An Attempt At a Well Rounded Education

I have been working hard these last months to make homeschooling more than just work pages, writing, reading and mathematics. So whether it's PE, Home Ec., music, or art, we always end up having a good time together.

For 20 cents I can buy clay dishes for Thomas to paint. He is always painting them for everyone but me... I wouldn't mind having one too!!! It makes for a great “Super Saturday” school activity. 

In the kitchen, Thomas is my right hand man (usually). We have one rule: Ask first. I try to let him do as much of the work as possible. We usually really enjoy our times together.

Of late we have added some sewing to our school adventures. Thomas helps pin and presses the pedal.

I was reminded of how much all BOY my son is when I asked him to collect all the pins together so that we could easily pin the cloth. This was the result.

Homeschool is so challenging and so much fun. My little boy is growing in mind, body and spirit daily. I treasure these days we get to spend together and look forward to more!

Hope you have a reason to rejoice today.

m

Homeschooling is not for everyone!

Honestly, it has been the best week of homeschool we've had in a long time.
I've been shocked.
Amazed.
Pleased.
Thankful.
Excited.
But all the while,
very HESITANT
... when will the good times come to an end...
This morning it took my son, who, by the way can do long division, 2 hours to do four Math problems.
9-4=
17-9=
15-9=
and one other I can't recall.
Are you kidding me?  He refused to do them unless I "helped."
Help?!?
He can do long division!
Help?!?
Well, several hours later they were complete.
He scored pages of writing for the consequence for disobedience and I scored a happy heart seeing as this time I held it together the entire time.  That's right, ladies and gentlemen, I did not raise my voice even once.
Homeschooling is a great adventure every day.
Homeschooling is not for everyone.
Some days... homeschooling isn't for me.

I usually love it. Today I just survived.

By the end of the day, pages had been written, math problems done, cursive practice complete...
I decided we would bake bread instead of read Science or the other reading books we have.

The deal was: if he could find the recipe without help, he wouldn't have to read aloud to me.
Hurray for great picture books, old recipe books and fresh baked bread.

Thomas started in this book, looking for a recipe.  If you haven't read any of Tomie dePaola's works, go find one at the library... or if you don't have libraries, find someone who has a copy of any of his many books and borrow it.

precooked...

Hot and ready to eat.  Bliss would live off of bread, cheese and olives if she was allowed!

 Here is the old recipe book Thomas found the recipe in.  This use to be my mom's and it was my grandma's before that.  It is one of my most prized earthly possession, simply because my two favorite  cooks used it before me.  Thomas helps me cook quite a bit and he is well familiar with who "Fanny Farmer" is!

After a day like today I'm just thankful we are all still in one piece and that we have fresh bread to eat together.  Looking forward to tomorrow... I wonder what kind of refinement I will need then!

Thankful,
m

Field Trip

Indian Ocean.
Nesting site of green sea turtles.
Rescue 28 baby turtles from the nasty predators (dogs, eagles, crows, etc) as they crawl out from deep within the sand where they have been laying for the last 2 months.

When was the last time you took your homeschooler on a field trip like this?!?
Thankful to the gracious God we serve!

We are so thankful for the chance to watch these little turtles climb out of the sand.
It brought me back to the happy times turtle watching with my Grandpa and Grandma.
God is so faithful.

The voice of the Lord make the deer give birth 

and strips the forests bare, 

and in his temple all cry, "Glory!" 

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; 

the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.  

May the Lord give strength to his people! 

May the Lord bless his people with peace! 

Psalm 29:9-11

thankful,

m

Die Like a Gentleman

We were blessed to have my dad visit for a few days just last week. It was such a time of encouragement and strengthening for our hearts.  The kids were thrilled to see their Grandpa and to get all the goodies Grandma sent.  My mom certainly knows how to pack a suitcase!!!


Thomas and I got to make the 2 hour trip to the city where my dad was flying in. Thomas had dressed with care, wanting to wear his Topi (hat) like Grandpa would have on too.  


Our taxi driver several times on our trip down made the ride more interesting (at least for himself) by racing with other cars.  He seemed to get a thrill of pulling up close behind them, riding their tail, honking, passing, and then as he passed, staring them down with a cunning grin.


As Thomas and I held hands during one of these episodes he turn to me and said, "Well, at least I am dressed in my best clothes and will die like a gentleman!"


Be careful with these homeschool kids.  They learn what they read and then repeat it when you least expect it!!! Thanks to one rendition of the "Titanic" my son at least knows what it would look like to die dressed as a gentleman!