HMJ: Christmastime meets Homeschool Schdule

It's time for a Homeschool Mother's confession... one which I feel I won't be alone in expressing... although, maybe alone in expressing OUT LOUD... here goes...

I don't like doing homeschool in December!!!  Unless every lesson is 'Christmassy' or tied into our current plans, it is just that ONE MORE THING to do.  Even with just one kiddo now, a Junior in high school, even her self-paced lessons are more for me to do because they still need grading and logging. 

Every year since we began homeschooling I have thought of just taking December off.  I've heard of other families who enjoy this type of reprieve, but we never have.  We change up lessons to coincide with holiday plans but otherwise seem to try to truck on as if life is still status-quo... but it's not.

So here is an even bigger confession... through the course of this week we filtered our lesson plans down to only 3 basic classes with the intention to start back into regulars in January.  I'm not even worried anymore if we get to EVERY.single.lesson by May.  I keep remembering that public school rarely ever finishes text books.

So what did we keep in the schedule?  Well, after pulling out her 2 main maths (Geometry and Pre-calc) and the bulk of her other book work and science we were left with:

• Consumer Math (because we can wrap up this one semester course and be DONE with it by our official Christmas Break which will make her other math load easier after the new year)
• Geography (only because we can't afford to miss any of this class but I am changing up some of the lessons)
• Foundations (an online class which requires NO work on my part and Brooke has more disposable time than I!)

I am still requiring her to finish her assigned reading, A Christmas Carol, especially since we hope to see the play next weekend.  I also gave her a Christmas Themed writing project which is due this next Friday and I will have 2 weeks to grade it!  ha.  I'm really hoping to wrap up ALL schoolwork by Friday, giving us the ENTIRE week before Christmas off to cook and craft and generally hang out.

Brooke likes to keep busy, it is the only reason I left anything in.  But she also likes to join in on the errand running, baking, and general Christmas frivolity.  I think the new plans will work but next year, even though it is our LAST, I am hoping to remember to reconsider our December schedule.

One thing which prompted this schedule reassessment this week was how crazy distracted we were with:

Christmas concert at church.  We joined the choir to sing back up for Rush of Fools in our 3-night program which began last night.  It has been a BLAST, the guys are amazing, and we are all loving the experience.  We have done the choir for other holiday performances at church, but this is the first "rock concert" style experience working with a major band for an event like this.  I hope to share more pictures next week.  Last night we were mostly getting our bearings about our part. I do have some videos posted on Instagram and will be sharing more there this weekend.  If you are interested, come follow!

Other miscellany this week:

Went to a local mega-sporting goods store to Christmas shop.  The girls tagged along and thought they could pull a "twin" moment by donning the same hat and attempting to fool the camera on who was who... except mama is NOT fooled! 4.5 years difference in age aside, I know my girls!  I am glad they take pride in the similarities though.  Sister love always warms my heart!

Brooke went with a MAJOR change when she had her locks lopped off for this stylish do!  I was nervous at first but we all love the look, even hubby who typically hates short hair.  We won't talk in too much detail about the chop job I've had to endure.  Apparently my stylist though I wanted to revive the Mullet! *ugh* I did figure out a way to style it so my retro flare is hidden when in public!  Simply: thank you, Lord, for headbands!

 Her kitty was moping.  She took a homework break to show some compassion!

Another kitty moment!  Hubby's new cat still loves those naps, especially when studies are happening and he knows we aren't going to be on the move!  We are buckling down on the Rules of the Road since she tests for her permit a month from tomorrow.

I started sharing a sort of un-official pictorial series on Instagram with daily scripture and/or poems and thoughts from my Advent study and the Everything Christmas book I reviewed a few years ago.  It has been fun and inspiring even for myself!  The kids and I are walking out the Advent study together which I wrote (see the end of this post if you want a copy).  I love hearing their Biblical insight when we get together each Friday to discuss what we have studied.

