Homeschool Memoirs #6

Ohhh... I just LOVE photo assignments! And this weeks theme over at www.homeschoolblogawards.com is just that a photo essay of our summer memories, now that summer is a memory.

It took me a bit to narrow it down, but here are our favorite summer memories:

Wordless Wednesday - My Baby Love

If you would like to post your own Wordless Wednesday or just look at a whole lot more, come over and join the fun HERE and remember to thank Tiany for hosting every week!







And then just playing around:

My Baby Troll Doll

Is it terrible that when I look at her with her hair sticking up like this all I can think of is those baby troll dolls?







And because she is soooo darn cute I just had to play around taking more pictures:

Thoughtful Thursdays for Homeschooling Moms

Michelle over at Homeschool Notebooking has started a great Thursday Meme. I'm glad to be joining her for the debut of Thoughtful Thursday.

I would like to invite everyone to participate in "Thoughtful Thursdays." Every Thursday, Just as your school week is coming to a close, use these journal prompts to reevaluate where you are going in your homeschool. Every homeschool mom has these thoughts, and what a wonderful way for all of us to share our strengths and weaknesses with each other. I encourage you to speak freely and from your heart, allowing the Lord to use your truthfulness to bless other mom's just like you. And I ask that as you read others entries, you would pray for one another using the information that others put after "I feel I need the Lord to help me..."


If you would like to participate, please visit Thoughtful Thursday on Michelle's blog and join us!


Today's date is... Thursday September 11th, 2008

This week my greatest challenges have been...
Adjusting to getting my self and our middle child up at 7 am. Also figureing out how to help my 7th grader not be distracted by the crying baby

Things I wanted to do this week but didn't get
around to doing...
Art project from ancient egypt study, starting a pyramid lapbook, getting 3rd grader caught up in his vocabulary lessons. And cleaning off the dining room table, which is covered in scrapbooking and stamping stuff.

Our favorite thing we did in school this week was...
Read about Jacob and his 12 sons and then read books on what their everyday lives might have been like back then.

Our least favorite thing we did in school this week was...
My dd says math
My ds says spelling or writting

My biggest accomplishments this week were...
We were up every morning by 7 am and did school from 8:00-10:30 or 11:00, everyday so far. Though we are often interrupted by a crying baby.

The biggest thing we need to work on doing better is...
Making bible our first subject of the day ... instead of trying to squeez it in later on.

I feel I need the Lord to help me...
Get to bed earlier, get more sleep, so I will have a better attitude throughout the day. Also to begin each day with prayer ... I know it makes such a differnece but have not made it a real habit yet.

I am most thankful this week for...
The beautiful children I spend each day with!

One word to sum up my week...
Exhausting!

My Baby is 100 ...

... days old that is







Be sure to visit her blog at www.myfirstdaysoflife.blogspot.com

Homeschool Memoir

THIS WEEK'S THEME:

I am sure some of you are still getting into your homeschool routines. I know some people are very routine oriented while others may be more “day-by-day”, and it all depends on your family and what works best for your life-style. This week please post what your planned homeschool routine is. The theme banner should give you some ideas on how to do that. I had fun making that and adding in real info (except for the times! lol). When you’re done posting your routines please share your prayers for this school year.





Our homeschooling day has a very loose "routine" as opposed to a schedule that we follow ... on most days it looks a bit like this:

7am Dd's alarm goes off and reminds mom that her alarm is also going off (i tend to sleep through my alarm)

I get up and wake up our 6 year old Ds who is attending a local kindergarten this year. He and I get dressed and eat a little breakfast, then drive the 3 1/2 miles to his school.

7:30 am Just before we leave I make sure that dd(13) and ds(10) are getting ready for the day. They get dressed, wash up, and eat breakfast while I am taking ds(6) to kindergarten. At this time ds(3) and Baby Girl are still sleeping soundly, but if they happen to wake while I'm gone dd(13) is a wonderful babysitter. Ds(6) and I usually share prayers on the way to his kindergarten.

