My last post was 2 weeks in review:

This one seems to be covering an entire month!

It has been a busy month...our month off from swim practice. It took a lot of patience and explaining that the month off from swimming was MY vacation...not the kids vacation. It's funny how when you are in a routine and it is interrupted your entire schedule is topsy turvy.

So, we basically stayed focused on catching up our schoolwork, planning our garden, playing a bit in the beautiful weather...before the bug invasions of May, and figuring out how to get our seatwork finished by noon (just the younger ones) so we could have the afternoons for free time.

Passover Sedars, Easter dinners, Nanny's birthday....

Our highlight this month was a trip to West Point Military Academy for a free swim clinic. We all piled into my van...little guys in tow and had an awesome day. we had just finished learning about the Revolutionary War, so the cannons were a big hit!!! Cannons to the right of us! Cannons to the left of us!!! BANG!!! BANG>>>

The Hudson was so beautiful and the mountains were bursting with SPRING!

I took a ton of pictures on my phone, but getting them on my lappy is another story completely!

Of course April is an awesome month for Nature Study. Flowers are popping up all over the place (So, is my hayfever...aaaahhhhchooooo....)

Newts, salamanders and efts abound...the deer are eating my garden ALREADY!

So this week swim season (long course) begins...and Elvis comes down with a nasty cold! It seems the swim card is just going against him. He is discouraged...he lost yet another week of practice. I am discouraged for him.

This is the time of year when all my homeschooling buddies feel like they haven;t accomplished a thing ALL year and the public school starts looking
Are my kids all I had dreamed they would be...well...not yet..LOl...but I am not sure anyone could live up to those dreams. Somehow I thought (even though this thinking was very skewed) that homeschooling was going to be some kind of magic bullet. My kids would be protected from all the hurts and harms in the world. I could watch over their little heads and hearts and put only good things into them. (Very Buddah-like) The thing I didn't think of at the time, was that they were not perfect and I am not Jesus. I am sinful...have good days and bad days. I don't know it all...I can't carry the burden of perfection and therefore could not expect my kids to be somehow perfect as well. I made lots of mistakes in schooling that older crew....and I am sure I will make plenty schooling this younger bunch. BUT GIVE UP??? NEVER!!!!! I really...in my heart believe ...that homeschooling is better for MY kids than any other avenue of education.

My original ideas and reasons still hold true...even if my method and my realization that the is no silver bullet...have changed me.

1: God told me to do this....audibly....and I was not a Christian at the time. "Get those children and raise them separate and Holy unto Me. "

2: I wanted my children to love each other...to be best friends. The school system has a way of dividing and conquering the family unit. It remakes the unit....and then tears it apart and remakes it...over and over for 12 straight years.

3: I wanted my children to be able to discern right from wrong and choose to do the right thing...

4: I wanted my children to be educated whether they pursued degrees or became skilled technicians. For their own self and their own needs, I wanted their brains to be fully developed to love beauty of art, music, literature etc.

4: I wanted my children to find peace in their own relationship with God. I did not want them to have a shallow understanding of the Bible or who they are as God's children. I wanted them to love other people, respect other cultures, to walk with wisdom. I did not want them to be whitewashed tombs. I did not want them to be haughty in their belief.

5. I wanted to have a relationship with my kids...a real one...based on mutual admiration and respect. I wanted to know them for the people they are...not as little clones or cookie cutter kids. I wanted them to have the freedom to pursue their own personage, to be comfortable in their own skin, to love who God made them to be, to be strong and of good courage.

As you can see, most of my reasons were not academic. Academics are very important to us. I use much more rigorous curriculum than most of the homeschoolers in our area...but my reason for homeschooling were, and have remained, focused on so much more than just books and knowledge. It has been focused on raising independent, hard working, honest, loving, creative individuals who are someday going to go out and make a difference in this world.

It has been a bumpy road...and my road is still quite a long one to travel....but, lately, I have been feeling up to the challenge again. I am coming out of the burnout and indecision, overwhelmed feeling of the last few years...and triumph feels GOOD!

