Homskule Update

The 2012-2013 School Year! And we have changed out our calendars and will be welcoming February tomorrow.  So how are things for us, especially since I was considering public school for some kids this year?

The major drawback of this year: we started after public school started.  =(  This always makes me feel more pressure on a daily basis.  I love to start towards the end of summer, take lots of breaks and THEN end school after public school ends.  At this point, with no days off, our 36th(last) week of school will fall on the first week of July.  This is also the week conventions will start and means that we will be winding up school during preps, a bad time to be busy.  But no matter how I re-add the weeks, they always come out the same.

We are at Week 14 out of 36 total weeks.

I can comfort myself in this way:  most of the subjects we are studying are scheduled to wind up by about week 33 for the express purpose of building flexibility into the year.  So if I am careful not to skip a day here and there (don't get sick, kids!), then we can be done early.  The other comfort is this: I don't mind doing year-round school.  At this age, summer break is over-rated and long breaks aren't good for retention anyway.

Lucas is doing 3rd grade and I have no concerns.  He's doing Math, Writing, Spelling, Language Arts, Spanish, Piano Lessons and composer study, History(middle ages), Science(earth and space), Reading and a smattering of Art.  I had planned to start Latin this year, and hope to get the curriculum by the end of the semester (Week 18).  I see everything by weeks and in capitals.  Forgive me.  I guess I do have one concern... I have a teenager on my hands and respectful behavior is hard to come by.  He's also really bossy, don't know how that happened! ;)  So I'm workin' on that one.

Julia and Aidan are doing 2nd grade together, and this continues to work well.  They have the same subjects as Lucas, with the addition of a Phonics program.  I am pleased with their progress in both Math and Writing, two potentially difficult subjects.  As they continue to memorize their addition and subtraction facts and take daily timed tests, I keep watching for fatigue.  I try to keep very positive.  Every time they complete less than their goal, I remind them of what a big improvement they will see after a little bit of practice.  So far, this has always held true and they are currently motivated.  Their independent reading has taken off lately, both are reading their way through the Magic Treehouse series, the first 28 books.  Aidan is on book 9 while Julia is a book or two ahead.  On mornings when I sleep in, the kids used to be loud and noisy, playing and having fun.  Now, the house is quiet and I get up to find them reading books in bed!  I love it!

Last fall, the kids did Soccer for 8 weeks.  It was time for a little team sports exposure and they all enjoyed themselves.  They also made a bunch of new friends locally and I met some fun families, including homeschool families.  But sports take up a lot of time, so our plan is to let them try it out and then they will have to beg and plead to keep doing it long term... which hasn't happened yet.  I think once a year we'll pick something active, and maybe this year we can try rock climbing.

From the end of January to the end of May, there is a once a week science program for homeschoolers at Explora, the local children's museum.  It is truly an amazing marvel, even an adult cannot hope to try everything out in one visit.  It can be just has hard to pull an adult away as a child.  =)  This is our third year to participate and we just had our first class this week.  Everyone is very excited, and even though we haven't seen any of the same people, I notice the kids have a much easier time rushing in and finding a seat and making new friends even on the first day.  They have about five teachers that rotate, so the kids get both genders and a wide age range of instructors.  The classes are a little expensive, but the materials and props are well worth it!

And me?  I'm happy with the organization (wow!) and how this year is lining out.  The daily schedule works really well,  and I even feel like I have time in a day to focus on my own projects, from laundry to chickens to crocheting.... whatever!  The older they are, the easier it gets.

So far.

Boys Room Mamut Shelves

It is a testament to my (lack of) decorating skills that I'm posting pictures of four things up on the wall...  

But those of you who know me best realize just what an accomplishment this is and can celebrate my baby steps toward function mixing with the vaguest suggestion of style.

And once it's up there, baby, it's staying.  I will not "just move it over a titch", thankyouverymuch.

I had several (3) layouts, but Shane's preference was for none of them.  He quickly rearranged my floor mock-up, said he thought that was decent and then left the room saying he didn't care what I did.  However, time has shown (Catsup and Mustard Room??) that his style choices(of all our furniture) are easier to live with in the long run, so we end up going with that... usually.

It's always fun to put up a mirror at kid height.  So you can walk up to it and stare at your midriff.  But I think kids need to see their faces, especially when they are sure they've hoodwinked mom in the face-washing department.

Laundry Room ~ a new table!

I already did a few posts about my laundry room getting a bit of a make-over.  Strong words for the likes of me, but it did at least get some paint and new shelves!  Now a post on another small change that has worked wonders.

Since we went "dryer-less" last..... February?????  Wow, I had no idea it's been almost a year.  Okay, so I don't miss the dryer except for one thing:  down jackets and comforters.  Other than that, it's super! And there's even a fix for down: you beat it to death, gently.

I've had time to see what works and what doesn't, and one of my goals went unrealized for awhile.  I wanted laundry to enter the room, get washed, hang dry, and get folded all in that one room.  Couldn't happen.  Didn't have the counter space for it.  So Shane made me a quick, excellent little table that just fits the space and I'm in business!  Kids bring their laundry baskets in, sort the clothes into the proper hampers, and then take back their pile of clean laundry and put it away.  They also have to help hang and help fold, of course.... =)  I definitely qualify for a wicked mom badge.

We moved the washer into the corner, and now when the door is open, it isn't in the way.

The pile of laundry is just waiting for Aidan's helpful little hands to put it away...

I like that the laundry sorters can fit under the table and not look so sloppy.

But most of all, I like the extra space for folding!

You know what hanging wet laundry reminds me of?  Nursing!

Wait, hold on.  I am not folding laundry in some weird way.  I promise.  It's just that you have to be in one place to do it, and at first your mind races over all the other things you could do, should do, need to be doing...  And then the inevitability sets in and you resign yourself to just being in the moment.  Then you realize that you are enjoying the break, the quiet, the time alone with your thoughts (or your baby, if you are actually nursing).  It's a forced slow-down and I like it! =)


I'm off to do some laundry!

Letters of Love

The kids were yelling....

The house was messy...

Life was chugging along as normal.

I walked in on the kids while they were playing and bent over to pick up the paper strewn across the floor.
(I tell myself I will never do this; I will make them pick up their own messes!  But it takes a great amount of will-power, so in this instance, I was weak.)

This is what I found on the papers:

"You do kind things."

"I like you!"

"And the greatest thing of all: you are beautiful"

Aidan had written this for Julia.  A warm, life-giving elixir to the heart of a mother!  =)

I also love that more kids are at the stage for spelling things phonetically.  Once Lucas began to spell pretty well, I found I missed these cute little signs and sayings.  So I'll treasure them again while my baby still spells like this!

More Skirts

I made a skirt for Julia not long ago, but it was so full that the gathers at the waist were WAY too bunchy!

So I made a couple more.

This first one, I attempted to create my own pattern out of butcher paper.  And for a first try, it'll do.  But I know a little better how to create a pattern, now. =)  Nothing like a little experience, even if it is truly a "little".  This fabric is flannel, picked out by Calysta.

In the back, I tried to create a bit of a kick pleat, but after cutting out the material, I realized I hadn't thought it through properly.  So it's a nice little random visual in the back.

The second skirt I made using a pattern that I've used before.  A total circle skirt, perfect for twirling.  I made her "blanket skirt" using this same pattern.  But this time, I made the circle skirt in two layers, so that the second layer peeks out from under the first one.  The reason for this was to double up on a thin, cotton material for winter and to add interest.  Built in slip!

You can see a bit better the underskirt in muslin with the edging that matches the waistband.

No doubt poodles are twirly!