Week 1: Christmas break was over and I was terrified! It was the night before our first day of "class". Was I prepared? Did I have everything I needed? What if the kids hated it and wanted to go back to "real" school? I fell asleep late and rose early... and things went so smoothly, I couldn't believe it. I think the enthusiasm of trying something new was with all of us. We began our daily regimen of the pledge (yes, I know you don't HAVE to say it in homeschool, but times are unsure and who knows how long we'll have the freedom to pledge whenever we want to? Therefore, we say it every day), devotion and a song after breakfast. Then, Addie entertained herself for a while as Carter and I started math. She has developed the routine of schooling her animals in her room during math, then I bring her in and get her started on a worksheet during history and while Carter is doing a worksheet, I teach her some basic phonics. Such fun! Our first day, snow flurries were falling by the time we finished. I built a fire and we did reading in front of it. It was so snuggly and warm, and I was thankful that my kids didn't have to get out in the blustery cold, but got to stay warm and secure with me. I have always suffered some guilt when the weather gets so cold and I'm pushing them out the door. This was a nice change of pace.
Carter is doing third grade math (or according to some, it's second grade math because the curriculum I'm using is so repetitive you can go ahead and start them early -- whatever it is, he's working two levels ahead of where he was in school because he can so he gets to). We're doing Veritas Press Old Testament and Ancient Egypt combined with Story of the World for history. We're also covering grammar and handwriting as well as exploring one animal a week for science and reading children's versions of the ancients that kind of go along with the time period we're studying in history (this idea comes from The Well-Trained Mind, which is an EXCELLENT resource for homeschoolers).
Addie spends quite a bit of the time with us. Though I don't teach her a ton because she's only preschool-aged, I think she's absorbing a lot, and she takes intense joy in cutting paper to shreds while I teach Carter. She also gets in some quality play dough time.
It takes us a total of about three and a half hours each day with a 15-minute snack break in the middle. About two to three days a week, the hubby comes home for lunch with us and when he's gone, the kids watch a short video (they love this down-time and I am a firm believer in moderation so we're not anti-television), then play outside. We then do chores (they have a small part to play in each chore, whether dusting furniture with old socks on their hands, folding socks or bath cloths -- they're learning). We then snuggle down in the living room and have free reading time -- reading whatever our hearts desire! When that's done, they play outside while I start dinner. The hubby gets home, we eat, bathe, do devotion and just enjoy each other. Then it's early to bed, early to rise again! Of course, on Thursday afternoons we have piano lessons and we also attend Wednesday night church. So, we stay very busy. The schedule is ESSENTIAL for me!
We school Monday through Thursday, using Friday as a day for projects, field trips, play dates, playing games, just FUN STUFF! Every day but Friday we get up, get dressed, make beds, etc. On Fridays, we're more laid back, not setting the alarm to rise, but rising slowly, eating Pop Tarts instead of scrambled eggs and whole grain bread, doing crafts in our pajamas (or in A's case, her tutu). It's just a fun day! The first week, we did nothing on Friday. I was so exhausted, and so were they, that we just took a day off. I asked Carter what he thought and he said, "I'm working MUCH harder but it's worth it!" Now, I think he worked plenty hard at school, but because every ounce of my attention is on him and he does not have respite when other children are answering questions, etc., our time is more intense and taxes his brain a bit more.
**Speaking of Carter's previous school, I want to digress away from the point and praise his first grade teacher. This woman was incredible. She has a life story that is encouraging, and is just a great influence. She was working so hard to teach kids who couldn't read, pull challenging work for Carter who has been reading since he was three, and teach those in between. I don't know many who could balance this but she did it! When I looked at her and opened my mouth to tell her we were homeschooling, I started to cry because we were so attached to her. If we had stayed in the school for anything, it would have been her. So, when I say that we left the school having had a positive experience, I really mean it. God just brought us to this point using many different things (which is another blog). But I just wanted to go ahead and give credit where it was due. Carter had an exceptional teacher and we will ALWAYS be thankful for her.