Commin' down the pipe...
We look forward to a bit of a slow-down next week.  Hopefully we can focus better on the schoolwork we have remaining. I do need to write, print, address and mail our family newsletter!!  I guess that is sort of a big job, I will employ help!  I've waited because hubby interviews Monday for a new job and I don't know whether or not to include the results in our annual update.  The week after will really re-ramp up though, as we bake goodie gifts and prepare for Zach (and possibly my mother-in-law) to be in town for Christmas on the 21st.

It goes too fast!

How are you maneuvering the holidays in your homeschool?

Merry Christmas Blessings,

You can click here to see some of the great blogs I am linking up today ...

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also... 

In case you haven't heard, I put together a HUGE printable package for December's newsletter which I would still love to share with new subscribers!  It contains information and an array of helpful worksheets to get all the tidbits of your holiday season organized. 

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Homeschool Mother's Journal: Ready, Set, Go!

I'm considering this "Journal" entry another in a series of back-to-school articles I un-officially kicked off with 7 Homeschooling Through High School Encouragements and Tips.   God used the writing and sharing of that article to open my eyes to the need for more active participation in the Homeschooling through High School blogging community!  So last week I posted about the curriculum we are using this year.  Today I want to continue by sharing how we get the back-to-school ball rolling in our home!

Ready...
There are so many ways to get the school year in motion.  I always laughed at how public schoolers often start on Wednesday or Thursday just to turn around and take a weekend off.  I never understood, 'why not start on Monday and get the ball in full motion right out of the gate?... Why waste time?'!!  Well, after a few years of botched 1st days in our homeschool, I finally caught on!!  A partial week is sort of a warm-up... a positioning at the starting line as the master of ceremonies bellows, "Ready?"

I don't start on Wednesday/Thursday, though I do feel that is a bit extreme.  However, we do make use of the Friday before our official first full day of school.  It is a sort of extended "class meeting" to go over particulars and get ready for the week and school year head...

Set...

We begin the meeting with prayer; lifting up our new school year and that day in particular.  Then we begin to get gears moving.  I hand out school year calendars they can keep in their binders or pin on their wall.  We discuss these as well as the more detailed weekly schedule as an overview of how we hope the school days will go on a regular week.

At this point I hand out general school supplies for them to tuck into their receptacles (we use baskets).  When I was teaching more than one, I would begin to shift the conversation at this point to the plans for any "joint" 'classes' they had or things which affected everyone so I only have to say it once and, if anyone has questions, everyone could hear and participate.

Whenever we have had subjects which would require specific supplies, I usually hand those out as we go over those individual topics.  With more than one kiddo, I would transition from the joint matters by handing out some sort of back-to-school activity to keep busy for a short bit with because I was about to break them up.... I take them one-by-one aside and we move on to the next phase of set-up...

(you can click on image to enlarge)

I like to draw up a "class" list for each student, detailing out the various subjects they are working on for the year, any specifics about the schedule for that class (like, do they only work once a week on it, every day, only in the morning, etc.), and the approximate time I expect each class to take.  Admittedly, some days will be longer/shorter but this gives us a ballpark.

Over the years, no matter their grade, I have learned that setting good goals and objectives is key to a productive school year.  So, as I do all of their back-to-school prep mid-summer, I pull out my end-of-year notes on their report cards and use them as a spring-board for my prayers and writing of  a "goals and objectives" section.  This also helps me focus as I plan their school year, making sure we are gearing towards opportunities to reach those goals.  On our soft-set Friday I also encourage them to pray over personal goals and objectives beyond what I have listed.

In these goals and objectives I try to be encouraging, not condemning.  For example, if staying on task is an issue, I don't say, "I want to see you stay on task this year and if you don't.... trouble."  Instead I might say, "I know we have struggled with staying on task in the past.  This is a new school year and it is so important to keep on top of your work.  Bosses expect it of you and so will colleges.  So, lets make this a goal for this year."  Then we might discuss some ideas for reaching that goal, with their input, and set-up a system to keep tabs on their progress.

The last few years I have had their books already set-up in their school baskets.  After reading through the "Goals and Objectives" we grab the basket and briefly go over the materials for each class listed on the remainder of the page.  If there are additional syllabuses or materials for these specific classes, I produce them at this time.  We talk about how I expect them to use the material in a general fashion with the assurance that, as we start full classes the next week, they will pick up the rhythm.

