Homeschool Mother’s Journal- Week of 5/14/12

In my life this week…
…it seems that I’ve been slacking but not really. I’ve had something that had to get done just about every day {and I *did* get at least that one thing done}. Otherwise it’s been a fairly laid back week.

In our homeschool this week…
…still exams. Well, they actually pretty much finished up yesterday. I thought that they might so left Friday as a ‘make-up’ day or refining day. I must admit {trying not to be negative rather, constructive} that effort was not put forth as well as I know it could/should have been on some parts. I forgot to do any posts yesterday about the exams {did I do it for Day #3 either??} but will probably write one up tonight or tomorrow about my thoughts {and their answers}.

Other than than, we have two neat review items that we have to really get into. One is Homeschool Spanish Academy {haven’t actually ‘received’ it yet- super excited about it though!}, the other Pearson Learning, Algebra 1. I am hoping that HSA can be used with both the kids but if not, then Lee will get the privilege. Fox is using Pearson {oh, he’s just overjoyed heehee} (Perhaps this is more of  a ‘next week’ thing)

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
…um…*cricket chirp*… OH! No mother is an island   Seek out other homeschoolers. The support you’ll get {or most certainly should} will help you even if you don’t realize it at first, or even if you didn’t know you needed it. At least once in a while is a good idea. I love being a hermit a lot of the time but sometimes… we do need interaction.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
…Saturday Fox is going to be serving lunch at a homeless shelter in downtown Cleveland and hubby will be in Elyria, for the 2012 International Learn to Fly Day. Lee and I aren’t really going to be doing much of anything. I had thought of taking Lee to Mentor for the chess meet but since I have to get Fox to his community service project, it’d be a lot of driving. Lee and I might hang out at the library somewhere. I have wanted to visit the Cleveland Public Library; that might be the perfect time.

Lee had an interview with a homeschooling family to watch their two boys every other week. It wasn’t a long drive {about 17 miles from us}. While she did that Fox and I went to the James A. Garfield historic site in Mentor, OH. We didn’t go through any of the buildings, just the visitor’s center. It wasn’t a planned visit.

My favorite thing this week was…
…finding out that the second WondLa book is available through the library! Oh yea, I requested it.

What’s working/not working for us…
…I’m telling ya, laziness just does not work. I knew this, right. Always have known it but sometimes…sometimes it feels so nice to be lazy. Until you have to do extra work because of the laziness.

Questions/thoughts I have…
…how am I going to schedule next year? We have a few goings-on at the start of our school year and we barely made it day-wise this year {lol did we actually make it? I’ll never tell- shush you over there who knows!}.

Things I’m working on…
…trying to preread books for next year. I got distracted by a few review books so it was set aside for a bit. Now that school is ‘done’ {with the exception of our review products} I can focus more- I hope. Books I’m reading for this ‘work’ are The Birth of Britain by Churchill, A History of the American People by Johnson,… oh, forget it, I’m not going to list them all here. If you’d like to see the books I’m trying to preread here’s where to find them- Y7Lite, Y9 {not all of the books lol- I wouldn’t make it!}.

Other than that, I am trying to get my house clean! Spring cleaning a bit late *wink*. We have a few areas that have dust bunnies and cobwebs. I just have a difficult time staying caught up with the every day things {doing dishes, washing clothes, watering, etc} that I forget the other things too often.

I’m reading…
…for my own enjoyment I’m still reading The Fort by Bernard Cornwall, Miracles by C. S. Lewis, King of Glory told by P. D. Bramsen and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. I finished Glamorous Illusions by Lisa T. Bergren and Heiress by Susan May Warren. I am still plugging away at Flatland by Abbott but uh, it’s a strange book!

I’m cooking…
…just enough to get by. I would love to have a farm where I could pick fruit and veggies, stock up on them, have some chickens lay eggs, and maybe have a goat for milk. I dislike shopping at the store, spending an exorbitant amount and still running low mid-month. Ridiculous.

I’m grateful for…
…after my complaining about running low on foodstuffs, I am so very grateful that we do have what we have. So often we have luxuries that I take for granted. Yesterday I was able to get the kids an ice cream treat at the Dollar Tree {and a Mt. Dew for myself}. When I do things like that I think to myself “I could have purchased a loaf of bread instead”. It’s not like we live without. We have  a lot in our lives and I am very grateful for God’s provisions; He also gives us our wants {I just need to be careful not to confuse the two}.

A photo collage…

		Camera Phone Friday 5/18/12 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

1) James A. Garfield at the historic site in Mentor, OH; 2) our resident birds- either Black-Capped or Carolina Chickadees (Parus atricapillus or carolinensis); 3) White Clover (Trifolium repens ) in the B&N parking lot; 4) wee little moth on my screen door this morning; 5) James A. Garfield and the Civil War plaque at the historic site in Mentor, OH; 6) A Hero for WondLa at Barnes &Noble; 7) Fox at B&N; 8) James A. Garfield’s “Lawnfield” in Mentor, OH; 9) Purple Clover (Trifolium ??) in the B&N parking lot
{I put the scientific names because I’ve just discovered them!}

I’m linking up with the following hops- stop by and join up