Weekly Wrap-Up & Homeschool Mother’s Journal….Week #14

Friday...it got here so quickly, yet again. Not necessarily a bad thing The highlight of the week was that NaNoWriMo started and we went bowling where we were able to meet some other homeschoolers.

In my life this week…
…only good things, really. Sometimes I feel that we are ‘alone’ (we live so close to one of the populated cities in Ohio, go figure!) but I think I realized that is because we close ourselves off from others. The kids and I went to the bowling alley this afternoon and met a few homeschoolers. On Sunday we are going to be meeting some of my dh’s family- he only met them for the first time a couple of months ago! I’m nervous as well as excited The rest of the week has been rather mellow otherwise. Lee had an ortho consultation on Monday and the cost seemed like it was going to present a problem with her getting care/treatment at the particular office we went to but they called today and gave us a $500 discount! And they were able to get the insurance ‘mess’ figured out (insurance at first said that they would not cover it for her continued treatment because it was an ‘in progress’ something or other- turns out they will cover the amount that we had been expecting them to). I am still waiting to hear back about some other possible payment arrangements because the down payment is too much for us. It would take a couple months saving to be able to give what they are asking. She hasn’t been to the ortho since August- she needs to be seen. LOL it’s amazing how our kids become our life Ah, and I became a member of HSLDA.

In our homeschool this week…
…Fox is still having some trouble with his math. We have slowed down and are taking more time on each concept but I tell you what, I’m just not sure what to do. The retention of concepts is simply not there. We can cover the concept, rule or formula in one question, he understands, goes through it all good and then we move on to a different concept, rule or formula that was learned within the same lesson, same thing. But when we go back to the first he has no idea. It’s like he has to learn it over again. I don’t mind going over it again because he needs it but wow, it is frustrating for both of us!

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
…I highly recommend Excellence in Literature for high school English (literature). It is a great program. Lee is taking a break from it until NaNoWriMo is over (and she has to wait for the writer’s handbook to get here to help her [and I] with some of the assignments) but we think it is a very well done, college preparatory program.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
…I mentioned above that we are going to be visiting family this weekend. Next Friday we are again going to be getting together with some homeschooling families at a Nature Center. I’m looking forward to that.

My favorite thing this week was…
…watching my kids while they enjoy themselves. Life is so short. Too short to be stressed about school problems and whether or not your bed is made (haha, mine isn’t at the moment). Earlier this week they had fun with music, one of them enjoyed working on creating her own foreign language, and being ‘scared’ by creepy organ music Right now they are creating Mt. Leafius- they raked all the leaves in the backyard as well as the neighbor’s yard (no one lives there) to create a ‘huge’ pile. It doesn’t look so big but it is big enough!

What’s working/not working for us…
…I think that all is going okay, actually. Other than the issues we are having with math (which we have used The Math Page to help with some of the problems) it is all going well.

Questions/thoughts I have…
…should I have one pie for Thanksgiving …or two? These are the important questions!  

Things I’m working on…
…NaNoWriMo, trying to create more for my Artfire shop, working through review items and a couple of books that need to be reviewed. My senior paper.

I’m reading…
…a lot of books pertaining to my senior paper. Nothing that I would recommend lol. I hope to start my review books.

I’m cooking…
…tonight it is bean soup. Tomorrow it will be baked fish. Sunday I will just have to cook breakfast and lunch because we’re having dinner with family.

I’m grateful for…
…all that I have. I should have participated in the Gratitude Challenge hosted by Brenda at Garden of Learning. But I didn’t. I am trying to be more grateful because I have so much to be grateful and thankful for.

I’m praying for…
…my own heart (it needs cleansing), my mind (it needs Godly direction), my children (their hearts and attitudes), my husband (his heart and attitude). My friend, Christy, that the Lord will move them from the town they live in (if it is His Will) or that she can learn to not let other people’s opinions affect her so personally, that she will see that God knows what kind of person she is and loves her. The rest do not matter. Also, for the financial ‘problems’ to be worked out for Lee’s braces.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
…NaNoWriMo!!

       

This was the first pile of leaves from just our yard. I tried to take a video but it killed my card memory lol.

And I am linking up with T.G.I.F Linky Party.