Weekly Review - How I was blessed in homeschooling

This week was a good, full week.  We enjoyed lots of little moments where what we were studying really came alive.  I love this aspect of homeschooling.  It is such a joy to watch my children learn.

Health wise, Mr N had an ear infection and I just still haven't had energy.  Today is better than the rest of the week has been.  My dad also had knee replacement surgery.

Books we read for Literature: We continued on with Farmer Boy, Andersen's Fairy Tales, Helen Keller's The Story of my Life, and A Little Princess.  We also started a new book I found at the thrift store about various heroes in history.  I had been wanting to add in readings of the scientists to our science block, so we have started this book midway through.  This week we read about Gutenberg and the printing press. 
Miss R has continued silently reading The Wizard of Oz series.  Yesterday she wrote this letter to Ozma: (Apparently she is the new ruler of Oz.  I don't know the details as I have not read these myself - except for the first book).

Dear Ozma,

I was thinking about writing a kind of story about oz and you and Dorthy reading about us,and I do think that it would be nice to go to oz-me,mom,o***,and g***. May Beauty our cat come too? Please let us go to oz-just mom,me,o***,and g*** for a sleep-over and to get a interview of oz and to see if you really do read about us. We would very much like to bring:

.mom's kindle fire

.my kindle

.o***'s leapster

.selah

.our c-d player

.my leapord cub

.grandma's tiger

.baby food

.a baby spoon

I hope you will say yes cause I've never been to oz before and it seem's very exciting.

Love R***.

Ps Rvsp by tomorrow.

I read about you on kindle.

 (I edited out the names of the kids.)

So, tonight's the night we go to Oz!  Hopefully we make it back okay!  =)

One other highlight to this week was how God met me where I needed Him so dearly.  On Thursday I was just exhausted.  We'd had co-op the day before (which I love, but it is a lot of work), and I still wasn't feeling well.  I slept in so hadn't had time to read my Bible and pray before the craziness of breakfast and diapers and all the rest of our busy morning entails.  I thought several times of skipping school.  We school year-round, so if we miss a day here and there, we can easily make it up.  But, the thought, "Just do the next thing" kept coming to mind.  So, after I put the little ones down for nap, Miss R and I curled up on the couch and began, as we always do, with family Bible study.  And I was so blessed.  As part of the curriculum, we do a Bible drill on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  (Race to see who can find the passage the quickest).  This has really helped her keep the order of the Books of the Bible straight.  Each time there is a different theme.  We don't know the theme until we start looking up the references and reading the passages.  This time the theme was on humility and how the LORD helps the humble.  We've been talking about humility all week in our character study too.  Humility is seeing our need before God.  Trust me, on Thursday, I saw my need!  I was so weak, so sinful, so crabby!  And these words from Scripture just washed over me and calmed my spirit.  This led to a personal discussion with Miss R about Mommy's need for Jesus.  Here's one of the verses we talked about:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven "  Matthew 5:3

oh, and one more favorite:

"He gives power to the faint,

and to him who has no might he increases strength."  Isaiah 40:28

That was me - no might!  I love that I don't need a little might.  He meets me and strengthens me when I have none.  We prayed together and asked Him to help increase my strength and He did!  Oh He did!  It is ALL HIM and not me at all that is able to homeschool or be a wife and mom.  And He went before me...knowing before I even purchased this curriculum that I would need, on that day, to read those verses.  Amazing!

Weekly Review - Independent Study

Miss R awoke Monday morning with a fever, which continued through Tuesday.  Then Wednesday, Mr. N got the fever.  I have been struggling with feeling sick too.  It was just not our week, I guess!

