Year. I mean, this is the time I read about a lot within the homeschooling community. The time when you're tired, winter is keeping you cooped up, you question what you're doing, blah, blah, blah. Just when we're all ready to start a new year afresh, it's also time to start homeschooling afresh. Get new ideas, get motivated, get out and about. Pump new energy into the daily routine.

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Now, since I'm writing this way later, I can say, our goal of 20+ times up the butte in the year did NOT happen. It ended up more like 8-10 times. I couldn't even keep count accurately as I got bored after the first few times. So, like many homeschooling curriculums or plans, I was excited about the hiking plan, I propagated the hiking plan, tried the hiking plan, and then didn't continue the hiking plan, I just set that plan on the shelf with the other unused curriculum.

(written March 16, 2015)

Staying on Track

Or Forging New Paths

I like seeing the kids take pride in their accomplishments. I'm still figuring out how to allow them to follow their own paths and projects versus assigning them what I think school would assign them. As a result, the amount of "stuff" we have accumulated has gone down immensely. I'm still trying to catch up with scanning and cataloging all the "stuff" school sent home with my kids; paintings, homework, poems, short stories, and such.

So, when someone finishes something, I find myself making a big deal about it. Grab the camera, document it. If there's no photo of it, it didn't happen, so we MUST take a photo! It's a learning process for me to step back and allow myself and the kids to just enjoy things as they happen. In this case, after a rollercoaster was built, I asked the kid to take document with photos himself. Baby steps.










(written March 16, 2015)

Snow Day

School's Closed

I know everyone gets a day off school when the snow fall is too much. This winter wonderland is not unique to us homeschoolers. However, I like to think that we won't have to attach more days onto the end of our year as a result of exploring and sledding all day. This was a doozy of a storm and roads were closed for about three days. School kids will now have to tack on a few more days of school at the end of the year (or furlough days are being switched around). I smile when I think it's just another day for us and I'm grateful we have food in the refrigerator!








(written March 16, 2015)

Fixing Things

And Problem Solving

The kids have been fixing things lately. One has a love for twisty puzzles. All kinds. If he can't figure it out, he goes to YouTube, finds a solution video and teaches himself how to solve the puzzle. This particular puzzle, the Square 1, has been mixed up for sometime. With a resurgence of love for these puzzles, it was solved within an hour. 

The other one has a keen eye for details and organization. Our classic Pin Art toy came apart (loose screw) and all the pins came out. She decided to fix the toy and pin-by-pin, she put it back together. And of course, why not create a little art while at it?

(written March 16, 2015)

Woefully Behind

Getting My Act Together

Sigh. We have been so busy (or I have been too lazy) to keep up with the blog. I am going to add a few more posts to "catch up". I do this, mostly so I can keep track of what we've done, where we've been, and maybe, figure out where we're going. I like things in order, chronological order. Therefore, I will be post dating two years worth of "catch up" posts so that they fall in order on this blog in chronological order and in the way I want them to. I'll put the current date, I'm writing it, but the post date will be back dated. I don't now how other bloggers do this, but I'm making my own rules. Deal with it.


(written March 16, 2015)

DIY

No? Then I'll Make It Myself!

Something wonderful has happened here and I just need to talk about it for a moment. In a few instances, when I've said, "No" to something, the kids don't cry, complain or beg. Instead, they say, "OK," walk away, ponder quietly, and then create their own solution, free of charge, without suggestions from adults, on their own. I am so pleasantly surprised. I know this is how it used to be, how it should be, but in my household, it's a miracle. Let me enjoy it.

Case in Point #1 - The Wall Marble Run

Remember, back in our first year of homeschooling, we made a marble run on our wall? The kids remembered too. They were asking to do it again, and, "Where is all that cool pipe insulation stuff?" I informed them that it was so long ago, that "The Cleaning Fairy" must have tossed all the stuff away.

As I braced myself for a few tears, or at the least, begging to go buy it all over again, I opened my eyes to nothing. "Ok," they said and they walked away. They went into our craft closet, got out our big savings of empty toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, plastic bottles, and more.  "Can we use tape on the walls?" "Here," I say as I hand them painter's tape. And off they went.

Later, I was presented with a most awesome Wall Marble Rollercoaster that they had worked really hard to create. All from items we already had. All on their own. All while I had my morning coffee.



Case in Point #2 - The LEGO Advent Calendar


Have you ever gotten a LEGO advent calendar? They are fun but VERY expensive. It is common for me to buy two of many items so that I don't have to deal with "sharing" issues. However, the LEGO advent calendar is so expensive, that I just can't buy two. Even buying last year's model is still very pricey. So, I have only purchased one and they have had to take turns opening odd/even days.

This year, I decided to see if we could skip getting the LEGO advent calendars, leaving more money towards the "under the tree gift" money pool. Again, I braced myself for sad, long faces, heavy sighs, or loud comebacks. Instead, both kids just nodded their heads and said, "OK, we understand."

And again, without my help or knowledge, my kids (I think driven by my oldest one) made their own LEGO advent calendar. They had saved last year's box ( the outer one you see with the doors and scenery, and the inner box that has separate compartments for the pieces). They created 24 vignettes out of LEGO pieces to put into the separate compartments. Then they drew "instructions" and put them on the inside of the doors. After closing all the doors, they had a little trouble with pieces falling from one compartment to another (probably due to sagging of the reused, inner box). No problem! They just turned it on its side, to use gravity in their favor.

It's during moments like this that I am most proud of them. I can hear the critics saying it should always be like this, but it hasn't been for us. I really believe that slowing our family down and homeschooling is what is bringing this lifestyle into our lives, as it should be.

Purrrfect Grammar

Kitty Participation

The family cat continues to be a source of laughter during the school day (a.k.a. a major distraction).

Today, we were playing our common "Parts of Speech" game. The kids write a crazy sentence on the board and we identify each word's job in the sentence and assign it a part of speech. We made cards to help us remember what the parts of speech are. The cards include pictures drawn by the kids, examples and definitions. If we stumble upon a word we can't easily identify, we being elimination our options. For example, if we know it's not a preposition, we move that card out of the way. Not an adverb? Move that card too.

And this is promptly when the family cat walks in and takes a seat in the newly vacated spot.

No distraction here!