Sewing Day in the desert

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We had only one Mom/Daughter team show up for Sewing Class this last week. We truly missed our other girls, but had a LOT OF FUN anyway!

The girls made a set of pillowcases for their beds.  They did a great job, I am so proud of them!  I even made one for my body pillow!  You know, the one that supports my poor hips, destroyed by stretching chicklet ‘ in utero’.  But I digress…………….

Great Old Book

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McGuyver was going through his boxes of books the other day, trying to organize his new bookshelves.  He came across this gem, called  The First Mortgage.  It was published over 100 yrs ago.  It is basically one very long poem, ranging from Creation to Revelation!

And it’s really cool!

I started reading it to the kids and they were hooked!  I read about 7 pages yesterday and 5 today.  We’ll read a little everyday for school.

 

 

 

Where oh where am I????

Wow - looks like I have been AWOL on this blog!

We're in week six of AmblesideOnline.com

and really enjoying it. 

I was so indecisive about which curriculum to use, always second-guessing myself.  I love Lorraine Curry's book - Easy Homeschool Techniques, and had decided to do that for school. But it wasn't laid out clear enough for me (silly I know) and then found http://www.amblesideonline.com/.  I really liked what I saw. 

Then, I  found Accelerated Achievement, or A Squared, and really liked that too!  All 3 of these are somewhat similar, basing themselves on the Charlotte Mason method of schooling.  Some based themselves on her method more than others. 

I really hated going back & forth with my decisions.  I didn't want to do just workbooks, I wanted the kids to enjoy school.  I kept praying about what to do, which curriculum to do, etc.

God answered my prayers.  He told me to put away all my different 'how to homeschool' books! So I did, and decided on Amblesideonline.com!  I felt the weight of the world go off my shoulders!

We do approximately 70% of what they have listed each week - some of the books I choose not to use. And that's ok!

We do our Saxon Math, Apples Daily Phonics/Spelling (depends on the kid), A Beka Language (they are suffering in grammar so I threw these workbooks back in our program), and Latina Christiana.  Somedays, when we get everything done, we have schooled for 4+ hours!  Solid straight hours!

I don't know if I posted that Hunk #3 started attending Calvary Chapel Green Valley Christian Academy for 9th grade.  Hunk #2 started there this year for his junior year.  I can't imagine trying to do AmblesideOnline.com with Hunk #3 as well, along w/ Hunk #4 & Chicklet.  It's even more intensive.  I find myself spending more time with these 2, for school, than I have in the past 3 + years that we've been homeschooling.  And that's a good thing.  I enjoy it more, so do they.

One of the books we read from, from the AO website, is called Triumph & Trial: Stories from Church History by Richard Hannula.  This is online and you can access it for free!  That's one of the really cool things about AmbleSideonline.com - they have links to most of the reading books online, so you don't have to buy all of them.  I have chosen to buy a few, and have been pleased with my purchases.  I will try to blog on some of those in the next week or 2!

http://books.google.com/books?id=QEcLSqCYi18C&lpg=PP1&dq=trial%20and%20triumph%20by%20richard%20hannula&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false

Sew many girls, sew sew sew!

 

Sept. 14th we hosted our first CCGV Vine & Branch Sewing Class. We had 8 girls, including Chicklet. Thank GOD there were 4 who couldn’t make it, there was ‘no room in the inn!’

The girls set up their machines w/ the help of their moms. They practiced stitching on paper, then on fabric from old pillowcases. Then… they made mini-pillow cases. The girls had sew much fun! And so did I!

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What a blast!

On Sept. 8th, we went to the Leid Discovery Museum with some friends from our homeschool group, Calvary Chapal Green Valley Vine & Branch.

We had a 'BLAST' as you can see by the photos!

Eggstatic!

We did a 'physics in the kitchen' experiment yesterday! We did the 'egg gets sucked into the bottle' experiment! We invited our neighbors over to help and we had a blast! We went through 2 books of matches, much to pyro Hunk #4's delight! Went through 2 eggs as well, but we had a great time!

Change - a new world for both of us!

Watermelon eating contest at the White Pine County Fair 8/21/10

Hunk # 3, JT, will be starting a new adventure tomorrow.  So will I!

