On a Roll With Units

Or Rolling the Units

We still love learning via unit studies. Or call it what you like, but for us, it's all about making connections. So, while we don't do "Sushi-math" while studying sushi, we do get a lot of books from the library to read all about the history of sushi. We look at maps to understand the geography. And the best part is the "final product", because we got to make and eat sushi. Darn tasty.

(written March 16, 2015)

Successes and Failures

Winning and Losing 

Homeschooling is like every day life, there are some days you do really well and other days where you'd like a do-over. Why would I think it would be any different? Why do I think, that any time we take something out of our life, that we'll have all this free time to do more of what we want and be less adherent to the almighty schedule? I thought I'd have more time to learn how to garden. That I'd be able to teach the kids about growing vegetables. And yet, here are my brussels sprouts. They've been ready to harvest for days and I just ignored them and let them get pummeled by a recent storm. All because I didn't have the time or energy to get out there.

And yet, on other days, I organize an impromptu clay-date with some left-over clay we had. And a dinner with friends turned into a group game driven and executed by the kids alone. I love it when times like this happen organically. Sometimes it feels the harder I try to get something together, the harder I fail to make it happen. But if we just sit back and breathe, something comes along and it surprises me how easy it can be.

(written March 16, 2015)

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)