So, how are we doing?

Our local school district just completed the 1st 9 weeks of school and report cards are going home very soon. So I thought I would take a moment to assess our progress here at our own little school. Not so much from a grade perspective but more from of a 'what's working and what's not view'. This is also a good time for me to assess what is missing and what can be shelved. So here goes!!

Our adventure has been pretty non-eventful since my last post. Let me say that I am very thankful for that fact!! It was a rough start to the year and we still have our tough patches but overall, it's flowing pretty well.

In August, I was pretty ambitious with all the things I wanted to accomplish this year. I quickly realized that G and I would need to make some changes pretty early on and put some things on the back burner if we were to survive our second year of homeschooling together. Now, that the proverbial groove is in place, I am planning to add the additional items back to our schedule. Having said that, a quick look at my calendar warns me not to try and add it back until after the Christmas break. AAAAGGGGHHH!! 

Here are our curriculum choices this year:

• Geography/Science/Bible: My Father's World -- Exploring Countries and Cultures 
• Math - Teaching Textbooks
• Grammar - Shurley English
• Spelling - Soaring with Spelling (could have used the spelling component in MFW but G seems to respond to something off topic - plus it is helping him with his reading/sight words)
• Extras: Computer Programming, Robotics, Lego Simple Machines (all these are classes he takes outside the home weekly), Speech/Reading therapy (which we stopped Oct 1) , Awana,
• Bible study: in addition to MFW -- Awana and weekly Bible memorization for Sunday school
• Field trips: We do a couple of trips per month but always move the above work around to make up for the missed day. I find these to be beneficial to both of us and Hubs has even been able to attend a few.

ON hold: (things he asked to learn and we started, but.....) I found both of these to be very stressful on both of us. Not the curriculum itself, just how the components fit into our daily structure. 

• Spanish - Rosetta Stone. We found he needed to me sit with him and really help with the pronunciation portion to get it pronounced correctly so the computer would allow him to go on. He also became frustrated that he couldn't do it alone!
• Cursive handwriting: Handwriting without Tears -- This seemed to frustrate him more than anything as he is not a worksheet/sit down and write a lot kiddo. So, for handwriting (not cursive), I just look at the writing he does with his above work.  

I honestly think that we had so many new things this year that the "on hold" stuff really pushed us on our daily work load. As I look at this too, I realize that we really need to do more "art" stuff. Yes, there is a component in MFW ,but to be honest that too has been put on the back burner. For one thing, G is not your typical kid that likes to color. Never has been, don't think he will be. He is more of a put it together and see how it works kid.  A lot of the problem is due to the fact that I forget to get the needed materials. That may not be an issue so much with the curriculum or the kid but solely points at Yours Truly. Oopsy!! Thinking that we may add an art class that meets weekly or monthly at the beginning of the year. That would solve the lack of preparation problem on my end!!

G would also like to do music. He has never done music other than the weekly visit he had in public school years ago. He thinks he would like to play guitar. To be honest, Hubs and I considered signing him up but then G signed up for FLL Robotics league and that takes a lot of time. The time commitment is very intense, at least in the fall and then it is over early Jan/Feb. We didn't want to add another item to his (or our) schedule that would require daily practice. Plus, FLL is helping him with so many life skills, such as teamwork, how to do research, how to make a presentation, how to formulate ideas and carry them out to a finished product and so much more!! So, at this time I think the trade off is worth it.

As I read back through my post, it think what I hear myself saying is that we may shake it up a little in  January.  But, I also think that since we have established our routine, there are easy ways to put in a few things here and there into our day. After all, the things we want to incorporate are not super structured with a daily requirement. Love that!!  Plus, I see that we may be trading in our Robot for a guitar and/or some modeling clay. Oh well, my car is already programmed to hit the road almost daily with my unsocialized homeschooler!! What is another day and another group dynamic to introduce my kiddo too?? Such is the life of a homeschool family! I wouldn't have it any other way! 

Finding Me

Okay! Okay!! I've been a bit of a slacker with this blogging thing. It is kind of a "thing" with me. I start blogs, am really gung-ho and then I slowly delegate them to the back burner of my very busy life. I guess in reality, I do that for most things that I enjoy. As a matter of fact, I really enjoy writing -- be it a blog or in a journal or articles or what ever, but I just don't make the time. Notice I didn't say, I don't have the time because in reality, I could carve out just a little more time for the things I enjoy. But honestly, do most moms do that? Or most parents for that matter?

Homeschooling my kiddo is great but it has cut into my "me" time. Back when he atended school, I had so much more time to get the normal day to day stuff done but sneak in some quality time with my friends or the occasional lunch date with hubby and if I timed it right, I could catch an early movie all before car line.