I found that I can only do my best and remember that I am going forward in love, choosing the best I can day by day....and hopefully walking in love with my children and husband toward a higher goal...making a little difference or impact for the future generations....and being loving and forgiving toward myself and my shortcomings...modeling to my kids that we can work hard and still fail an endeavor....and then pick ourselves up by our bootstraps and carry on, becoming stronger as we go.

WOW! That was a bit of a mind ramble...and I apologize....April has always been an introspective month for me.....Spring....and new beginnings and all.

Two Weeks in Review:

WE'RE # 1

I has been so hectic here, well with Spring finally trying to arrive...and sunshine, warm winds, flowers beginning to pop...and tons of YARDWORK!!! Spring always melts the snow away to reveal beneath all the toys and stuff we never got to stash before the first early blizzard. In other words, it looked like a war zone out there!!!

We have all been so totally cabin crazy after this very LONNNNGG Winter.

Ok, Now for the 2 weeks in review:

SWIMMING: Swim season came to a Vitorious end for us this year. Elvis and Dr. Kazam both did best times and medaled in their events. The lovely Dr. swam a beautiful 50 yd butterfly in 32:40 putting her in 6th place overall at ESSL championships. Elvis swam his 100 free in 52:89 breaking his best time by over a second and giving him 6th place overall. Not bad seeing that he is at the very bottom of his age group. The team took FIRST PLACE OVERALL beating out 16 other teams.

LIFE SKILLS: Cubby Learned to ride a 2 wheeler. That is always a big deal around here! Hammy is learning to be the garbage man around here. The job of taking the garbage and taking care of recyclables always goes to our youngest when they turn 6. Our youngest youngest is now 6, so he better get good at his job!

Dr. Kazam is now getting more adept at kitchen chores and i am almost ready to put her in charge of making sure we have a clean kitchen at night. She is also the official pet feeder.

Elvis learned to tune up the truck this week. He has also been assissting Daddy with some plumbing and heating. He has been working one day a week with Dad.

Ding has decided to change majors as of next semester. She is not enjoying herself at all....she feels a lot of relief finally making a decision. I think she will be studying photographic journalism....Journalism? This is the girl who would not write even a paragraph until I forced her to in 11 th grade! She could not wrie a full page essay until the end of 11th. This same child, when in Community College, stayed up with me all night writing and editing and learning to write a fantastic paper in Eng. 101. I was pulled aside by her History Professor during an awards ceremony to be told that she was the one student in 20 years who wrote papers that were poignant, interesting and kept him riveted to his chair...HUH????? LOL! You just never know.

Yuggie found a JOB!!!! He has been working with his dad since he was 14 doing heating, plumbing etc. He is certified all over the place! He hates working with his dad....sigh....So, I really wanted him to have the experience of working for a job which he got on his own...pound the pavement etc. It is really important to be able to present yourself , ask for a job, fill out an application, interview etc. Well, at first, he went to different plumbing outfits...HUH? I asked him why would he want to do that and he answered "It is all I know how to do." HUH??? I asked him to take chances, to think what he WANTED to do. To go outside his comfort zone a bit. Really, I didn';t care if he ended up driving a delivery van or working at the grocery. But he went even better than that. He found out they needed swim instructors at the Y...and he applied...and he GOT THE JOB!!! he will be teaching swim lessons and the course they have on Swim Team prep...which is a 4 stroke and start and turn clinic! He is so excited! I am excited! The head of the swim program is excited!!!! WHOOOPPPPEEEE!!!! He is still in school full time, but this job is perfect for him, plus working for the Y is still considered a community service...looks great on scholarship applications. YAY YUGGIE!!!!

Ok: On the academic front:

Family School: Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit sayeth the Lord of Hosts. This was our verse for this week.

Dr. Kazam, Elvis, Yuggie and I have all finished The Lightening Thief series...That was SO MUCH FUN!!!! We are now working on The Looking Glass Wars.

We have finished reading the Old Testament, which we began in September. We used the Vos Story Bible and we all loved it. We will read through the NT stories over the Spring and Summer. Over this week we will re-read the stories of Passover, The Last Supper and the Crucifixion, Resurrection as we prepare for our Sedar. Of course being as Non-traditional as I am, we will be having ours 2 days after Passover...LOL. The Lord commands us to tell our children of the Passover every year...and we do. But this year, i really wanted to do it on the Thursday before Good Friday and then bring us into Easter. i want this holiday to impact my children.