Once we are done, I pray over them personally and then issue a quick writing assignment: Write a letter to yourself for the end of the school year.  I encourage them to share what they are looking forward to most, what they are unsure of or nervous about, list some of their goals and then, if they want, any advice or tips for the following summer break!  They always enjoy this part.  I stash their finished letter in my homeschool binder to be shared again at the end of the school year.

With three students, our Friday soft-set usually took around a few hours.  I would start with younger, antsy students first and move up the chain from there.  Once done, they are free to their own devices for the rest of the day, squeezing out that very last little bit of summer vacation! 

This year I am down to ONE.. have I mentioned that on the blog at all?!?  I still plan to do our set-up in much the same fashion only we won't need a back-to-school busy project to buy time while others are having their one-on-one!

Go!
With all of these details out of the way, we enjoy our weekend and prep for the big to-do of Back-to-School the following Monday!  I always expect that first week to be slow-going even with our Friday prep day under our belt.  Learning how to use new curriculum and apply new routines (and flush away the bummy summer pace!!) takes time and patience.  I'll plan a good 1st Day breakfast and lunch with loads of encouragement in-between!

We're off to a good start...
Today is our prep-day.  We are ready and set and super excited to go!  I wasn't sure how it would feel having only ONE left to teach but I think it is going to actually be marvelously fun!  It helps that she loves to learn... and she is a lot like her mama!  We are able to "get" each other and work tough spots out accordingly.

How do you get your homeschool year in motion?

I hope and pray you have a blessed school year... that you keep your chin up in the challenging times and remember to celebrate the good times... all for His Glory!

Blessings,

 

 

 

 

You can click here to see some of the great blogs I am linking up today ...

By the way.....

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Creating Serious Learners and the Whims of Homeschool Philosophy

My homeschool planning for  the 2015-16 school year is almost complete!!!  This year is set to be quite a different year with one graduating and one needing to step-up the studies since his graduation is only 3 years away.  Brooke is starting 7th grade and acts as my more serious student.  She wants to be a teacher (and, one day, a homeschooling mama).  How do you create serious learners?

That is the question I kept asking myself as I chose curriculum, wrote out lesson plans and prayed over their year (and their futures).  It is probably one of the most serious questions we can ask ourselves as homeschooling parents.

The problem.
For too long I road the waves of homeschooling philosophies.  There are many out there.... most of them are good.  But all of them can't work at the same time (you kinda need to pick just one!).  As I ran the spectrum of public school animosity after how my kids were treated .... to public school acceptance as a pillar in community, I still run hot-and-cold in my feelings about what is socially 'acceptable' in HOW to school and what-to-teach-when.  I truly don't care about 'acceptance' but I do care about ability.  I want my children to be able to compete among their peers for jobs, scholarships and even college... should they choose to go.  But this was the other problem.

To college or not to college and how to make ready.

The spectrum runs crazy on this topic as well.  If the public school spectrum is any indicator of secular college education, the future of our students is bleak.  Then there is Christian college, which often costs an arm and a leg.... but without college, what kind of future do my kids have in today's job market? 

So there I sat, praying and facing these two big challenges:  What homeschool approach is appropriate and not dictated by the system but rather by our call.... and what path for/or against college prep is best?

The realization.
It isn't about them.  The 'thems' out there telling us what is crazy or acceptable or unacceptable when it comes to educating our kids.  It isn't about the standards set by homeschoolers (yes, homeschoolers set standards) or school districts.  It isn't about the 'thems' of public or private college preaching job opportunity propaganda and the order of operation in obtaining a college degree. 

There is NO box I am meant to find and shove my kids into.

It IS about my kids.  They are the only 'thems' everything boils down to.  It is about what call God has on their lives and the path He has called them to take.  Homeschooling advocates may say don't teach kids as school at home... don't test because then you are only teaching to a test.... do only use classical literature because modern works are junk... do let your child lead the learning because it is all about them.  Don't teach sentence diagramming... Do teach sentence diagramming....  Learn from life... learn from books... keep a schedule.... go with the flow... read from text books... use 'living' books because texts are too dry..........

