My sweet boy

My boy and I were working on IEW and he was completing his paragraph using his key word outline.  I stepped out of the school room as I needed something in another room. When I returned... this was on the board!!!

I was shocked and very excited! Of course, I had to thank him right before I grabbed my camera!! It's validation like this that reminds me why this mom homeschools!

We're stil here!

Our weeks have been a blur! We are in full mode with all of our activities and actual schooling in full-swing! Thus, the reason for my lack of posts lately.

We haven't added anything - as if I had the time - and we haven't really changed anything about our days. We do have a functioning homeschool room and that has been a blessing for us! It is not completely done as I once envisioned but I totally need to avoid inundating Hubby with all his extra stuff that sits in the corner. I have already piled a good chunk of stuff in the corner of his office. To be fair, I will be helping him organize his office before moving onto the final phase in the homeschool room evolution.

Had a rough couple of weeks - emotionally with schooling and my attitude. I am in the process of composing a blog post about that as well. I must admit that I have taken solace and comfort in the fact that many of my homeschool friends are experiencing the lack of honeymoon phase in their own homeschool journeys.

I am not in the least glad that they are feeling challenged and even discouraged but it does bring me comfort that I am not alone and for that reason I am not the "bad mother" I kept thinking I was and that I not "messing my son up" in his education or psychological growth.  Hang in their sisters and we will get through this with lots of patience, prayer and good old fashion cry sessions.  At least that's how this momma currently homeschools.

Welcome to our Hectic schedule

We are moving into week 3 and doing quite well. We are still processing our new curriculum and finding what works and what doesn't. This morning, my kiddo started his first full week of all of his activities. This is how our week plays out:

Monday:

• AM: Computer Programming and Robotics Classes
• Afternoon: Archery

Tuesday: 

• HOME - schooling 
• Afternoon: Park day (for both of us -- we need to be able to run FREE)

Wednesday: 

• HOME - schooling
• Evening: AWANA

Thursday:

• AM: STEM Classes
• Afternoon: Park day (see above!!)
• Evening: FLL (First Lego League Practice)

Friday:

• HOME - schooling and/of Field Trip

Lots of enrichment activities but also lots of learning going on with our busy schedule. 

We have also made great strides on the Homeschool room. We bought our furniture in place but we still need to move out some items and clean off some shelves. I would say we are 75% complete and once we are done. I will post progression pics! I can tell you that Kiddo is absolutely ecstatic about his new learning space. We have made it bright and very inviting!! Everyone loves that "new school room" feel and smell! 

That's it for us as Kiddo is almost finished with his programming class and then we are off to the library. Such is the life for us and we are so happy that this is how this momma homeschools. 

Evolution of the Homeschool Room Update

The homeschool room evolution continues. This past holiday weekend, Hubby and I spent most of Monday cleaning out the homeschool room. We pulled out the luggage and put it in the attic and took some of Hubby's work items and put them in his new office on the other side of the house.  At the end of Monday, the room was about half cleaned but not quite ready to start all the AWESOME learning we plan to do in there.

On Tuesday, Kiddo and I spent time in there after our school work was done and started organizing and placing into piles what was still left to go and what needed to stay. I have a nice plan in my head about how it's all going to work. I informed Hubby (aka - the Principal and general custodian of this fine school of ours) that I needed to move the remainder of his office to well, HIS office!! He understood completely. We are working a plan to get his new office organized to make room for some of the things he left behind.

IKEA will be getting a visit from us soon as I have picked out a nice desk for Kiddo along with chairs and some organizational items that transform that room into a bona fide education Mecca! Okay - maybe that's a little much. BUT, it will be a place that we place our school books, supplies and general items in one place without living out of a rolling cart as we currently do.

Not that there is anything wrong with this method because we have used it for 2 years and worked just fine. My lack of acceptance in the routine came about with the somewhat cluttered, but not-being-used room beckoned me to come and make use of it!! Since the beginning of the summer, I have been excited to move into the room but not quite motivated to get the ball rolling to transport the aforementioned clutter to the dump!! Now that we are in full swing with school, I am motivated and have done more in one week than I have all summer with that room.

My goal is to have it ready and functional by the end of next week. Of course, this will involve the Principal making room in his office. That is a feat in itself, not because he won't do it - but because he has been so busy with work that making room for the stuff is not able to fit on his calendar. Hoping this weekend,  we can make it happen!

So, for now - IKEA will wait and I will dream of the reading nook, computer corner, discussion table, shelves loaded with individual marked containers of supplies, neatly arranged books and folded rolling carts!! AHHHH!! The "dream" will be a reality soon - I just know it! That's what will make this momma happy when she homeschools!!

(pictures and updates coming soon!

Change time

We are on to week 2 and I have already made a change to our schooling process. The last 2 years, we have saved Fridays as "Fun Friday" in which we did field trips, family stuff and generally just hung out doing whatever we liked. I quickly noticed as I looked at the things we want to accomplish this year (including the additional time we want to take off around the holidays), that "Fun Friday" may be relegated to an occasional option. 

So - much to Kiddo's chagrin, we are implementing "light Friday" in which we will do some basic schooling including math, science experiments and those things we just couldn't get to during the week. 

I must explain that starting next week, we lose out on Mondays and Thursdays as really viable "at home" homeschool days. My kiddo starts his robotic and computer programming classes this coming Monday and for some insane reason, I added 6 weeks of Archery to Monday afternoons. So, that takes away most of the time to school.  On Thursdays, he has his STEM class that runs from 845a-12, park day (which is must for both of us) and then he starts Robotics practice from 630p-8p. As you can see Thursday is not an option at all, plus he is learning from 845a-12 by very wonderful teachers!!  

I don't know about you, but if we don't get our work done in the morning or shortly after lunch then we don't get it done. Honestly, the morning is the best and the afternoon is optimal for tying up loose ends. Both of us lack the focus or motivation to do much after lunch (related to school work). We would rather read, play out back, swim, etc than look at math or grammar. No offense - Math U See or IEW!! 

Who knows if this will stick, as we have a tendency to change things up quite a bit with our homeschooling methodology. Bottom line is that we ARE learning, we ARE growing closer one another and we ARE making it work for our family. That is how THIS momma homeschools!