We have been doing Friday History Field Trips for four months now, and we have visited some really fun places. I have a few left to post, and I'll get to those soon. We have been thoroughly enjoying the visits, but, well, by the end of December I was exhausted. Doing the weekly field trip in addition to our weekly homeschool group and often another outside commitment (and sometimes 2 or 3!) was proving to be too much. I am a homebody at heart, I was just overwhelmed. Combine that with the fact that there were weeks where we missed our other curriculum because we were gone too much, and I decided there was a need for revision in our plan.
We will still be going on Friday History Field Trips, but not every week. The current thought is to try to fit them in twice a month. The other 2 weeks will have science outings (the Works and the Wescott Library Homeschool Science Series) or Art outings (Art class if it comes back, theater trips, Orchestra hall shows, etc.) It isn't going to be perfect, some weeks there will be more than 2 things away from home, but hopefully I can make it a little more balanced!
It will make it easier to find sites for the next few months. Winter in Minnesota means many place close down. In fact many have not been open since Labor day. There are a few more for us to visit in the months before places start opening again, but there were not enough to fill every Friday between now and Memorial Day. Two a month? Much more likely.
It is also helpful in that it is setting up for Kutey to have an interest we follow more avidly. Right now, her interest is in princesses. Not too many places we can go in our area to see information on princesses. But I know she is going to have an interest in something, and I want to be sure we are pursuing it, too!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Weekly Wrap-up--January 7, 2011
I'm trying out something new on the blog, a weekly wrap-up. I have seen these on other blogs, and since I seem to forget to blog sometimes, having at least a once a week summary will help me when I go back to see what we did when! It may take me a few weeks to get a format that I like, so the first few might be rough!
This week was a slow one. On Monday, the three kids I babysit came. I started feeling ill in the middle of the afternoon, but managed to convince myself I wasn't really sick until about 15 minutes before hubby got home. Then all bets were off.
I was feeling better on Tuesday, but my lovely husband still stayed home and took care of me and the kids and even did school! They did a flower dissection for science and read about Ashurbanipal and the Assyrians. Then they made Assyrian siege towers from LEGOS. Kiddo loves when our history project involves building with LEGOS. It combines 2 of his favorite things!
Kutey also spent some time making a beautiful flower pieces collage for me! I wish I had photographed it when it was fresh, but alas, I was not feeling well enough.
Wednesday Kiddo woke up with the crummies. It was a day spent watching too much TV and trying to recover.
Thursday everyone was feeling better, though Kiddo and I were still a little tired and weak (why is it that kids bounce back so much faster than adults?!). We got through our math and Explode the Code, then spent time on individual relaxing things. Kiddo played LEGOS and Kutey created a paper bag puppet (all her own idea, she found the bag and knew exactly what she wanted to do with it!).
Today (Friday) we have managed to get mostly back to our school flow! Math, Explode the Code, independent reading, read aloud, and science have all been done! The lab part of our science lesson (which is on seeds) will have to wait until tomorrow, since I forgot to soak the beans for the lab last night. Oh well! I don't foresee us going anywhere tomorrow anyway, so there will be time for science lab! We will be making books for Ashurbanipal's library tomorrow, too.
Today is also Daddy's birthday, so we will be making and decorating a cake and wrapping up a few gifts. It is always tricky to find things to get for him when his birthday falls this close to Christmas, but this year I managed to divide things up a little better, so he will be getting some things I hope are fun!
Curriculum-wise, Kiddo finished up Explode the Code 4.5 this week, and we did the wrap-up there. We'll move into 5 next week. We hit division in math, which he tore through. I love it when it clicks for him! We did Unit 25 in R.E.A.L Science Odyssey--Life Level 1. We are skipping around a bit and working backward some because there is no possible way I can dig worms or release butterflies in Minnesota at this time of year. It seemed that after covering the human body there were several units that required outside work, just as the weather here made outside anything impossible! So our ordering is a bit creative. We worked through Chapter 16 in Story of the World, Vol. 1. Though we have read the whole book more than once, we are working more activities in this time through.
That was our week in a nutshell! Read what other homeschoolers have done at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers!