Then college advocates say prep for SAT.... just take the compass.... try out dual enrollment.... do community/Jr. College first.... go away to university.... sty for university.... online college is best.... get done early... take your time............

I GIVE UP!

As I sat with papers sprawled out before me and books piled to my side I thought of my oldest daughter getting ready to graduate and begging me to test her this past year.  She told me she felt like she took the subjects more seriously and understood them better if she knew she had to prepare for a test.  4 years ago she begged me to give her grades... real, honest, GRADES.... because SHE wanted to know how she was measuring up and where she stood. 

I thought of my oldest son, now entering his 4th year of college, and how he started unconventionally.  Though attending public school through graduation, he took a semester off, did tech school, took another semester off and now is at university.  The competitiveness of structured school work and potential of college scholarships drove him on.  And while I debate, at times, his Christian university education as being too liberal for my taste.... he will graduate with better opportunities for his field of work whether he uses his degree in the mission field or in the secular work force.  The world and all good opportunities to share Christ will be at his door step.

Whether my kids go to college/tech school/university makes no difference.  Whether they take it one class at a time over 10 years or all their classes at a traditional pace doesn't matter.  Whether they go AT ALL is truly up to them and what God leads them to do.  My job, is to prepare them for whatever they do end up choosing.  Once they cross the threshold at graduation, preparation time is over and decisions will need to be made.... why not make those decisions with every possible opportunity for their ability in hand?   We can't get back the past, but we CAN be prepared for the future.

The choice.

Keep in mind, I am managing middle through high school students.  If yours are younger than your considerations won't be so serious yet... some points will be applicable now, the rest can serve as something for down the road....

I can't care anymore what others think  and how others do homeschool.  Whether I give my kids too much or too little of any given subject, grade, activity or tests is not open for debate.  I have to do what I know works for them and places them where God is calling them to be.  What does that look like?

- We need a schedule.  Ashley = ADHD, Brenden = Dyslexic, Brooke = Over-achiever/planner.... when we don't have a CLEAR SCHEDULE for every single subject and set times of work, we don't get anything done.  Every single one of us loose the drive to strive and complete tasks.  Other families may be able to roll with it.... we can't.  It may seem rigid and anti-homeschooling theology but that is just it: homeschooling isn't ONE WAY... it is meant to be the way that works best for each family.

- We will test and grade.  I banned both for so many years because I didn't want my children feeling like failures.  That is how Brenden and Ashley felt years ago as public schooled kids in 2nd and 4th grade.  But what I forgot is how they can also feel like victors through tests and grades.  Will I cater to their strengths in this aspect?  Yes.  Where a public school teacher may see "wrong" when 3x5 does not equal 8 I will see my dyslexic son reading the 'x' sign as a '+' sign and mark it half off for being only half wrong, then talk with him about taking his time to look closely at signs.... or ask for help in having his homework and tests read to him for greater accuracy.

Quick Fact:  we make mistakes and mis-read in 'real' life and most of the time we get a chance to fix it and set it right or ask for help.  Why should school work be any different?  Even college offers helps for learning 'giftedness' such as Brenden and Ashley experience.

- We will use text books.  We actually use various types of materials, being eclectic homeschoolers, but as Brenden and Ashly have hit high school I have noticed gaps as the result of our lack of consistency in  materials and use of textbooks.  Gaps which make them seem like I don't teach them on some subjects!!!  Gaps which could lead to awkward situations as adults with peers in various conversations.  We laugh about this being 'UN-important' in homeschooling circles but the fact is: it is very important.  If your child has no clue where Guam is or that Russia was once (and debatably may still be) communist...by the way, what is communism?... then they are going to seem UN-educated and, in our culture, will loose respect and ability to witness about greater things like their faith in Christ. 

Quick Fact:  It boils down to this: if they seem like half-wits on basic matters, how will anyone believe or accept their faith as anything more than something only naive people believe? 

We will use text books for their gap filling ability, their broad coverage of a topic and as an outline for all the basics we need to cover.  We will supplement texts with 'real' books and self-guided research for deeper understanding on topics related to their studies.