His dad and I decided to enroll him into the new school hunk #2 is attending! Calvary Chapal Green Valley Christian Academy!

JT has been homeschooled since 4/07.  He is very bright, loves science, engineering, anything military, and reading!

The opportunity came up for us to enroll Hunk #2 a month ago.  We were asked if we were going to consider putting JT in as well, since he is in highschool. I think my efforts for homeschooling a highschooler were doubted.

We said no.... or I did anyway.  JT needs to work on 2 items, writing skills and penmanship. He needs to work on fine motor skills for his penmanship.

Well, come last Friday morning, Hubby and I were sipping coffee on the back patio.  Hunk #2 had just left for school.  I said something like.... ' I'd almost be interested in putting JT in to the CCGVCA as well.'   My Hubby, who is usually very much against spending any money, immediately said 'Yes, let's do it.'  Hunk #2 was given a very generous scholarship, and I asked the school if they would do that for JT.  Immed. they said 'Yes!'

So it's done!

He starts tomorrow. They are happy to work with him on his writing skills. They are happy to work with him on his fine motor skills (I will be as well here at home.) He is so excited! I am so excited for him! I am soooo sad!  My baby! Leaving me! Huh?

This is opening up a whole new world for me.  The dynamics will be different here during the day.  Hunk #4 and Chicklet do their own diff. math lessons, but otherwise, everything else is together.  I wonder if we'll be done earlier or later?  JT is a very good student, does his work without complaining, doesn't require a lot from me. However, I made sure we interacted, he wasn't totally alone, and I was always within talking distance if he needed me for lessons.  However, his absence during the day will have some effect.  I will miss him!  I think, though, the other 2 and I can go more into depth and fun with our studies.

A challenge. A new adventure.

I just let one son go, (hunk #1 to the USNA), I'm not sure I'm ready to let another one go so soon, even if it's only for a few hrs a day.  Does that make sense?

I don't have to make sense, it's my blog.

Breathe deeply!

After me being gone for a week, home one day, off camping w/ the family for 5 days... we are finally preparing for school.

The kids did math today, Chicklet getting through 5 lessons! WOW!

Hunk # 3 started Biology - we use Apologia. It's one of our fav. publishers. Very easy to use, to understand, and all the supplies needed for experiments are typically found around the house.

Hunk #4 has been reading 2 books, one on John Adams, and another one called The Iron Scout of the Confederacy.  He wrote a half page essay on John Adams and added an illustration.
Chicklet read more about Abigail Adams, and wrote 1+ pages about what she read today! Very good!

We also did some 'Life Skills' - i.e. laundry, dishes, making beds, etc.  House needs some attention!

We did our Bible too. We read Psalms 25 & Prov. 25.  I have 2 books for a Bible study, although we may end up just reading through the Gospels this year, over & over.

That's it for now. We'll add grammar next week, and maybe science.

 

A slow start...

I had the best of intentions. Really!

We started school on Monday.  Kind of.

We have done math 3 days this week. We've read 3 days this week. Pretty sad.

I will definitely need to plan next week.

I will be leaving for the East Coast to see Hunk#1 on Wednesday. Hubby will be here with the others.  He'll have to get on them about their school work.

Can't wait to be in a routine. That's the hardest part for me.

Wake up! It's time to school!

It's just about that time!

Woo hoo!

Monday, August 2nd, we will start school - granted - we will gently ease into our school year!

We will start back up with math, Bible, and history.

We will add language arts and science the 23rd - maybe sooner. (I'll be back east for Parents' weekend and to help my parents)

We'll add one - two more subjects each week till we are on full blast!

Once I get our curriculum all squared away (still have to order one or 2 things) I'll post what we're doing.

I am excited to start the school year. I didn't mean for us to have such a long break this summer, but that's what usually happens!

Break Time!

Some mornings, when the kids appear sleepy or easily distracted, I send them outside to the trampoline.

I have them jump a few hundred times.
They start having fun, and they wake up a little.

A good breakfast with protein helps keep them on task.  An apple or banana with peanut butter is my fav.  One of my favorite lunches is a string cheese w/ some nuts. Very yummy!

