A Fly On My Homeschool Wall

The calendar year is coming to a close.  Our school year is not quite half over, but as always happens after 3 or 4 months, it is time for change.  I've learned to not be distressed by the fact that schedules and plans never work for longer than a few months; we are all growing and changing so quickly that the need to make adjustments as we go is necessary. In general we had a good first few months.  We accomplished a lot and our schedule was not too hard. But it was hard. It felt as if we didn't ever have quite enough time for playing outside or saying yes to play dates or offering service to others.  Friends have begun to say things like, "We'd love to play if you can squeeze us in to your schedule."  That simply breaks my heart.  There should always be room for friends! Our schedule had room to allow for brief interruptions, but I always felt trapped and in a hurry to get back to where we should have been. I went to bed pleased with what we ...

We're memorizing " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas" together.  Actually A5 is memorizing it for the first time; the rest of us know it and are just reviewing. We also borrowed a book of Christmas poetry from the library.  In it is a copy of " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas."  A5 found it and has spent literally days poring over it.  Occasionally she's asked, "Mom what does h-u-r-r-i-c-a-n-e spell?" or another related question.  I've answered and gone about my busy-ness without too much thought other than to be happy that my girl seems to like poetry. Yesterday H3 asked me to read the "Cwismas poem" to her.  I sat down to oblige, and A5 saw what we were doing.  She sighed a big sigh and said, "Good luck!  That poem takes days to read.  I just finished." "Did you read the whole poem?"  I asked incredulously. "Yes," she answered matter-of-factly. "Wow!  What an accomplishment!"...

The days roll peacefully, busily by. We're schooling gently. That's how I like it. We were pushing too hard in September and October.  November showed us how to find joy in the journey, and we are obeying that direction in December.  I've begun to wonder what January will look like. But that is not necessary. Now is where we live. I gave A5 and H3 little handwriting practice papers about cows to go along with our unit study of How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World .   H3 obviously doesn't need to do handwriting practice, but if someone bigger is doing it, she must do it, too. I sat across the table from her, watching. Watching her pudgy little fingers grip her pencil. Watching her sweet, soft cheeks. Watching her eyes deep in concentration. Watching her elbows propped on the table, supporting her body because she was sitting in a chair too low for her body. Watching a wisp of hair fall across her forehead. Watching perfect letters march out ...

I threw us right into the deep with our first service project on Monday; we prepared Christmas cards for soldiers for the American Red Cross.  The deadline for having the cards in Maryland is this Friday, so we just barely made the cut off, and we were only able to do one box of 18 cards, but that's 18 soldiers who will be getting cards who wouldn't if we hadn't tried.  Next year we can start earlier and do more.  Perhaps I'll pick up some cards at 70% off after Christmas this year . . . but then I'll have to find them next year! S10 said as we worked, "I'm not sure doing this is making me happier.  I think I feel kind of sad because these soldiers are away from their families." I just smiled sympathetically, "That's good.  It means you're feeling sympathy.  I do hope you feel happy because you're doing something nice, though." She smiled happily back at me. I think she's fine. Tuesday A5 said the prayer at lunc...

So, we're done with International Day.  We missed it. The original plan was to have fun with this break from our regular studies and then return, refreshed, to the grindstone. But every part of me is rebelling against that!  I don't want to go back to what we were doing! It was good.  Our days flew by busy and productive.  But the very idea of it is horrifying right now. I want to do another project that brings us all to life the way Antarctica and How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World did. Christmas could do it! What about a Christmas unit study? As I sat at the table after my personal scripture study I came up with this list: Scripture to memoriz e:  Luke 2 (And it would work for copywork, spelling, and dictation, too!) Poem to memorize :  'Twas the Night Before Christmas History :  Roman Empire, Jewish history/culture/religion Literature: Max Lucado storybooks, Who Am I? by Katherine Paterson, The Not So Wise Man ...

Antarctica and How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World fizzled to a sad end because we got very sick!  10 out of 10 members of our household have had fevers, coughs, sore throats, runny noses, and aches and pains; it began with little H3 and has taken 1 or 2 more down ever since Thanksgiving Day.  We did have our Antarctic movie day though--Blue Planet " Frozen Seas ,"  Planet Earth " The Poles ," Eight Below, and March of the Penguins.  It was a good educational day while we were just starting to feel crummy.  Once we were really, really sick we kept right on watching movies, but I also read for at least an hour a day from Troubling a Star by Madeline L'Engle--our literature connection to Antarctica.  We haven't quite finished Emperors of the Ice , and I'm not sure we will, but I'd like to.  Those explorers were intrepid! My little girls do want to finish exploring the world and then make apple pie together, and I quite think we should! ...