This week was a slow one. On Monday, the three kids I babysit came. I started feeling ill in the middle of the afternoon, but managed to convince myself I wasn't really sick until about 15 minutes before hubby got home. Then all bets were off.
I was feeling better on Tuesday, but my lovely husband still stayed home and took care of me and the kids and even did school! They did a flower dissection for science and read about Ashurbanipal and the Assyrians. Then they made Assyrian siege towers from LEGOS. Kiddo loves when our history project involves building with LEGOS. It combines 2 of his favorite things!
Kutey also spent some time making a beautiful flower pieces collage for me! I wish I had photographed it when it was fresh, but alas, I was not feeling well enough.
Wednesday Kiddo woke up with the crummies. It was a day spent watching too much TV and trying to recover.
Thursday everyone was feeling better, though Kiddo and I were still a little tired and weak (why is it that kids bounce back so much faster than adults?!). We got through our math and Explode the Code, then spent time on individual relaxing things. Kiddo played LEGOS and Kutey created a paper bag puppet (all her own idea, she found the bag and knew exactly what she wanted to do with it!).
Today (Friday) we have managed to get mostly back to our school flow! Math, Explode the Code, independent reading, read aloud, and science have all been done! The lab part of our science lesson (which is on seeds) will have to wait until tomorrow, since I forgot to soak the beans for the lab last night. Oh well! I don't foresee us going anywhere tomorrow anyway, so there will be time for science lab! We will be making books for Ashurbanipal's library tomorrow, too.
Today is also Daddy's birthday, so we will be making and decorating a cake and wrapping up a few gifts. It is always tricky to find things to get for him when his birthday falls this close to Christmas, but this year I managed to divide things up a little better, so he will be getting some things I hope are fun!
Curriculum-wise, Kiddo finished up Explode the Code 4.5 this week, and we did the wrap-up there. We'll move into 5 next week. We hit division in math, which he tore through. I love it when it clicks for him! We did Unit 25 in R.E.A.L Science Odyssey--Life Level 1. We are skipping around a bit and working backward some because there is no possible way I can dig worms or release butterflies in Minnesota at this time of year. It seemed that after covering the human body there were several units that required outside work, just as the weather here made outside anything impossible! So our ordering is a bit creative. We worked through Chapter 16 in Story of the World, Vol. 1. Though we have read the whole book more than once, we are working more activities in this time through.
That was our week in a nutshell! Read what other homeschoolers have done at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Boys and Books
Ugh. C*ptain Underp*nts? Really? Is there proof that these books turn kids into readers? Or is it that these books entice kids to read these books, but nothing else? And why would I want to encourage my child to read books promoting and encouraging behaviors that are not exactly the behaviors I want to promote and encourage? Anyone have insight?
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Instead of
I was surfing through the "Carnival of Homeschooling: The Princess Bride Edition" this morning. I had to see how they pulled the posts together with a Princess Bride theme! It has only been a favorite movie of mine for, well, decades. Which makes me sound old. But it is true, so there you have it. I came across a post entitled "10 Instead Ofs to Kick Off the New Year" at Crack the Egg.
I love this post. I love the idea. So I made my own list. Some of them are very similar to the original list, but are truly things I need to do, too! These are things that have been on my mind for while, I am just putting them in a format that makes them more specific and manageable. I'm only starting with 5, because 10 seemed like too many for me to start the year with!
1. Instead of...waiting for the perfect supplies to do an art project or science project, move ahead with what you've got. The kids won't know the difference!
2. Instead of...going to ALL the homeschool activities available, pick a variety over the course of the year and do one or two a month. The kids benefit as much from having time to explore things in depth at home as they do from going to every activity. One might argue they benefit more. They don't know what they are missing, and the exhaustion just makes us all grumpy.
3. Instead of...saying "I'll read it later," read it now. Kutey loves to be read to, and one or two books will hold her for a while. Instead of constantly putting her off until later when you can read more books, read one or two right now. She will love it, and that is what really matters.
4. Instead of..."we'll play a game later," build it in to the day. There are lots of games--dice games, SET, Blokus, Skip-bo, Uno, etc.--that only take a little while to play. Play one after lunch or after dinner; we are already at the table then!