SOTW3. We covered the sections on Cathering the Great and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. We read about Eli Whitney and James Watt.

I am determined to finish this up this year. 3 years in SOTW3 will never do!

We also are enjoying a book aout John Adams written and illustrated by Cheryl Harness. It is a beautiful book!

Hammy: Well, We have been "doing school" or at least I have been at battle with Mr. Ham all year to sit down and get busy. Well, it seems I may have underestimated this little bugger. I gave him the tests fromCLE Learn to read and it seems that he has "Learned to Read!" He got a 100% on the test...rolled his eyes...told me it was boring and he didn't want to do it anymore. OY VEY!!!!! OK...so, Mr. Smarty Pants, what shall we do with baby? He is certainly NOT a workbook kid. Neither is Cubby, so back to the old drawing board...LOL. I should have know it was just too easy...sigh.....So, I am going back to the old CM path....LOL. I will be s\posting plans etc in the near future. My year of "doing school" instead of "homeschooling" has brought me a little break in planning and helped me to rekindle my love for teaching my kids and allowing my kids to teach themselves while I provide materials and feedback. I ahve put all of his workbooks away until Fall. Spring and summer are for nature study, out door play and reading in the tree house.

Cubby: See Hammy!!!! LOL! Dh tells me to school them together. OK....LOL. Workbooks have driven the love of learning out of this kid. HOW can I cover the same material and skip the drudgery? Use the CLE books as a guide. Limit the amount of writing in the workbooks, bring in living books and hands on games for math. I think I can do this.

Dr. Kazam: She is finishing up CLE level 500 Math. WOW!!! We are a level behind and I am not sure I am ok with that, but it is what it is. This girlie is just not mathy yet. She is now using Life of Fred to review fractions and solidify what she has learned. She loves LoF.

Elvis: Working on author project ala A Beka World Literature. He chose to write about Tolstoy. So far, that seems to be all he has. I asked for a thesis or statement of pupose to no avail....so once again...my lesson is: Kids need you to show them HOW! So, I will show him how and report on his progress next week.

He has finished Module 7&8 of Apologia Chem. I allow him to do the tests open book. He is really enjoying this book. I also borrowed the Teaching Company DVD's from the library. Yuggie is finding these really helpful with his CC Chem class and Elvis is enjoying them too.

Philosophy: Studied Spinoza using Smarr Phil and Sophies World with Intro to Philosophy :DK

We pretty much dropped grammar again...sigh. Still enjoying online Intro to Music through Memoria Press, although I have not seen a single assignment , quiz or anything with this class. (???)

Well, we are on a break from swim practice for the next 3 weeks....and I feel a bit rested up now, so...we are off onto another week...TALLY HO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Week in Review 3/1/10- 3/5/10

Journeys of Captain James Cook

We had some fun this week. Not anything big and exciting...but little funs that make those childhood memories. We played with cousins, we went ice skating, lots of swim practices for Elvis and Dr. Kazam.

We did some school work too!

This week we studied Captain James Cook. We learned about the early discoveries and explorations of Australia. We followed Captain Cook's journeys on our maps. Cubby and MMM learned their compass points. We also learned to 7 continents and 4 oceans.
We added Cook to our timeline to see that his explorations took place at the same time as the American revolution. We looked at portraits of Cook and saw that his clothes were very similar George Washington's clothes.

The kids thought it was so hysterical that explorers needed to bring artists with them on their travels because no one had a camera! LOL! Talk about being replaced by technology!

We looked up some Australian and looked at pictures of the flora and fauna.

Elvis finished Module 6 in his chemistry. Stoichiometry was a hard learn for him buthe got it!! He took his exam and got a 94%!!! YAY!!!
He also finished Chapter 9 in Teaching Textbooks Algebra 2. After struggling with Chalkdust in the begin ning of the year, we decided to go back to TT. That was a wonderful decision for us. He is back on track...and he is using the Larson book as back-up and review. We will also use Life of Fred as a review for Geometry over the summer before he takes the PSAT.