- They will keep a student planner and have due dates.  All of western culture revolves around your ability to be organized.  It is a fact.  If you want to be successful you have to be able to plan your day well, set goals, and meet deadlines.  While we may be able to fix mistakes... we can't go back and re-arrange deadlines and due dates.  Those simply ARE.  If we don't foster this sense of responsibility and ability when they are young... it will be a hard habit to create and keep when they are older.

The conclusion.

The above is what will work for us.  We filtered in some of these standards this past school year and I saw great improvement in various areas of study and comprehension.  Our mantra will be Paul's words for ministry since I believe all of life has ministry potential:

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

- Philippians 3:12-14

Jammies are still an option for school day apparel... as is completing assignments on the cozy couch.  The materials and expectations may change a little but our heart to equip and be the best for His service will not change!  Neither will our desire to grow as learners for life and not just pails to be filled.  All the materials and plans I propose are not just items for the bucket.... they are tools for the task, resources as part of a process meant for the end product.... fuel for a fire set to blaze a lifetime through.

I pray you will search the Lord for your Homeschool focus and potential.... not the whims of the masses, rather, the clear directive of God.... whatever that looks like for YOUR homeschool!

Blessings,

Linking up today with some of these...

Unless the move takes me away from an update, I will share what we are using this year and HOW we are using it in an article this month.

The Less-Then Perfect, Perfect Week

It has been an open window week all week long, I think it helps....

I want to hop onto the blog-sphere and tell you, in a weekly homeschool wrap-up, that we had a wonderfully perfect week.  One like we (mostly) had a couple weeks ago.  One where we get up on time, get moving in unison, complete our 4Rs (Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic, Roots [we are doing English from the Roots up again this year]).  One where we have a happy little lunch together, grab some fresh air and hit our afternoon with gusto accomplishing history study, Health posters, and discussions on science.  Evenings where we gather around books or games and laugh and enjoy.  Yes, those are the lovely weeks.

But, weeks like this week are lovely weeks too.  Up-in-arms, but lovely because they remind me of the value of homeschool.  The ability to find out my oldest daughter might have mono, is seriously sick and unable to focus on her school work.... but she isn't really 'missing' school.  She won't be behind the rest of her class when she is well enough to engage again.  I am reminded of the value of homeschool when I can let my children sleep in to accommodate the quietness needed for a sick child and we can spend our afternoons engaged in a book or a movie for said accommodation.  I am reminded how, when one family member is down, the other family members step up to pitch in an extra hand and show their love and dedication to the family unit as a whole.

This week, we only manged the 3Rs (Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic) with two students.  We hinted at the fringes of history diving into our Leonardo book and making open faced geometric figures like Leonardo did with Pacioli.  We learned about Darwin's Dilemma, something my oldest could retain as it merely reinforced her biology study.  She even perked up enough to add information the movie left out.

I bet you thought I was kidding about our old kitchen table and card table chairs!

My youngest daughter took bold steps in cooking and made goulash for dinner one night, I added the salad and fresh baked bread.  She did GREAT, it was delicious.

In her sedentary state, my oldest daughter rekindled the only thing she had mind or energy for: drawing.  It seems to give her small pleasures to see our delight in her sketches she manages between resting.

This week my two youngest students enjoyed their independence as they road bikes in the afternoon, exploring trails though missing the company of their big sister.  This week we rummaged through bins of hand-me-down clothes, dreamed of summer, and prepared for a Lord of the Rings/Hobbit Costume Party and Women's Shelter Fund Raiser with said hand-me downs and the prospects of some sewing.  This week, we read Mary Jones and her Bible and speculated if she might be a long-lost ancestor.... there are alot of Joneses out there though!

This week I was reminded of temporal value verses eternal value and what a family can learn when one of its members is down.  How our united strength and love can cheer even the most ill or weary soul and I was gratefully blessed.

Please pray for her wellness and discernment for the doctor.

My daughter will recover.  We are off to the doctor again today for more tests and likely setting in motion another week like this week.  But that is OK, God has not left us nor forsaken us.  HE is our strength, our Rock, our Fortress and in His sheltering care, every week is perfect in its own way!