5. Instead of...organizing the whole house, pick one small area, like the entry, and work to organize it and keep it organized for a week or two. Then add another small area and do the same.
I'm going to print this and place it in strategic places in my house so that I see it on a regular basis. It will be a good reminder!
I love this post. I love the idea. So I made my own list. Some of them are very similar to the original list, but are truly things I need to do, too! These are things that have been on my mind for while, I am just putting them in a format that makes them more specific and manageable. I'm only starting with 5, because 10 seemed like too many for me to start the year with!
1. Instead of...waiting for the perfect supplies to do an art project or science project, move ahead with what you've got. The kids won't know the difference!
2. Instead of...going to ALL the homeschool activities available, pick a variety over the course of the year and do one or two a month. The kids benefit as much from having time to explore things in depth at home as they do from going to every activity. One might argue they benefit more. They don't know what they are missing, and the exhaustion just makes us all grumpy.
3. Instead of...saying "I'll read it later," read it now. Kutey loves to be read to, and one or two books will hold her for a while. Instead of constantly putting her off until later when you can read more books, read one or two right now. She will love it, and that is what really matters.
4. Instead of..."we'll play a game later," build it in to the day. There are lots of games--dice games, SET, Blokus, Skip-bo, Uno, etc.--that only take a little while to play. Play one after lunch or after dinner; we are already at the table then!
5. Instead of...organizing the whole house, pick one small area, like the entry, and work to organize it and keep it organized for a week or two. Then add another small area and do the same.
I'm going to print this and place it in strategic places in my house so that I see it on a regular basis. It will be a good reminder!
Thank goodness for friends
Kiddo is sick today. Hubby had to go back to work, and honestly didn't know Kiddo was sick until he was already there. Kiddo says he threw up "in the middle of the night," but that just means it was still dark.
Unfortunately, I am out of Gator*de, ginger ale, and laundry detergent. How does one run out of laundry detergent? Easy--do 15 unexpected loads of sick laundry. There are several more to go, too, unfortunately. Bedding and such. But anyway, I am out of these things. I can't leave Kiddo and just run to the store, not when he is sick.
This is where having a good friend who lives near by is great. I emailed my friend A this morning, and asked if she might possibly be able to go to the store for me. She said sure! So I emailed her a list, and the urgent items will be taken care of. YAY! A works part-time, so I am even more grateful that she is willing to take her free time to go and run an errand for us.
Friends are great. Thanks, A! I hope I never have to return the favor, but I absolutely would!
Unfortunately, I am out of Gator*de, ginger ale, and laundry detergent. How does one run out of laundry detergent? Easy--do 15 unexpected loads of sick laundry. There are several more to go, too, unfortunately. Bedding and such. But anyway, I am out of these things. I can't leave Kiddo and just run to the store, not when he is sick.
This is where having a good friend who lives near by is great. I emailed my friend A this morning, and asked if she might possibly be able to go to the store for me. She said sure! So I emailed her a list, and the urgent items will be taken care of. YAY! A works part-time, so I am even more grateful that she is willing to take her free time to go and run an errand for us.
Friends are great. Thanks, A! I hope I never have to return the favor, but I absolutely would!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Recently at my house...
Fair warning: The following post contains vomit.
Kutey: Mommy, why is there a bucket by you?
Me: Well, Mommy was sick last night.
Kutey: Oh, like me!
Me: Yes, except I only vomited twice.
Kutey: oh, I threw up like a thousand times!
Me: Well, 8.
Kutey: It felt like a thousand.
There is a stomach virus in our house. Kutey had a rough night last Wednesday. She was up 7 times, felt better, but ate and drank too much too fast, and was down again. She kept saying "I just can't stop!" Trying to reason with a not yet 5-year-old in the middle of the night when she is sick is not recommended. I asked her once what she couldn't stop, and her response was "burping!" Um, sorry sweetie, not really burps. I felt so bad for her.
