Crafted glass ornaments

I haven't posted, but we have been busy here in our household, making Christmas crafts, reading Christmas stories, wrapping, shopping, baking AND attending basketball games. :-)

We will be traveling for the holidays, and I am looking forward to being with family and friends.

Preschool Christmas Crafts

Diligent Concentration..... Yields.......

This idea came from The Mailbox 2007-2008 yearbook.The Mailbox is a bi-monthly elementary magazine for educators full of literature, math, craft ideas, themes and resources. I don't use it regularly, but find that it comes in handy. You can find out more about it at http://www.themailbox.com/ or at your local teacher supply store. It is typically geared towards a classroom, but some things can easily be adapted to your homeschool.

How are your Christmas crafts coming along?

The Reason...

For unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace —Isaiah 9:6

Why study Latin???

I have been teaching my 14dd Latin beginning in 3rd or 4th grade. We began using Latin Primer, then we switched to Latina Christiana 1 & 2. Last year in 9th grade we began Henle Latin using the Mother of Divine Grace (MODG) syllabus. She is scheduled to complete Henle I in the next few months.

Over the past 3-4 weeks, my dd has been having major challenges with Latin. I must say, I am at a point that I can only be of minimal help to her. This year she has really been teaching herself, and I have been overseeing, and checking her work with the answer key etc. Having a 4dd around, and all of my other responsibilities, I just can't keep up with Latin at this level. So, I had to admit that I needed help. (gulp) Yes, help.

I called her co-op and found a great highly skilled Latin Tutor. Yeah!!!!!!!! She currently teaches High School Latin 1-4. We met with her last week, and she was able to immediately help my daughter in the area that she was challenged. We will be meeting with her once a week, until we decide if it is a temporary need, or if we will continue to meet the rest of the year.

Wordless Wednesday

Balance

We have been homeschooling for about 8 years, and the area of balance is a big struggle for me. I can go weeks and do just fine and then it seems that I just can't get anything done.

This is the time of year where there are a lot of things to think about. Curriculum yeahs or nays, sporting seasons, family gatherings, holiday shopping, holiday parties, etc.

Today, we begin homeschool basketball games for my teenage daughter. We truly enjoy watching her and her teammates play the game, and fellowshipping with other parents. I have to add though, it is time consuming, late games and practices. By the end of the last school season, if felt numb from all of the going.

It's not just basketball, because quite frankly, my dd 14 plays basketball pretty much all year around, just in different leagues. It's just that this time of year we are just getting routines down, kinks worked out--and then....

This year though, I have learned to delegate some of my responsibilities. I realized that I don't have to be at every practice or every single game. When I feel the need this season (and I have already) I will delegate, and utilize my limited resources. In the past, I haven't been very good at doing that.

Tonight is our first game. Go team Go!!! :-)

Fall Crafts

Preschool:

We have still been focusing on the autumn theme this week with my preschooler. The weather has definitely changed this week, making it actually feel like fall. The leaves are beginning to change, and it is quite windy and chilly here in the southeast.Here are a few of the fall crafts that we have done so far this week. I have a few more crafts in mind, along with a trip to the park for a scavenger hunt.

High School:

As for my high schooler, we are continuing to plug away with Tapestry of Grace-Yr 2 Classic. We are on week 7. It is going well. She has been working diligently keeping up with the readings and assignments. She is really enjoying the church history. She has began Canterbury Tales, reading The Nun's Priest Tale this week.

I along with others have jumped on the TOG workbook bandwagon. I created this for my daughter during the summer for Unit 1. It is VERY helpful having all of the assignments in one place.I am starting to work on the Unit 2 workbook now. Hopefully, I will have it complete in about a week. Here are a few pictures of the workbook.

An Artist In The Making

This is the first picture that my 4yr old has drawn. She's drawn plenty of faces and scribbles, but this is the first picture that she's done on her own while we were riding in the car. She loves animals! It is a shark eating a fish. I am such a proud Mama. :-)

Pumpkin Time

It's been way too long since I posted,
but I wanted to share the wonderful time that we have been having here during this harvest season.

This week was "pumpkin week" for my preschooler. We read pumpkin stories, did a few pumpkin crafts, and visited the pumpkin patch.

Hum drum days of February..

This is the time of year that is usually the most challenging for homeschooling moms. The holidays have long gone, the cold winter temperatures(for most of us) are dragging, and the yearning for spring and newness is on the forefront of our minds. Combine that with the thought of the new school year ahead, curriculum/teaching changes and thoughts, and the thought of the teaching methods that were sure to work--and are not working, many moms feel like this.

This is our 7th year homeschooling, and every year is the same. So new homeschoolers know that you are not odd if you are feeling this way.

I have tried to implement a few things around this time of year to help me through this tough time of the school year. Some of these tips I have picked up from others along the way.

1. Read positive inspiring words.

Daily reading of the bible; a homeschool devotional or article is helpful.

2.Listen to homeschool conference tapes/cd's

This is invaluable. If you attend a conference and are able to purchase cd's, do so. It is very helpful and inspiring to listen to them when you are "in the middle" of your school year." You can also purchase here http://bestchristianconferences.com/ (search for state homeschool conventions)

3. Go on a field trip.

Get out from the routine and visit a local art or science museum. Seasonal clearance sales, or spring shopping are also nice trips. :-)

4. Excercise

Get out (if you can), or borrow a fun exercise dvd from the library, and let everyone participate.

5. Try somthing new.

Try a new craft, read a new genre, cook a few new recipes.

I hope these are helpful tips.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).

Back to Blogging

I know it's been way to long since I've blogged, but I figure I'd begin again.

Homeschooling is hopping in more ways than one around here. I currently have a 9th grade dd and 3 1/2 dd who are both keeping me busy.

It has been a fun and busy year. Having a preschooler around is exciting. My oldest daughter went to a preschool and a few yrs in private school before we began to homeschool, so teaching preschool is new "territory" for me. Of course I have been checking out all of the prospective programs/books etc. to use in the future.

I am still trying to find out what learning strategies work best for gigi. We are having a lot of fun first, with learning sprinkled in. I can tell that she is going to be a very different learner than my older daughter.

On the flip side home schooling high school has been--nerve wrecking. I'm not sure why. I think that many parents who home school there high schooler for the first time have obvious concerns and questions about so many things. Two of my daughter's classes are at a co-op. The classes are going extremely well. It just takes so much time away from home. This is such a challenge, especially with a preschooler in tow.

Every year I promise to slow down, but it seems that it happens each year. This year being the absolute busiest with a very busy basketball team schedule and travel. How do you balance it all?

Thought of the day: Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.---Albert Einstein