Things have been very busy around our home, as our oldest gets ready to move on to the Naval Academy.  Hubby and I fly with him to the east coast next week.  It will be bittersweet.

Next in line...

http://www.christianbook.com/christian-history-daily-glimpse-powerful-work/e-michael/9780842355070/pd/55073?item_code=WW&netp_id=293442&event=ESRCN&view=details

After we read from Proverbs, we read from this awesome book  -

'One Year In Christian History'

Some call this a devotional, some call it a short history/biography....

Each day is a 1 page article on someone, or something, in Christian history.  It could be about someone who wrote hymns and died on that day you are reading... it could be the day Martin Luther hung his articles... or John Wesley gave his life to Christ.  We all enjoy this book.

If this is not in your library, it should be!

In the beginning...

In the beginning was the Word.

We start our homeschool day with prayer and the Bible. This year we have been reading Proverbs every day. There are 31 Proverbs, one for every day in the month.

 Most days, I split up the number of verses equally. Most days, someone has to read an extra verse, GASP! You'd think, some days, that was torture!

I do tell them, in some countries, it is against the law to sit around the table and read the Bible! They gasp again.

After we read, we will each talk about specific verses that may have applied to us.

Today, it was Prov. 16, v: 32..

'He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; He who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.'  Perfect for 3 bickering children, isn't it?  The Lord works in mysterious ways!
I explained to them why that man who controls himself is mightuer... because the tongue and flesh are harder to control than an army, than anything else!  So I had them copy it down on a small piece of paper, and they have to memorize it. Anytime I ask, they have to pull it out to read it to me. It will be memorized and they will recite it at dinner.

Handwriting - some days I have them write the first 4-6 verses of the Psalm for the day. Eg... today is June 16th, they'd have to write from Ps. 16.

Love it!

Ungrudgingly...

I found this quote last night and really took a lot from it.

" Every day that dawn brings something to do, which can never be done as well again.  We should, therefore, try to do it ungrudgingly and cheerfully.  It is the Lord's own work, which He has given us as surely as He has given us daily bread." - James Reed

This quote speaks volumes to me. It goes along with the Scripture, and I am paraphrasing be/c I can't remember where it is, that 'we should do every work as unto the Lord.'  Our laundry - we're doing it as unto the Lord. Our dishes? Diapers? (ok- not me) Errands?  Like Jesus is sitting right there watching us.

I have asked my homeschooled children in the past, 'Would you hand this paper into Jesus?'  Usually they say 'no.'  'So why are you giving it to me as completed?'  

God created us to work. We will spend eternity working.  I truly believe in Heaven we will enjoy it too.  I need to relate, over and over again, to my precious children, that their schoolwork here is Kingdom work.  They need to do every paper and math problem as if God will be checking their papers.  Why?  Because He expects us to do our best whether someone else is watching us or not.

That is something we all, as believers, need to remember.  If my children  can do it now, in their schoolwork, they will have no problem doing it in anything they do in life.

And ungrudgingly. That means with a smile! Wow. That's the hard part.

Welcome to our school!

Welcome!

I'm Carol, from Patchworkinthedesert.blogspot.com ! After some prodding and encouragement, I am starting a blog for our homeschool!  I had one going previously, at www.homeschoolblogger.com/coveredbygrace . I was using the

My Father's World curriculum, and many of its' users use that blog site.  I haven't written on that in a year. Ugh. I started my blog at Patchworkinthedesert.blogspot.com last summer.

We haven't been schooling on a ft basis for about 2 weeks. Our older kids are in public school and had finals the end of May/beginning of June.  Our oldest graduated from highschool on June 10th! He will be attending the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.  Hubby and I fly him in on June 29th! We're flying to Philadelphia, and will spend a day w/ my mom  & dad and brother with his family. We'll drive to Annappolis on June 30th, and be with him on Induction Day July 1st!

My heart is sad that he is moving on & out, but I know this opportunity is a blessing from the Lord and he needs to go.

Anyway... we will start a mellow summer schedule on Monday.  The children aren't happy about a summer schedule. However, they forget all the 'extra' days off we have during the regular school year.