I pray you find perfection in His Presence for the perseverance needed in the less then perfect weeks of life!

Blessings,

Linking up today with:

May-schooling*

About this time of year, the question looms among homeschool moms (and even strangers who simply wonder) When do you plan to be done with schooling for the year? Depending on what you consider "homeschooling", ours has until the end of this month before summer break (we are counting down the weeks!).

Just what is homeschooling to us?  Well, it doesn't look exactly like I dreamed it would in September.  It has transformed to....

- up early (6:45a.m.) because I believe it is good for children to learn to discipline themselves in purposefully rising to meet the day.  It will be required of them as adults (in one form or another) so it is a discipline best developed as kids.

- Bible study first thing because we believe feasting on the Word of God is the best appetizer to a hearty breakfast and productive day.

- Chores because community and work are a part of life and everyone doing their part teaches order and the value of a job consistently and well done.

- Schooling Essentials, usually by 9a.m., where the basics are taken care of first.  We school Eclectically so this may look different on different days but each day involves Writing, Math and Spelling in some form.  Extra time is often spent reading or working on other projects.

- Lunch Break, typically eating lunch together then taking a small amount of time to rest their brain through other activities like playing outside, bike rides, or playing inside.

- Oral Reading begins after break.  We read together (even in high school) because I want them to have confidence reading to others and I want us all to be exposed to various stories.  They each read from a book of their choice and I read as well, typically a book related to subjects we may be studying in history or a missionary.

- History or Science.  We may watch relevant movies, do crafts, read books, do experiments or take a walk or field trip somewhere relevant.  My children keep science journals and history notebooks.  We diagram, map and timeline often.

Our day ends by 2 or 3 in the afternoon then they are free to their own devices.  Sometimes they choose a continuation of whatever we were studying in the afternoon (recently it was converting large boxes into gladiator armor and having gladiatory games!).  Neighborhood kids will join in the fun and, before we know it, everyone is living history!

We do not watch t.v. or play video games during the week except for special situations or achievements such as reading a book which has been made into a movie.  I like this schedule and, what's more, my children like it and miss it when our days end up upside-down.

So how is Summer different? no 'book work' (work books or writing assignments), more reading, only math-facts review (to keep them sharp) and adventure with some nature journaling.  Screen time restrictions continue because I want them to use their imaginations to the fullest extent possible.  I want them to keep thinking.  Some families who UNschool would probably call our summer-time activity 'homeschool'.  But, for us, it is a break from the hub-bub and it is what works for us.

Don't be fooled though... not every day is perfect.  Some days we blow off our afternoon and take a bike ride or run behind in the morning and find ourselves content with just being able to complete one math assignment and peruse spelling words.  But ALL days they are learning... whether it is book knowledge or life knowledge... they are learning and I feel blessed to be their teacher.

Each year teaching gets easier... though none are perfect (and some days can still be hard)... overall you find a groove and a flow, an undercurrent which can carry you through other changes like maturity level, grade expectations, and life situations.  And when the water looks too rough, you design your anchor, weight it down with the Truth of the Lord, and you throw it out there and trust it will hold you tight... you won't drift away but you will flow and move and always come back to center: learning what matters most...

... they are always learning.  And while we, the teachers, provide them with active stimulants to the learning process, they are learning even when a book doesn't sit open in front of them or a pen isn't in their hand.  Once we let go of what other homeschools look like or what we think ours should look like and just hold onto what God has given us to work with... our homeschool starts to look quite grand and the learning, both in and out of the books, becomes evident everywhere we turn. Summer vacation (and regular school days that just don't go as planned) are a reminder of this.


Maybe you are planning to school through the summer.  Maybe you are holding onto these last weeks like a fist full of sand, contemplating just being done early.  Perhaps you are planning to just slowly flitter out for the year.  Whatever your plans... be encouraged today to keep stepping forward.  You can... you will make it!  Even if this week's homeschool schedule looks nothing like the one you ambitiously wrote and planned out at the beginning of the year.

I pray your MAY-schooling feels as grand as your September-schooling did... even if it doesn't look like it!