Elvis finished another unit in World Lit and continues reading in Dante's Inferno. he also read the Book Theif this week. He is plugging along in his Grammar. he is studying Spinoza in Philosophy.

This weekend we will be swimming in Silver Championships, so he is all tapered and shaved and ready to go!

Dr. Kazam finished CLE Reading 6. She loved the book! She learned so much from this program including literary devices and how to edit and correct her own work.

We added Life of Fred Fractions to her Maths. She is finishing up CLE level 500. Instead of rushing into 600, I want to use LOF to solidify wat she learned in 500. She is loving Fred!

Dr. Kazam is also all tapered and ready to swim at Silvers. I wish I had my replacement Camera!

The little boys did their lessons ok. As long as I sit there with them, they will get it done...otherwise OY VEY! The sun has finally appeared and the thermometer is above freezing, so my littlies spent so much time out doors. I gave them some chores this week and they took to them like ducks to water. They like bein helpful...now to teach them to clean up their toys. Their room is a lego explosion!

The little boys have learned to sit through and ENJOY read alouds! YAY!!! We have read so many books this week.

Now off to watch the new Phineas and Ferb!!!! Brand new episode!

Book Challenge: Week 9 Book 10

Ok...I admit it. I read Harry Potter this week. After years of hearing the Christian Controversy surrounding this book....and not banning it from my kids...but NOT adding it to their reading lists, I decided to read it. My opinion...ummmmm...well it seemed to be a little like a watered down Roald Dahl, mixed with a bit of Lemony Snickett and not so well written. I still won't add it to my kids reading lists, but I really DO NOT GET why all the uproar. After reading some of the Ancient Great Books that are totally encouraged in any classical studies...including Christian Classical studies, this book is just so tame. It was cute. You like Harry. You like his little band of friends. It definitely had a good verses evil theme with good winning. Maybe if they were hobbits instead of wizards that would be ok? I think my 7 year old would probably really like this book...but my 11 year old would probably roll her eyes. She would rather read Grimms at this point. So, after years of avoiding Haryy, I find him harmless and somewhat cute.

Weekly Report: 2/22- 2/28 2010 SNOW...SNOW...AND MORE SNOW!!!

This has been the week of the snowstorm. Funny thing is....we don't have any snow. All around us, everyone is buried in up to 2 feet of the white stuff. US.....we got slush! Slush was falling from the sky. We got rain...rain...and more rain....OH....we also got a BLACKOUT!!!

Now, I LOVE blackouts. I love the quiet. I love the dark. I love the humless house. I love readfing by candlelight. I love hearing my kids jumping out of closets and scaring the crud out of eachother and then laughing their collective butts off...the scarer and the scarees.

DH did hook up our tiny generator, so we could flush the toilet and we did have one flourescent light bulb going in the kitchen. Got the woodstove cranking and settled my young'uns down to reading and snuggling in their sleeping bags...campout...kitchen style! LOL.

OK...down to progress subjects:

Monday: Knew snowstorm was on its way. Promised the little buggers that if their seatwork was finished, we could go to the playground to play. Guess what? They finished by 12:30. Off to the playground. Cousins met us there and our yayas were all let out.

Last day of Karate. Our contract is complete. Kids love it. Pocket hates it. WAY TOO EXPENSIVE!!! Must find cheaper dojo for kids. They are good. They could compete. I can't afford this. LOL!

Tuesday...here comes the snow.... yay!! supposed to be deep....not sticking yet!

Wednesday: BLACKOUT!! shovel...shovel...shovel....

Thursday: shovel...shovel...splooosh....

Friday: Ummmmm...more snow...UGH!....more slush...UGH! UGH!!!!

Kids made progress in Math, Reading and Language arts. Mr. Mustache Man is reading very well for a newly 6 year old boy. Cubby has declared I am boring. I take that personally. I believe him. I am boring. Do your work...do your work...come'on...do your work! Ummmm...BORING!!!!! Decided it is time to really consider going back to my CM ways...in a more mature...boy kinda way. Talked to Cubby about what made things boring.....Basically, he is bored because there is too much written work and not enough hands on work. I need to incorporate more math type games, manipulatives and real life experience. He likes his reading program and I will continue to do the writing in the workbook for him. his reading comprehension is wonderful...even months later.

