{Wednesday} Weekly Wrap-Up: An Update on School and Life

Where to even start. It seems most posts here lately are the Blogging through the Alphabet or book reviews. Hopefully that isn't a bad thing but it does seem a little less than I'd imagined my blogging year to be. 

Actually, the activity on the blog is fairly indicative of the activity in my life. There's not much going on but for book reviews. Perhaps I took on too much in that aspect. The post of my reading goals, or rather just my pile, shows me that I have too much ambition but not enough motivation. Since then there have been more books added to the pile...

The school year started in July for us but we are just squeaking by, just getting it done. My school is going along fine but I'm beginning to think that I've just been going through the motions- today is the first time I've stopped to really think about it. My last paper received so many mark-ups it was embarrassing.  (I earned 87%.) Perhaps it's burnout? 

As I think on it more, it could be my defeatist behavior: When there is a lot going on, or I anticipate a lot, then I seem to throw everything out the window. Figuratively, of course. I drop a lot when I feel overwhelmed or anticipate being overwhelmed. There. It's been identified, now I can correct the problem. 

September 29-October 3 was supposed to be Exam Week but uh, it can't happen yet. We will technically have been doing school for 12 weeks but we are far behind schedule. We may have a revised exam week anyway because I don't want them to go too long without one. They will forget what they've learned. Recently, I read the book Fluent Forever and got a better understanding of why narration and exams work so well for a Charlotte Mason education. But too much time between reading and recalling can lead to losing the memories.

I wanted the "My kids learn with Ambleside Online..." because it seems "I'm" not doing much 'homeschooling' lately.

Fox is chugging along well-enough in terms of getting the readings done. For the record, here is how he's been doing (and now that it's written out- it's really not too bad!):

Bible reading- Deuteronomy 29; memorizing book of James (he has first few verses down)

The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life- chapter 5

A History of the American People-  to page 108

The Age of Revolution- first half of chapter 5

Historical documents & Essays- Essay of Man, completed today

-Washington's Farewell Address

Folksongs- going well; we are up to Danny Boy; they aren't memorized but they are recognized

Washington, the Indispensable Man- chapter 20

Autobiography of Ben. Franklin- 30%

Royal Road to Romance- finished

Ourselves, Book I- pg 149

Are You Liberal, Conservative, Confused?- finished

Current Events- keeping up well enough, and doing the WB

Weekly writing assignment- needs improvement

The History of English Literature- chapter 63

Isaac Bickerstaff- chapter 24

Coverley- The Chase

Gulliver's Travels- Part III, chapter 11

German- barely getting anywhere (he's started at the very beginning with The Learnables, also still using Duolingo)

Math- Algebra 1, using CK12.org, he's mastered concepts "Real Numbers" and is half way through "Linear Equations")

Free reading: finished The Screwtape Letters, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and is reading A Tale of Two Cities.

And here is where we get a little off course:

Biology- using CK12.org biology- up to chapter 5 but he is getting a little confused; he's up to plate 15 in the Biology Coloring Book. I am so not good at science :(

William Harvey and the Discovery of the Circulation of the Blood- 41%

Narrations (written and oral, but mostly oral), Nature study, map drills, POWA, poetry, handicrafts/life skills, art (picture study and instruction), How to Read A Book- all are neglected (except teatime cooking lol, that goes under life skills). 

Do I dare have a look at where Lee is? I must...

Bible reading- (she hasn't written down where she is...)

The Holiness of God- chapter 2

A History of the Twentieth Century- chapter 2

20th Century, Day by Day- an occasional glance through

Historical documents & Essays- Woodrow Wilson's Speech

American Government- chapter 5

Economics in One Lesson- chapter 5

Ourselves, Book II- page 75

A Meaningful World- page 43

The Great Gatsby- first half chapter 7

On Writing Well- chapter 7

Microbe Hunters- chapter 4

How to Read a Book- chapter 13

Anatomy & Physiology- Using Great Courses Introduction to the Human Body, lesson ?; plate 6 in both Anatomy and Physiology coloring books

Latin- finishing lesson 10

Math- using CK12.org Geometry Honors- 15% 

And the same things Fox is behind in, she is also. It's just an excuse but she was working quite at the beginning of the year but she's been down to 3 days a week for at least a month now. Perhaps she just needs to get back into the swing of school again.

And we've not done round table, which I had so enjoyed, in a very long time. It started with we did a very shortened version, then we sometimes got in a prayer, and now we don't do it. Some others things that I'd hoped to include this school year are still somewhere out there but if we can't sufficiently get to what we have scheduled how can I hope to include the others? Piano lessons were to start this week; that's been postponed until October. Handicrafts- we even chose one to focus on, each of us different. Hasn't happened. Plutarch and Shakespeare are also not within reach that I can see. 

I found this somewhere that now I don't recall...it is in a poetry book, I am sure. Either way, I searched Google and found Kenspeckle Letterpress- that's where the original can be found.

So that's the school update. Feeling a little like it's not going well. I know it's me and I need to get my act in gear. Next week is going to be a messed up week for school- Sunday is Lee's 18th birthday (although we are not doing anything outrageous and are staying home), Monday we may go to the zoo with another homeschooling family, Tuesday Lee is going to do her driving test, Wednesday-well! I guess that'll be a low-key day!, Thursday and Friday will be busy because Lee and I are going to Cedarville University for CU Friday. It probably will turn into a 'no school' week. Sigh.

As for rest of life- the greenhouse is still up and still giving some produce at times. Mostly tomatoes and green beans. I replanted tomatoes where I pulled up spaghetti squash and cucumber (the squash never did more than flower; the cucumbers were...weird). Pulled all the carrots as they were not actually growing. Never got bigger than maybe 1/2 inch around and couple inches long. Planted radishes there. Planted more beets in the place of cauliflower (that the bugs kept eating; couldn't kill them off quick enough). I did replant broccoli because I really really wanted some but those bugs...can't keep it from being eaten. Oh, yes and I replanted the pea plant. We got just a couple pods last time; hopefully it'll be better. Last night our dinner had fresh tomatoes and green beans in it from the greenhouse. 

How are we doing health wise? We are back to our 'processed' foods habits- not that we get a lot of boxed foods but we are consuming quite a few white flour items. And sugary foods...way too much! Prices of food continue to rise and it's so much easier to buy white bread that is $.89 a loaf compared to $3.99 a loaf of healthier grains! The changes in the weather, and our eating habits, have some of us are getting colds and general aches and pains. Fox is sick and won't be going to Young Marines tonight. Lee has been having headaches again. It's a joke around here that I never feel good anyway- lately it's feeling true. 

Well, this was much longer than I'd intended but who knows when another post other than Blogging through the Alphabet or a book review will happen.