Week 2: Things continued well. I had one day where I felt a little overwhelmed but that was due to lack of preparation on my part, and I learned from it. No worries, these things are to be expected. We're all learning, here. I did change pace with devotion time. This may seem like a small thing, but really, if I am not reaching my children's hearts then I feel like it's not worth it. They were kind of bored with the approach I was using, so we started a book called Big Truths for Little Kids that mixes the catechism questions with a set of kids that experience things that go along with the questions. They LOVE it and have learned through catechism #19 -- including four-year-old Addie! I love hearing her say, "God gave the New Testament to teach us how He prepared the way for the promised Savior!" We studied nomads and the kids made cave paintings by crinkling up brown paper so it looked like a cave wall and finger painting. I even printed out cave painting wingdings for them to refer to, but they just wanted to paint, so I let them have at it. Addie chanted as she smeared her hands in the paint, "Making a mess, making a mess!" They laughed it up! We all had such fun! Also, they made the white crown of Upper Egypt that Narmer wore out of waxed paper. Those did not last long but they did play war a little bit and I cracked up. It was a fairly nonviolent war consisting of couch pillows being thrown and a game of chase. I think both of them won as they stayed good friends.
Carter and Addie "making a mess, making a mess!" Actually, making cave paintings...
Two "King Narmers" come out on the other side of the "war" as friends.
Week 3: Things still going well. We studied how early Egyptian farmers would build homes back from the Nile and after it flooded, leaving rich silt on the banks, they would plant their crops in the silt. Friday, we made a Nile River by filling a tin pan with potting soil and sand, making a river from foil, using rocks, making pyramids, a sphinx and snakes (the snakes were Carter's idea) from clay. We put grass seeds in the potting soil and flooded the river. We'll do this once a week until the grass grows, illustrating why silt is so rich for planting. Both kids participated in this. Below is a picture of our project. The labels are cities, desert land and rock quarry. The clay thingy in the front is something Addie made that she is convinced belongs in the desert, but I have no clue what it is. Still, she participated, so she got to put her "thingy" (that's what she called it) in the desert! Also, for science, we studied reptiles. Carter glued split peas and pinto beans onto a poster board lizard so we could feel scales.
The Nile.
Week 4: We're current! This is week four. We continued in our study of the ancient Egyptians, particularly the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt by Pharaoh Menes (aka King Narmer, mentioned in week 2). This is so fascinating to me. King Narmer became king at the age of 15. I am terrified by the thought of a 15-year-old driving, much less one as a ruler. ACK! We also studied fish for science so today, the kids made cardboard fish with scales that all go in the same direction. I helped Addie with hers lots -- that's why it looks like a grownup did it, but she participated and did a lot of the work. She just had trouble placing her scales correctly. Carter did his by himself except for a little talking and demonstration from me. Also, we cut hearts out of wrapping paper and wrote scriptures about love on them in preparation for February. Carter chose Matthew 4:19 (not a love verse per se, but since he was using whale wrapping paper, he wanted to use the "fishers of men" verse) and Galatians 5:22-23, and I wrote John 3:16, Philippians 2:3, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and 13:8a, John 13:34 and Romans 13:10. These will be our memory verses for the month (we memorize at least one a week). I'd like to talk to the kids and focus on Valentine's Day and how we as a society talk about romantic love or emotional love, but really love is from God and God's perfect love never fails us. I have an extensive collection of wrapping paper, so this was a good way to use some of it up! Below are pictures of our fish and our completed hearts. Addie cut out one but I wrote on it for her since she's not writing well. Can you guess which heart she chose as hers? (Hint: Look for the princess one! Carter chose the whale wrap). Now, they are on the couch, eating popcorn (their favorite fun day snack) and watching a longer movie on Netflix because they get to have movie day since we've already done crafts and it's raining.
Carter's fish!
Addie's fish!
The finished product -- a big ol' pile of scripture memory hearts.
Our Valentine scripture decorations.So, there's month one for you! All in all, we are very content. We had our first BAD day yesterday. I'll blog that next, but I wanted this blog to be about the positives.
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