A Week in the Life of our Homeschool Family

A Wonderfully "Westful" Wednesday. Ahhh. Much better.

Our morning was busy as Eric left for California and we recovered from last night...I finally got all those dishes done! Not that there haven't been more mind you...but ya know.

School didn't get started until around 10ish. Both kiddos play quietly while I read their Bible lesson and scripture for the day. Then we look to our daily list for what's next. (The order changes everyday to keep things fresh!)

Instead of journaling today, Elena wrote her cousin Naomi a letter and drew her a picture. This is the cousin she was mourning not living next door to yesterday. She's much better now. She also wrote a thank-you to her Grandpa and Grandma for a late birthday gift.

For History, we are studying pioneers. Right now that looks a lot like reading On the Banks of Plum Creek. She narrates (tells back in her own words) the story after I read. Narration is the backbone of a Charlotte Mason-ish approach to learning and we have been slowly implementing more of it this year. We also started another pioneer book today...Across the Wide & Lonesome Prairie about a young girl on the Oregon trail. It was pretty interesting right off the bat.

Elena started another spelling list and did the intro worksheets...we use A Beka for spelling and she loves it. But it's about all the A Beka we can handle. The worksheets are horribly boring otherwise...let's just say we have lots of un-used first grade workbooks! Hands-on is much more our style.

We took a break for lunch and some outside playing. Elena was dying to ride her bike and cute baby Zane was loving walking around by himself on the sidewalk. He's now walking more than crawling so it's like shoe-ing a bucking bull he's so excited to go out!

He's wearing the cutest little monkey crocks and I really love the bear hood on the well-loved jacket! I think all baby clothes with hoods should have ears. So darned cute!


Once we got settled back in we started Math. She's really good at it, but thinks because it takes a long time (20-30 minutes) that it's "not fun". Today the excuse for not wanting to do it was that "it's not fair she has to do school while the boys get to play". I'm guessing most every firstborn homeschooler has uttered that phrase. And Momma doesn't put up with that! I gave her the "do your best for a bit and then you'll be done" pep talk along with the "they'll have plenty of school in a few years" bit. The tears stopped, but not sure if the heart attitude really softened. Oh well, some days I just have to let it go. Oh, it's Horizons Math and really, it's great!

Before piano lessons at 3, we ran up to the Elementary school to pick up Elena's soccer ball that she left a the t-ball fields last night. I'm telling ya, sharpies rule! Every time we've lost a ball, someone calls since we have our name and number on it. That doesn't count for discs though...you lose one of those and it's the next lucky golfer that finds it who takes it home, number or not.

Piano was fine, Kai played in the yard and I tried to start my new book club book...The Third Sister, which is about Margaret from Sense and Sensibility. Looks like this gal (the author) is a Jane wanna-be as the language was written a bit old-fashioned for a modern sequel. It might be good though.

A quick stop at the post office and we were home for more snacking (I tell ya, it always seems like it's snack time...at least according to the munchkins). Elena spent some time reading to herself...two easy-readers and a chapter in My Father's Dragon. After supper we went out to play, and once again I got the mower going. The yard in the back is just too long...the kids might get lost in the field by Friday just trying to get to the swingset!

I mowed half of it. I figure that's better than none of it. Eric's going to love my round about mowing paths too...hope it doesn't mess up his "lines" too bad. It was bath and bed time when we came in! And that's it! Now I'm wrapping up the day with some puter time...lots of garage sales in Raymore starting tomorrow. Hmmm... I'm sure I can count that as something for school....math, economics, shopping skills.