Homeschool Mother’s Journal Week of 3/25/12

I can say that we covered days 140-144 but I am a little fuzzy on what week we are supposed to be on. I think we just finished week #29. We’ve taken a few days here and there which caused our weeks to be a little broken up. As long as we get 180 days. Actually, I think in Ohio the law is that we have to teach so many hours…not days. I figure that if we do 180 days, we’re bound to have enough hours! *nervous laughter*

In my life this week…
…uh… Drawing a blank. I’ve checked out about a million books from the library, worked for 2.5 hours (probably won’t get any more hours), started going through homeschool stuff (books to get rid of), cleaned my bathroom (and just about died from the bleach fumes- nasty- that’s why I don’t usually use it- gag), got next year’s school all planned (just need a few books for both kids), and …have been struggling with a lingering “I don’t feel good” feeling that I just can’t explain and don’t know why/how I don’t feel good.

In our homeschool this week…
…the kids have done awesome! We had a discussion about the use of ‘screen time’ becoming too much. Perhaps you saw my lamenting bit from a previous post about it. The kids were becoming zombies…and there seemed no end in sight. Fortunately, (for them lol) they understood what I meant when I said something needed to change. We’ve come up with some rules that we could agree on- and peaceably, I might add- and have them posted where all can see. Here’s what’s been done for school this week:

Lee:
Bible: Reading Joshua 20-22, Romans 12-13; verse Psalm 139: 1-8; Esther commentary
Math: LoF Advanced Alg Lessons 24-27 {she is having fun with it!}
English: The Screwtape Letters (with Progeny Press study guide) through Letter 11 {better to take it slow and ‘get it’ than rush to get it ‘done’}; Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (with Excellence in Literature, Unit 3); History of English Literature chapter 56; finished writing a sonnet {which I hope she posts on her blog}
History/Geography: Western Civilization pages 435-439 (wrote on Oliver Cromwell); read about Oliver Cromwell at AO; Kon-Tiki to page 50
Current Events: Blog post
Foreign Language: First Form Latin review up to lesson 15 {I want to get caught back up to lesson 24 next week so that we can continue on}; Greek Level 5 Lessons 31-33 {afterward, because she is like that, she wrote Latin words …in Greek}
Science: “Cells” chapter 8 questions {are they quizzes, or tests?}, chapter 9 reading
Government/Civics: Whatever Happened to Justice? chapter 40; Francis Bacon’s “Of Revenge” (rewrote it in ‘simple’ wording {would like to see her put that on her blog as well})
Ohio Study: gave Power Point presentation of Cleveland, OH

Fox:
Bible: Reading Joshua 8-10, John 15-16; verse Romans 12:1-10; Saints and Heroes, Laud; Who Am I?
Math: Saxon Algebra 1 Lessons 11-12
English: Jensen’s Grammar Lesson 28-32  and Test 6 {he hadn’t quite finished lessons 28-30…for some reason}; Bronze Bow (with Progeny Press study guide {we’re up to chapter 8, I think}); began The Iliad; Pictures in Cursive (Level E)
Science: Creek Edge Press Task Card #13; The Story Book of Science up to chapter 51; The Sciences; Archimedes (finished); The Sea Around Us chapter 3; Murche’s Science Readers VI chapter 49
History/Geography: Story of the Romans chapter 21-26 (written narration); Around the World in 180 Days questions; Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity
Foreign Language: Review (up to Lesson 15); continuing with simple/beginning German lessons
Civics: Young Marines {could count some as home ec also- he had to wash, dry and iron his uniform as well as polish his boots}

Next week was supposed to be break week (after 6 weeks, 1 week off) but we will have family from out of state the week after and we are going to one of the Carolinas for a bootcamp graduation. There’d only be one possible day for school. The kids decided that it’d be best to go 7 weeks instead of trying to cram school in with traveling and visiting. What smart kids they are, huh? heehee (they only required the littlest bit of persuasion to reach their decision)

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
…working with your kids while they do school is so much more fun than not. Unless it’s a subject you don’t get…then it’s not much fun for much of anyone. 

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
…no where and no one. We didn’t even make it to church on Sunday because we didn’t feel good. We were going to go to a metropark today but it’s a tad chilly and I *still* don’t feel good.

My favorite thing this week was…
…just the little things. Playing with the cat until she was exhausted. Cleaning off a bookshelf, moving a box and wiping down the counter- all things that make a spot look ‘better’ {regardless of the surroundings *wink*}. Really liked that the kids were well behaved this week. I don’t really have a ‘favorite’ I suppose but it was a good week, in general.

What’s working/not working for us…
…is what we are doing. Work on school first thing in the morning, work on chores throughout the day, spend the afternoons how we want.

Questions/thoughts I have…
…are about next year. I have it all planned. But the best plans…well, you know. I am again worried/thinking about sciences. I don’t dislike science but well it’s not my favorite subject that’s for sure. I’ve planned to do physical science with both kids- using a few living books for both and one more in-depth book for Lee –and keep wondering ‘is it enough?’ Neither will be science driven if/when they go to college but is that because of me? Neither seems to really ‘like’ science to the point they look forward to it- don’t think they ever have, even in public school. At least they don’t dread it. I will take consolation in that right now.

Things I’m working on…
…time management. Always. Being off-line more and focusing on my house more. I stopped grocery shopping economically (which to me just means ‘planned’) because I’ve been rushed recently. I stopped cleaning my weekly spots because I’ve been preoccupied with other things. So I’m doing the ‘time management’ …thing… again.

I’m reading…
…absolutely nothing today. I refuse to. Well, other than what I typed in this post…or what I found online to help with planning next year’s school. Oh, and I suppose there are a few books I currently have bookmarks in… but really nothing today. Nope. (you could have a look at my goodreads page to see what I’m currently reading) Although I did just receive a book in the mail from Crossway…I might have to at least browse it today. Maybe *wink*. (the book is Disciplines of a Godly Young Man by Kent and Carey Hughes)

I’m cooking…
…nada. But pancakes sound really good now.

And I suppose that is all for now. I’m not sure if I’ll get this linked up with THMJ or not but I will head over that way soon-ish to visit others. Right now, pancakes sound really good.