Homeschool Schedule Update....or Confession!

Since posting earlier about our homeschool schedule for this year, I've felt the need to confess that we have only 'stuck' to it a very few times! So, though I often have great intentions and expectations about how our days will go, I find that planning is much different than practice! It is nice to have a 'skeleton' schedule to fall back on, or a plan that someone else could follow if I were to get sick or be unavailable, but today I'm going to share how our day has gone, in all its messiness. :)

I texted my walking partner this morning at 5:45, bowing out of our morning walk at 6:00. It was cold!! I went back to sleep.

Kevin turned on the light and unleashed some kids on me around 7:45, and Joe and Rowan showed me a pile of 'get well' cards they made me last night. I'm assuming that they thought I was sick because I went to bed before eight o'clock. I assured them that I'm not sick, just tired from our day at CC and tired from growing a baby. :)

By about 8:45, everyone had eaten breakfast, the kitchen was semi-cleaned up, and a load of laundry started. We gathered in the living room for Bible time around 9:00. We worked on memorizing Isaiah 53 (we've completed verses 1 through 8!) and read a chapter from Matthew. It was neat to be able to link what we read about Jesus not answering Caiaphas' questions in chapter 26:63 with what we had just worked on in Isaiah: 'like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open his mouth.' We prayed for Jewish people in Israel--believers and non--and some other requests from the kids.

While still seated together in the living room, I read a chapter of The Story of the World to the kids and they colored a picture of the subject of our chapter, Louis XIV. (They did have to wait a few minutes while I copied these sheets upstairs.) We discussed the chapter afterward and talked about how the French Revolution would follow his reign by about 80 years. We came upstairs and looked at some pictures of the Palace at Versailles.

Keely headed downstairs to her desk in the basement to begin her Challenge assignments for the day. I played Candyland with Annesley, Rowan played with Sam outside, Noah worked on a phonics page with Joseph, Lily completed her typing and journal. I went to fold clothes after our game ended, and Lily played a second round with Annes when she finished her independent work.

I gathered everyone (except Keely) in the living room again after I realized that we forgot to go over our CC grammar. We reviewed our timeline, math, science, Latin, English grammar, history sentences, Bible verses, geography, and science facts from the last 6 weeks of CC. We also sang our U.S. Presidents song. This took about 45 minutes.

I hope to make a field trip to the Truman Library and family home up in Independence, MO, sometime this fall, so I'd checked out some books and a video about him from the library. I read a short picture book about him to the kids, and they watched a 15 minute video about his presidency while I made lunch.

The kids ate and cleaned up and watched a tivo'd show (probably Martha Speaks) while I caught up on email and did some reading online.

I put Sam down for his nap, and also two of the younger children had to go to naptime because they were arguing and being unkind to each other. The remaining children listened to a chapter of Where the Red Fern Grows on CD.

I went over two math lessons with Keely, reworking missed problems. Then I went over two math lessons with Noah, and then taught Lily's math lesson to her for the day. Then the kids were 'released' to finish up any remaining work for the day and to spend some time reading.

So...it's 3:52 now, and I'm satisfied with a productive, if scattered and un-scheduled, school day! Granted, I have yet to shower and I'm not sure of what caliber dinner will be tonight...Chicken nuggets, anyone?

Protection

Today I found my almost-two-year old had climbed out of his napping crib and had returned to bed with an (unopened) bagful of pennies (from my elementary 'math' bin) for closer inspection....

A little while ago, a child came upstairs reporting that my three-year-old had tied something around her neck and was crying. Thankfully by the time I got to her she'd gotten it off and we (once again) had a very serious talk about never putting things around your neck or anyone else's...

Twice recently Sam has gotten out of the back yard and into the front (or side), where one of the kids 'happens' to see him and rescue him...

These things got me thinking: how often does the Lord protect us from danger, and we don't really even realize that those small scares could so easily have become really serious situations? He is so good, and I must remember that each breath we take is a gift from Him. Thank you, Lord, for your protection.

Happy 9th, Lily Lou!

Monday Update....October Already?

We had a normal Monday: Our morning was spent at our Classical Conversations community (And Keely spent her whole day there since her jr. high classes last 'til three), then we braved Walmart, made it home, and cleaned out the van--I could take the trashiness no more. Between school, and chores, and dinner, and dealing with training issues with children small and big (the children and the issues!), I am ready to crash. It's been a while since I sat down to blog, though, so I'll share some pictures interspersed with what (little) I have to say. :)

On Saturday afternoon we enjoyed a beautiful day at a new friends' house. The kids enjoyed the rare treat of horseback riding. Annes was very concerned that she get the purple helmet. Such a girly-girl!

During our CC class' oral presentation time, Noah introduced the newest, ah, member of our family: Eugene the rat. I acknowledge Eugene from afar, and we get along fine that way.

I bought this little power-wheels toy for $7 at a garage sale, thinking batteries were affordable. Not so. However, Samuel spends a lot of time sitting on/climbing on/hitting it with a hammer, so it was a well-spent $7 after all.

These are some pictures from our trip to the cider mill. It was a gorgeous day and we enjoyed watching the process and eating cider donuts with our hot cups of cider. Above, the kids watch the apples getting washed before they're processed.

On Saturday, Kevin and I watched a very interesting movie: The Conspirator. I had no idea there were other assassination attempts on the night Lincoln was shot, and had never heard about the notorious trial that followed the roundup of the conspirators. It seems like I'm amazed a lot lately at how much I don't know.

Speaking of learning new things, I am reading a really great book right now: Total Truth, by Nancy Pearcey. Pearcey systematically examines the causes of our compartmentalized Christianity, beginning with the ancient philosophers' ideas through modern day thought. There have been some chapters that have been a bit slower and required more concentration, but parts of the book are really riveting. I just finished reading the chapters about the First and Second Great Awakenings, and how those movements have shaped the modern church (for good and bad). Really fascinating stuff.

Well, friends, my eyelids are beginning to droop, and I need to go elevate these tired pregnancy feet. Blessings, and have a happy week!