Dr. Kazam figured out she needs 80 more days to finish her assigned work. She is a list checker. She is a workbook kid.

She likes knowing exactly what is expected and self-teaching lessons. She is a learn on your own kinda girl. Git it done and I can go do what i really want to do...CREATE! PAINT! BUILD!

Elvis needs a total overhaul in my High School Plan for him. I am seriously considering holding him back a year and having him complete 10th grade again next year. He is very intelligent and always worked at least a year or 2 ahead of grade...BUT he has leveled out due to sickness and immaturity this year. I can not help but to meet him where he is at and move on from there. He is reading Dante mby choice, BUT his Lit program sits untouched for weeks....He is reading Yuggie's Chem book, but is only in Module 6 of his own....OK....So, he is learing...BUT, he is immature and nneds to learn to prioritize and complete subjects as assigned.

Ding is getting used to campus life

Yug is plodding along.

Sorry, No pics this week...again. Still no camers...sigh.

Week 8 Book 9 The Book Thief

This book is going down as one of my top ten EVER books. Why? This book was totally different. It was different than any WWII book I have ever read. It was not gruesome, it was touching, it was captivating, it was "colorful." Told from the point of view of "Death" narrated in his person, we get a different view of Death's job, his weariness, even a bit of his caring. Death, whom we all must meet someday and his chagrin and fascination with the human soul knits this book into a masterpiece.

Week in Review.. 2/15-2/19

There are no pictures this week because my camera shattered when I left it out in my car in very cold weather. The display just shattered...So now , my camera has been returned and I have credit for a new one, but no camera. I used my trusty phone to take some pics, but now have to figure out how to transfer them to my lappy...OY.

This week I reviewed some of my plans for the year and decided I needed to revamp some of the younger kids work.

Mr. Mustache Man needs more hands on and less workbook work. he is certainly capable, but capable does not necessarily mean it is good for him. My goal for him this year was to get him reading and to get him to be able to sit while he is read to....Mission accomplished on both goals.

In math....I need to research more games, and literature to go with his learning. He is ABLE to do the workbooks, but whether they are necessary...and whether the fight to get him to do them is worth it at 6 is another story. This week, I think I am going to peruse Living Math

http://www.livingmath.net/ is a fantastic resource. i am also going back to my CM roots...somehow...some way. The workbooks are easier on planning and easier for assessment...but I feel flat and totally uninspired. I am beginning to think that the workbooks are fine after 4th grade when the kids become independent and can read and follow directions.

Cubby also needs a re-vamp. The workbook thing is squashing his love of learning...but worse, it is setting up a battlefield between us. he does NOT want to sit and do these...What has worked and IS making him happy, is if I sit and do the writing for him. he is retaining more that way and enjoying the assignments. I think his ability to write well and comfortably is not at the level needed for him to concentrate on the actual lesson at hand. If I write FOR him, he can focus on the task needed to learn.

We have spent much time this week reading aloud...talking....reading some more...talking some more. I didn't get to check many boxes on my list....so maybe I need to change the list.

Dr. Kazam and Elvis....plugged away. The Dr. has been reading...LOTS! She just discovered the beauty of the bedtime read. This week, she is reading the Percy Jackson series now. She also finished Detectives in Togas and loved it.

Elvis is working his way through Dante's Divine Comedy. He has finished Inferno and Purgatorio. We haven't used any study materials or lit analysis with this book at all. He just wanted to read it. I think I will have him read it again...and use the WEM guidelines for studying his favorite section.

Ding is unhappy at school. The neighborhood the school is in is not the greatest and I think she is afraid. She feels like she is in a prison, so the school search goes on....

Yuggie had his girlfriend visiting from Tuesday - Thursday (she lives several hours away.) They went up to visit Ingrid at school and Ahha and EEyah who live close-by. They went ice skating and had fun. He needs to seriously hit the books now. SERIOUSLY!!!