Miss R wanted to continue on with her lessons, despite her health.  I worked with her on Monday and Tuesday, but by Wednesday, I could barely talk for a sore throat.  Thursday I was not much better and she really wanted to do school.  So, I tried something new - I let her work independently.  I wrote down what I wanted her to read in each subject, then she would narrate back to me what she read.  She did very well!  I also wrote down what she needed to do for math and copywork.  Usually for copywork, I write the passage I want her to copy.  This time, I let her write it from the book (typed, not printed).  She did the best copywork I've ever seen her do!  *I* missed out on studying with her, but it was nice to see she could really do a lot on her own.  I don't think I'll switch her over to independent work completely at this time, as I do see her benefiting from doing her readings with me.  But, maybe I'll give her a little more to do on her own.  (Charlotte Mason says that a child should do their own reading as soon as they are able, as they will get more out of reading it for themselves.)

In book news, she finished The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (a literature selection for our homeschool).  She was hungry for more, so I downloaded all 15 books in the series for her Kindle for under a dollar.  She's already rapidly read through the next one!  At least with 15 in a series, it should keep her busy for awhile.  Charlotte Mason recommends reading through books slowly, savoring them, living with them.  I try to make her do this for her school books - usually only reading a chapter or two per week in each book.  (We have quite a few books going at the same time).  But, I allow her to read her free reading books at her own pace.

Miss O has enjoyed imaginary play, pretending to be Queen while I am her maiden.  She told R on Monday when she was sick: "Don't worry about your chores.  My maiden here (pointing to me) will do them for you."  Nice, O!

Mr N has been busy with trains and Mr G has been busy crawling and finding every last bit of paper or crumb or fuzzy that I miss when I clean.  My boys keep me busy!! 

I finished the sequel to The Hidden Hand, Capitola's Peril. I really enjoyed it and have now started another book by the same author.  I love free books for my Kindle! 

Primary School Science in the Public Domain

I spent much of my weekend recovering from the week...and reading science books.  Yes, science books.  Science and I have never really gotten along.  Oh, I passed fine in school, but that was due to my ability to memorize for a test and then quickly forget everything I "learned" as soon as the test was done. Terrible, I know!  =/  But, that is in the past.
In the "now" in keeping with the CM philosophy of giving children a love for learning, I wanted to find something "living" for science for my kids.  I know there are some great curricula out there, like Apologia or Answers in Genesis.  But, I like to see what I can find in the public domain.  I was on Google books this week and found some delightful books that I pre-read/scanned this weekend.
Probably my favorite one is The Spark of Life by Margaret Warner Morley.  It teaches that subject to kids.  You know, the one us parents don't have a clue as to how to approach.  The author begins by explaining how plants reproduce, then moves on to higher life forms, eventually getting to birds, and mammals.  Then, people.  This book is very gentle.  It doesn't say anything "embarrassing" but simply gives the facts in a very wholesome, honorable way.  It's a great first book on this topic.  More will need to be introduced later, of course, but I think this will satisfy the curiosity of early elementary kids who want to know where babies come from.  She also wrote a book for parents called The Renewal of Life.  This book goes into her philosophy of telling children the truth about this delicate topic.  This was also a good read, although I didn't read every single word.
The second favorite book I found is a real gem!  The Child's Book of Nature, 3 books in one, by Worthington Hooker.  The version on Google books is free, of course, but it does have some missing letters at times.  You can purchase a printed copy on Amazon, but I prefer free...unless I find it at a thrift store or a rummage sale.  The first book is a botany book, the second a book about human and animal life, and the third a general science book.  I have read through the first two books with much delight.  I love the author's style of writing.  I can imagine using these books along with a modern, colorful science book with pictures of the parts of plants, the human body, etc.
I'm not sure if/when we'll use these books, but I like to have them bookmarked just in case.  I'm tentatively thinking of using at least The Spark of Life when we finish our current science books.  Anyway, this was a fun weekend project for me.  I love the thrill of finding free living books and seeing where God might be leading us!  