But I knew that going into all of this. I am not upset or disappointed. I just need to be a better time manager. For instance, the time I spend on Facebook may be better spent writing in my journal or making calls to my friends just to catch up on life.  On those rare evenings when hubby is not traveling, we could have a make shift date night after G goes to bed just to reconnect. There are some subtle changes that I could make. I just need to evaluate how I currently spend my time and look for ways to eek out a little more time here and there.

I feel, connecting with other people is key but not more important than connecting with myself. What I mean by that is not to allow homeschooling, mothering, housekeeping, etc make me lose "who I am." I can't lose my identity as an individual just because I spend a lot of time with my kiddo.

I am in awe of homeschooling moms who write books, participate in art shows, tackle marathons, run businesses, and so on. The next time I catch myself standing slack jawed as these ladies walk by, I am going to remind myself that we all have the same 24 hours in a day. We all have children, or my case just one child, that we are educating at home. We are all at different seasons in life. And let's face it, they get it all done with a little help from somewhere.

That help may come in the form of a spouse or a friend or grandparents or paid classes or very independent learners. Whatever the case, nothing is impossible if I just put my mind too it. 

 Now the "great American novel" will have to wait as it is very far down my "bucket" list. I would however settle for updating my blogs and doing something that reminds me of "me." That would make this homeschooling mama very happy!! You know what they say, "if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." (pardon the grammar and word choice -- I didn't write it -- just quoted it.) I think that's a win-win for everyone! I am sure that G would agree.

In need of an intervention

Somebody needs to stop me!! G has asked for a birthday party this year!! As a little back story, G has asked for something simple the last 2 years. So, we have had a sleepover with a couple of friends, gone to the movies and McDonald's those years!!! Very low key and it's driving me crazy!!

I am a party planner at heart but I think I ruined him early on. Growing up, we didn't have a lot of money and my mom didn't have a lot of time so elaborate birthday parties were not an option! But I do remember my 13th birthday party sleepover with great fondness. I digress!!

Anyway, G's history of birthday parties started with his first birthday party -- complete with Clifford the Big Red Dog theming all the way down to his clothes and 50 of his closest friends and family. His 2nd birthday, not so much an affair but I did find a cute pattern on a napkin and had a cake crafted to match. It was a small affair with just his cousins!  His 3rd birthday was a Pump-It-Up blow out with all his pre-school friends! His 4th Birthday was a pirate party in which costumes were the rage!! Hubby even dressed up as Captain Jack Sparrow. We had lots of party games including cannon ball toss and wow what a cake crafted by my friend Scarlett. Check out the link to her gallery and G's cake is near the bottom!  The 5th birthday party was a Super Hero bonanza with all his friends in their Super Hero finest!! I made the cake this time!! (I was taking cake decorating at the time). His 6th and final birthday was at a mini-golf experience. Not sure it was a  great idea to give a bunch of 5 and 6 years old clubs and cake!! Oh well!!

So, 2 years of birthday hiatus and I am trying to contain myself. But, I am so excited!! I told myself that by planning at the bowling alley that would make it easy and leave very little for me to do!! HAHA!
Scarlett has been commissioned to make a masterpiece. I have found lots of cool ideas on the web for decorations and favors!! Good thing the bowling alley limits what I can and can't do or I am afraid of what I might do. LOL

Anyway, I am going to force myself away from the computer and stop short of a Lego themed bowling shirts for guests!! AAAHHHHHH-- what a great idea!! No, stop!! That's a little overboard --- or is it???

Yes! This is how we learn!

I am happy to report our life has been relatively quiet and non-eventful, meaning our homeschool process is going well. We've gone on a couple of field trips, tweaked our schedule and accommodated last minute changes. My stress level with the kiddo has decreased but I think that has more to do with my expectations. Many times throughout the day, I remind myself that there is no 'right' or 'wrong' way to teach my kiddo. Furthermore, as long as he is exposed to knowledge, albeit non-traditional at times, he is learning.

I was talking with a friend who shared that her mother-in-law was concerned that her children weren't learning anything by being homeschooled. Later at dinner with several extended family members including the 'concerned' mil, one of the 'uneducated' children was able to enlighten a family member of the merits of the Mona Lisa complete with information about Leonardo DaVinci. That's pretty impressive for a 4th grader. With smug satisfaction my friend was able to give her mother-in-law a knowing smile to say 'case closed'!! Her kids may not seem to be learning 'traditional' classroom elements everyday but are learning those skills in other ways!! All in all, the kids are growing and learning. 

Just as there are different parenting styles, coping styles, learning styles, and so on. There are different teaching styles -- traditional, Charlotte Mason, unschooling, classroom, experience driven and many many more. The great thing about it is that there is nothing wrong with any of them as long as our kiddos grow!