By 8am I have drooped off ds (6) and gotten my daily dose of coffee at the coffee shop between our house and the school. Dd(13) has her own check list of subjects and assignments and needs very little help from me, so she just starts right in. She comes and finds me when questions arise. I am in our school room, living room or the kitchen usually. Ds(10) brings his work wherever I am. He is our "I just can't hold still" child. He has a gift for climbing anything and for gymnastics, but sitting still to read or write are truly a challenge for him. There are indeed days where I think I'm going to pull my hair out with this child. He is sweet and wonderful, but also full of energy and wiggles.

Around 9:30 or 10am we break for a quick snack and stretch. And if the litte two are not up by this time I wake them up. Both still nurse upon waking so nursing and diaper changing and getting them dressed occupies my next 20-60 minutes (depending on the day) If I need some help dd(13) takes a longer break and rocks or walks with Baby Girl or plays and reads to ds(3). During this time ds(10) is near by, reading aloud to us or filling in a math facts sheet, or writting this weeks memory verse ... something like that. And I'll admitt that some days this is when I send ds(10) outside for a few minutes to run off some of that energy.

11:05am the kindergarten bus drops of ds(6) at the end of our driveway. I try to keep ds(10) on track and finishing up the morning's work. dd(13) starts working on a simple lunch once she is done with her morning school work.

Between 11:30am and 12:30pm we try to eat and clean up from lunch.

Early afternoon we either get outside for some fresh air or get some reading in or play a game related to something we are currently learning about. Then, once the 6 year old is settled in from of a Veggie Tales or PBS show and the 3 year old is down for a nap I am freed up to read aloud, or do science experiments or work on lapbooks with the oldest two kiddos. At this point Baby Girl is awake and enjoying the chaos or asleep, either way she is usually in my sling or in the baby swing near by.

Late afternoon really depends on which day it is:

Mondays ds(10) has gymnastics from 4:30-8:00pm

Tuesdays ds(6) has Karate from 6:00-7:00 pm

Wednesdays we all eat supper at church and attend church clubs or classes. And from 1-3pm on the first Wednesdays of each month a local Nature Center has Seasonal Homeschool Activities (harvest, migration, tracking, cross country skiing, just to name a few)

Thursdays ds(10) has gymnastics from 4:30-8:00pm and dd(13) has her harp lesson from 7:00-7:30

Fridays dd(13) has horseback ridding lessons from 3:45-5:15

Wordless Wednesday

If you would like to post your own Wordless Wednesday or just look at a whole lot more, come over and join the fun HERE and remember to thank Tiany for hosting every week!


In my picture this Wednesday:
My parents with their 10 grandkids!!!
They look happy, don't they?


And even more Worless Wdnesday at 5 Minutes for Mom

Simple Womans Daybook

For Today...

Outside my Window... I see stars up above, the street light and neighbors porch light. I hear the occasioanl car driving by and I hear crickets

I am thinking... too much, probably way over analyzing events of the day

From the learning rooms... Are we ready for school tomorrow? Wish I knew

I am thankful for... family time together

From the kitchen... leftovers from the big birthday party

I am wearing... grey shorts, and pj t-shirt

I am reading... blogs

I am hoping... to get some schooling accomplished tomorrow, while nursnig this ever hungery baby ;-)

I am creating... my blog post

I am hearing... my computer and occasional tossing in his sleep two year old

Around the house... its quiet and dark ... its 1 am, kids are asleep and I suppose I should be too, but its hard to sleep when my hubby is at work

One of my favorite things... hugs and kisses from my kiddos

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... Not making much in the way of plans these days. Still trying to get used to one more in the family, she is 13 weeks old ... but my head is still spinning. Dh is on a late shift, makes evenings and bedtimes a terrible experience.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

My three Sept birthday kids:



Please join us at The Simple Woman and have a great Monday!