20 days completed? Are you serious?

Artistic pursuits instructed us to etch in oil pastels. So, that's what we did. G#1 etched a second picture of an apple with a worm in it.

G#3 etched a green tree with a bike and a doghouse.

G#2 drew a self portrait and she was pleased with that.

So, we have indeed finished 20 days of school. August has almost vanished. G#1 heads to Utah and Disneyland next week and he'll work on analog clocks in his math notebook as well as money exercises on the websites I found. The twins will also practice practical math and write the answers to Veritas Press's questions about Magician's Nephew. That's what G#1 did in 2nd grade, but now he is writing up the answers to The Horse and His Boy for 3rd grade. We'll keep schooling through the holiday weekend and get back together with the brother in a week.

Meanwhile, I'm going to practice some slow cooker recipes from http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2007/12/alphabetical-listing-of-recipes.html. Sound enticing, join me and tell me what you tried and if you liked it. Better yet, did your kids like it?

Rainy Thursday

Vivaldi, Phil Collins Big Band in French, and now Bagdad Kemper on the mp3 player just to keep the morning filled with variety. We've all got new library books to read and our checklists to complete for the day, but music makes it go smoother. I'm reading Mr. Wiker's The Mystery of the Periodic Table. I need a good primer on chemistry to lead these three along in their science study too. I'm keeping the last 2 installments of the Roman Mysteries that I received from Amazon for the long Labor Day weekend drive.

Rain and the soccer practice for tonite is canceled. But, a comfy weekend of activity promises plenty of outside time and maybe another trip to the lake for sailing before the season ends and we rig the boat to the ceiling of the garage (somehow?).

Almost, but not yet... salsa soon!

"You are loved with an everlasting love..."

I recently found a website & *.org that is called Homemakers by Choice. It is spearheaded by Donna Otto. I am familiar with her because of her interviews with Elisabeth Elliot (Gren) on Gateway to Joy several years ago. The title of this post is the phrase that Mrs. Gren (her legal name) would say each day as the radio show opened. I was able to see Mrs. Gren in Omaha at Westside Church in the days before children. Sadly, Gateway to Joy isn't available on radio anymore and only transcripts are found at the Back to the Bible website. However, I enjoy Donna Otto's podcast these days from her format at Homemakers by Choice.

And these messages I hear or read remind me of my quiet time each morning after I listen to Nancy Leigh DeMoss on Revive Our Hearts podcast. I try to do a Bible study each day while reading the verses she attaches to her lesson. However, I wasn't directing my children to a sincere Bible study for their school day though. So, I found a format somewhere in one of the note booking websites that fit the level of my children and made it work for them to read through a chapter of the Bible every morning since we started school. Now, I'm starting them in Proverbs, which for 2nd and 3rd graders is a stretch, but we will soon move to reading a chapter each day in a book of the Gospels and work through a crossword puzzle. That is, once G#1 returns from his expedition with the paternal grandparents and family to California and Utah..

The form I've tweeked a bit to use for my kids was titled "Prayer Organizer" and found on the notebooking pages at Homeschooling With Index Cards. It is clear and concise for these three children and their mommy. I've found many helpful guides from Molly at this site and the greatest of which is the tool we use to study world flags. Her materials are found by using the button to the side.

FIRST LATIN LESSON WITH THE DADDY TONIGHT

Memoria Press Prima Latina and Latina Christiana is in the house.

I will not unschool!

I understand that many people unschool their children, but I'm not one of them. It also is against all the professional training I received in teacher's college. Every fiber of my being demands that this world belongs to morning people. Why? Well, that's when the sun is rising and it has risen for those in the East and so the rest of the world is moving and grooving by the time I lift my head off the pillow - in the morning. That's when the Daddy goes to work and keeps the house paid for and the bills paid. Morning is when most people go to work as will those people I brought into this world in a very short time from now (everyone says that the kids always grow so fast and then they are gone- promises promises).

There are responsibilities that we face each day that we'd rather not, but in unschooling it would seem that children come to that reality on their own and are not forced into it. I am unable to abide by that reality, because as it is, I'm not backing down on what I expect from my 2nd and 3rd graders. Too bad if they get bored in a couple of years, start building or creating things that have never been thought of, or are just not that good until they fix them. I want them schooled according to my calendar and time schedule, not theirs.

So, as the children came to that reality this morning, I wasn't going to let the day just slip away and I made my sister's-in-law recipe for peanut butter cookies. I enjoyed two before anyone chose to inquire if they could have any. Then, I plainly said that we do school in our clothes and after we put away our pajamas. We will do the entire school day today as well as insert Chemistry and finish the art assignment that didn't get done last week. Each came and did what I asked for even though it took until the Daddy came home from work. We are not behind and we will keep on the schedule because, "I know the plans I have for you" says the mommy. And that's that. Ultimatums and requirements, you bet ya!

First week of 2009-10 complete!

Well, most of it. I need to finish the painting activity with the kids from Artistic Pursuits about Cimabue and Gothic art craftsman's guilds, but we can do that on the floor with water colors in the morning while Dad makes donuts. We actually got to art which is more than last year. I didn't get to include Chemistry study this past week though. I'm bummed about that. I loved high school Chemistry probably because of my teacher. My husband loved high school chemistry too. We'll get to it next week. And desert habitat and more information on Disneyland for G#1.

The kids did their Bible study on their own and prayed through the entire thing individually both Thursday and Friday. They are doing more tasks on their checklists on their own. I was able to have the web pages ready for them to use in finding the African country of the day and the information about Ontario this week. But with 3 computers, and each one ready with one page that is used on some task, each child is able to accomplish what they are "willing" from their checklist. My goal is to have independent learners by the time they are in 4th and 5th grades. While they worked independently, I made wheat bread with freshly ground rosemary. Everyone appreciated it :-)