The Homeschool Mother's Journal

In my life this week...

Sickness. That's kind of what defined this week. Three of us have head colds (and I'm starting to think it has a strangle hold on me). Two of us had a stomach bug. My mom also had the stomach bug. It just hasn't been a great week. If things don't look up in the next 12 hours, some of us will likely be missing church tomorrow.

In our homeschool this week...

We dug into our new Bible supplement. It's a New Testament lapbook from Homeschool in the Woods. The lapbook projects are cool enough on their own, but, also included on the CD-ROM, are a couple of additional projects. We started the "New Testament Times" this week. The kids will write various articles about topics we cover as we study the New Testament, which will take us months and months because we use Victor Journey Through the Bible, which goes kind of slowly through it (but with the support materials it provides and Bible memory work that we do in addition to it, we like it). When we are finished, the project is going to be fantastic. The kids are super excited about the lapbook and the newspaper projects!

Ava worked on column addition this week with single and double digit problems. Sounds pretty simple since there weren't any new concepts other than the extra numbers, but she had to work pretty hard to remember to write the one at the top of the next column each time she made a 10 in the units column (if you aren't following this, then you know why I use DVD and CD-ROM math curricula for my children). Day one, she missed almost every problem (which is as much my fault as hers since I wasn't supervising her directly), which has never EVER happened for her in math. Day two, we ignored the workbook and spent 30 minutes at the table with a white board until she was routinely getting them right. Day three (yesterday), she managed to do it in the workbook in a noisy hospital waiting room with the TV on, and she got them right! So proud of her for pushing through since, on Wednesday, she actually told me she was "just too young" for this kind of math. Ha! She's a funny one, isn't she?

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share...

Don't try to replicate the public school in your house. Replicating the public school at home will lead you to burn-out. One of the many reasons we do this thing we do is because we know there is a better way. It may take you a while to decide what the best way is for your family, but you will find it if you keep searching.  

I am inspired by...

My daughter's free spirit. If only I could be so willing to be me in every circumstance.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...

Hopefully, we're going to church tomorrow. We have one day of vision therapy and chemotherapy this coming week in Columbus, and then we'll have our normal stuff. I'm hoping to spend some time with a friend who is going through a rough season so we can catch-up. I'm sure we both need it if we can find time when we're both around!  

My favorite thing this week was...

I have a couple favorite things. Lukas wrote a spectacular article for the newspaper project, and I am super proud of him. His writing skills are progressing so well, and it makes me kind of burst with happiness (I can't think of a less cliche way of saying that right now. Blame it on my cold).


I spent this morning in my big cozy bed snuggled with my sweet, sweet little girl watching Tangled. I actually don't remember ever doing this, and I think we need to do more of it.

What's working/not working for us...

What's not working is that none of us want to school in the summer months, but this school year has been so filled with sickness and unplanned days off that I don't see a choice in the matter. Sometimes, you can't just make it up without extending the school year even if we aren't trying to keep up with someone else's agenda.

Questions/thoughts I have...

I am an American Idol fan. I know some of you are way over it, but our family enjoys it. We watch it on DVR so we can fast forward anything that's inappropriate (like last year when Lady Gaga performed). This year, I believe the talent is better than it has been in years, which puts so much more pressure on the contestants. My favorite for a while has been Colton Dixon. He won me over the week he performed Billy Joel's "Piano Man". Prior to that, I was on the fence, but that performance followed by a performance of "Time After Time" just hooked me. He also performed a Lifehouse song, his favorite worship song, and he has been vocal about his faith and his intention to make a Christian album should he win the competition. 

Unfortunately, I believe all that pressure from the producers to tone down his faith "if you want to win" got to him this week, and he chose to sing a song that isolated him from so many people in his fan base. I still voted for him, but I found myself to be confused,and, let's face it, Christians are pretty hard on Christians in the public eye. Lady Gaga is the opposite of what he stands for, and choosing one of her songs wasn't his best move. Because of that, this young man will not capture the Idol crown jewel this year. He was eliminated this past Thursday, but he is the real deal, folks. He displayed humility with a level of maturity far beyond what most people ever achieve. He apologized for his song choice because he knew he made a major mistake. We all learn this lesson in our lives, but he learned it on one of the most widely popular television shows in the nation, and he handled it with humility. I'm looking forward to hearing his album when it comes out. Yes, Colton Dixon made a mistake, but his music is going to be around for a very, very long time.

Things I'm working on...

My health, and not just because I'm fighting this cold. It's time for an overhaul!

I'm reading...Everyday with Rachael Ray's May edition. That's about it.



I'm cooking...

Roasted garlic chicken, roasted carrots, and mashed potatoes. I wish you could smell it. My house smells amazing!

I'm grateful for...

This house. It is old. It isn't fancy. But there is so much character, and these walls hold over 100 years of memories!!! I love that we know who once lived here because we attend church with her, and I'm grateful that my kids have space to do their own thing without being on top of one another.

I'm praying for...

Wellness. I am not kicking this cold well. It's still hanging on with Ava too, and she's had it longer than me. Lukas seems to be sniffly this afternoon, and Eric is still fighting a headache after yesterday's stomach bug, plus, he has some major issues going on with his back right now. We need a little wellness around here!

A photo/video/link/quote I'd like to share...

Click HERE to see a post-elimination interview with Colton Dixon. He's the real deal!