Weekly Review - The Flu, Sleep Deprivation, and some Redeeming Moments

This week started out great...Only 55 school days yet to complete before Miss R is finished with first grade!  Monday night I went to a Precepts Bible study on Joshua at my mom's church.  I came home and picked up my darling baby G, who promptly threw up all over me.  Thus, began the week of the somach flu.  It hit every single one of the fab four, my husband, and myself.  To top it off, Baby G has an ear infection.  I was so, very, very tired.  I don't do well without a lot of sleep.  In Bible college, my dear friend Katie loved to tease me for going to bed early...but, I knew I needed that sleep.  And I was paying for school myself, so why waste that money by showing up for class half-awake?
Anyway, by today (Friday) I was plumb worn out.  Jared told me he was going to work and I proceeded to break into tears.  I was holding my sick babe who wouldn't stop coughing, and after only four hours of sleep the night before, 3 the night before that, and just a few the night before that one, I just felt empty.  I couldn't do it.  I had read just this week about Elijah being exhausted.  He felt in despair, actually wanting to die.  And what God did for him is so beautiful...He had him go to sleep.  And then an angel came and fed him.  And He had him go to sleep again.  God knows and cares about our physical needs.  So, in a very precious, rare move, my hubby stayed home from work and let me sleep!  And I awoke a new person.  I ate and rested some more and now I feel like myself again.
Lest I paint a picture that this week was all bad, and no good, I want to write down a few highlights.
-Yesterday I took the big 3 outside to play while the hubby and baby slept off their illnesses.  We PLAYED and played.  It seems I'm always pregnant, and thus achy and slow, or holding a baby, and thus my hands are full.  But, just me and the big 3!!  And I'm not pregnant!!  N and I played in the playhouse, making it a drive-thru and used rocks for money.  R sat in the red wagon, reading Enid Blyton on her Kindle.  She found a feather on the ground and put it on her head, hoping the birds would think she was a bird and fly close to her (a la Winnie the Pooh and some bees!).  O pretended to be Mary Poppins - and I mean the real Mary Poppins.  I grew up thinking MP was some nice lady, but now that I've read some of the books, I realize she's not so nice.  And Miss O was being just like her in her treatment of her pretend Jane and Michael.  She grabbed her umbrella, pretended to float down to us.  Then she met "Bert" on the driveway making chalk pictures.  And she road "side-saddle" on the swingset. 
-I saw a beautiful sunset out my bedroom window.  So calming.
-Earlier this week we went kite flying with our neighbors (before we all got sick).  This was the first time we had gone with the kids and it was so exhilarating!   Lots of laughing!
-I did get a chance to read and finish up some books!

The first book I finished was Hearing and Reading, Telling and Writing, put out my my fave, Simply Charlotte Mason.  I have read several of Charlotte Mason's original volumes and felt I had a good feel for how to do Language Arts...until I read this book and realized I hadn't put it all together.  For anyone wanting to study LA the CM way, this book is a MUST-have!  It goes through CM's own words about teaching LA, adds in living stories of using these methods, shows how each part of LA gets taught in a CM education, and has a wonderful appendix of examples. I learned that I totally missed out on the need to add in transcription next year for 2nd grade as a stepping stone from copywork to dictation.  In transcription, if I understand correctly, the student looks at a word, makes a mental picture of it in her mind, and then writes it from memory.  I also loved the tips on narration, the examples of end of term exams, and the confidence that this book gave me to continue teaching LA the CM way.


The second book I finished was Nurturing the Write Relationship from The Heart of Wisdom. Miss R writes all day long and I wanted something to help me know how to encourage her without making writing a chore.  This book had some helpful tips like starting a writing group (which I could do in our home with the kids as they get older), explaining the writing process (to actually publish a book), and bringing writing into everyday family life.  She also recommends several other books, which are now on my Amazon wishlist.

The last book I finished was a just-for-fun book for myself.  Hidden Hand was a fun read.  Sort of a lighter Jane Austen. It has action, love, faith, all the makings of a good read.  However, I didn't know when I started it that it doesn't quite end...I have to read the sequel now!  Thankfully, both this book and its sequel are free for my Kindle!  As for readability for my children, I think they would enjoy this book in high school, but because of a few mature themes (tastefully written) I wouldn't have them read this at a younger age.