We really thought we were done with it. That is until I started feeling crummy yesterday. Really crummy. I managed to hold it together until Hubby got home (mind you, I had 3 extra kids, whose parents are not really in jobs where they can just leave). But, once he got home, that was it. I was sick. Hubby is very good to me, though. He took care of the kids until their mom got here (snow slowed her down), got dinner for my kids, put them to bed, checked in on me regularly, and basically made sure the house ran. And then he stayed home from work today. He has made sure I am drinking enough, went to the store and got broth and Gator*de for me. He has even done school today! He did the flower dissection I had planned for yesterday. He did history. Kiddo did his reading. Really, things are flowing well, even if I am stuck on the couch...
p.s. the bucket is a precaution. I am feeling much better today!
Kutey: Mommy, why is there a bucket by you?
Me: Well, Mommy was sick last night.
Kutey: Oh, like me!
Me: Yes, except I only vomited twice.
Kutey: oh, I threw up like a thousand times!
Me: Well, 8.
Kutey: It felt like a thousand.
There is a stomach virus in our house. Kutey had a rough night last Wednesday. She was up 7 times, felt better, but ate and drank too much too fast, and was down again. She kept saying "I just can't stop!" Trying to reason with a not yet 5-year-old in the middle of the night when she is sick is not recommended. I asked her once what she couldn't stop, and her response was "burping!" Um, sorry sweetie, not really burps. I felt so bad for her.
We really thought we were done with it. That is until I started feeling crummy yesterday. Really crummy. I managed to hold it together until Hubby got home (mind you, I had 3 extra kids, whose parents are not really in jobs where they can just leave). But, once he got home, that was it. I was sick. Hubby is very good to me, though. He took care of the kids until their mom got here (snow slowed her down), got dinner for my kids, put them to bed, checked in on me regularly, and basically made sure the house ran. And then he stayed home from work today. He has made sure I am drinking enough, went to the store and got broth and Gator*de for me. He has even done school today! He did the flower dissection I had planned for yesterday. He did history. Kiddo did his reading. Really, things are flowing well, even if I am stuck on the couch...
p.s. the bucket is a precaution. I am feeling much better today!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Just like my kids!
I love Homespun Juggling's comics. She hits the nail on the head so much of the time! I can't relate to the cat antics, having never had cats, but that matters little. Her latest comic could have been a snapshot of our days. Go read it. I'll wait.
My kids don't like large groups. Honestly, they don't like crowds of any kind. Kiddo has been known to sit with his hands over his ears while waiting for a play to start, or even at the Orchestra Hall concert we went to last month. In the summer, if a park is too crowded, he will often ask to leave, or to come back when the kids are in school, no matter how fun the park is! It isn't that he isn't social; he loves to hang out with a few other kids at a time. Too any people, however, not his thing.
Kutey doesn't mind noise and groups as much, but she is also more clingy in those situations. She sat on my lap for the orchestra concert last month, and for most of the play we saw last month as well. She doesn't vocalize her displeasure with large groups, but I know she gets tired and irritable more quickly in large groups.
I love this quote from the post:
"The only problem was that we often met extremely unsocialized children in the playground and other places after school hours."
Yep. Not always, and not all children. Often enough, however. That is also not to say that I haven't met homeschooled children who are unsocialized as well. It is just more likely in a larger group that you are going to encounter them. And the outing will go from OK to bad.
My kids don't like large groups. Honestly, they don't like crowds of any kind. Kiddo has been known to sit with his hands over his ears while waiting for a play to start, or even at the Orchestra Hall concert we went to last month. In the summer, if a park is too crowded, he will often ask to leave, or to come back when the kids are in school, no matter how fun the park is! It isn't that he isn't social; he loves to hang out with a few other kids at a time. Too any people, however, not his thing.
Kutey doesn't mind noise and groups as much, but she is also more clingy in those situations. She sat on my lap for the orchestra concert last month, and for most of the play we saw last month as well. She doesn't vocalize her displeasure with large groups, but I know she gets tired and irritable more quickly in large groups.
I love this quote from the post:
"The only problem was that we often met extremely unsocialized children in the playground and other places after school hours."
Yep. Not always, and not all children. Often enough, however. That is also not to say that I haven't met homeschooled children who are unsocialized as well. It is just more likely in a larger group that you are going to encounter them. And the outing will go from OK to bad.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)