Blessings,

How we school, outside the box

I have been asked... in many instances... since we have begun our travels; "How do you homeschool on the road?"  Especially as we have not been in any one place for very long to establish "routines" which could progress us through workbooks (or any other unit of study)!

My answer:  It hasn't been easy!... but....

I give credit for our year thus far first to God of course!  And second, to how He led me through studying up on the Charlotte Mason method this past summer.  It was her message and Pocketful of Pinecones that taught me to think outside the box more than ever.

Even with one high schooler and record keeping, we are working our way through our lesson plans this year.  One day at a time, step-by-step... and not always as school typically "looks".

 

Like the week before we left, our travels were "kicked off" with a gift of flying over the mountains that bordered the valley we lived in for 14 years.  Brenden and Ashley both got a turn to learn some Piloting 101 and feel, at the controls, what it was like to battle wind sheers, fly in circles and even land a plane!

As most public and homeschool students began their school year, we prepared for our journey by a week long retreat where the children were daily in P.E. learning how to canoe and even spent time in Engineering problem solving the building of a TeePee shaped fort for some of their toys to "play" in!

We read and played and talked... all in ways that just happened to boost information and skim the top of learning moments at every step.

And as we hit the road, these moments increased.  Journals were brought out, diagrams were made, letters were written and discussion increased.

Such as discussion on government, which Ashley studied in depth last year and the others will study soon.  State capitals, senates and houses... Art was added to history discussion after viewing many of the murals and bronze statues in our state's capital.

 

And while I could post pictures of geysers and hot springs, I thought I would share a picture of us exploring the unexpected from our geology adventures in Yellowstone: BLACK rock evidence of a volcanic lake.  We were all captivated in exploring this and other rock forms evidence of present and past activity in this region.  (Don't tell the national parks... we started a collection!)  Oh... and I thought I would share a short video of the kids' favorite:  boiling/bubbling mud!

And after crossing the continental divide 4 times in 24 hours... the children were not only seeing the beauty of continental movement, but they were also learning that continental divides can be mountains too!  And we all found that miles of road construction and delays can happen at 10,000 feet just as easily as it can at 3000 feet or below!!

 History as we followed (and even had lunch on) the Oregon Trail...

 ... walked the ruts like many before us did as wagons headed west (even if we were heading east!)  P.E. again hiking around the memorial park to see all the great evidence left behind from more than 150 years ago!

 

... history at the gateway arch... a bit of meteorology thrown in as tropical storm Issac whipped through!

 History and Geology in the unexpected... simply stopping to use the bathroom at a rest stop in Missouri we found ourselves in a fascinating walk-through display of one of the worst earthquakes in American history.

 Science and history meet at the welcome to Alabama center on I65 where an original rocket from NASA's space program can be seen for miles.

History comes to life as we walk the footsteps of the Civil Rights movement in downtown Birmingham, AL.  Imagining Martin Luther King's speeches on the courthouse steps and the men and women in-mass marching for what was right and true.

Not all of the history we found was on the schedule for this year... but should that matter?  These are still opportunities... and we took them in their various forms.

We journaled our experiences, drew pictures, and read deeper into facts.  We did our Bible Studies, ran through math flash cards when we weren't somewhere to pull out our books, wrote letters, filled out maps and continued reading and discussions.

 Bookwork has happened.  Not always daily... and not always weekly on this trip.  But it has happened on tarps at campgrounds, picnic tables, bedroom floors, library corners, and dining room tables.  Bookwork has happened in the car and restaurants and on porches.  And they are progressing... they are learning.

 They are applying.  Reading Swiss Family Robinson has inspired them to think outside the box for the materials we need.  Like brooms, made from tree branches!

 They are helping and learning how to care for a garden, different then the one they are use to mom growing.  But past experience helped with current needs.

 They are sharing their hearts as they volunteer.  Realizing need did not only exist in our valley back in Montana... but that it is everywhere and their abilities are more then sufficient for the work that needs to be done.

 Experiencing theater in forms new to us all... like the youth group trip to Judgement House at a local church.

 More engineering, raking the outline of a house and all its amenities... life size!

 Applying our observation skills to compare, contrast and then make artwork with local leaves; some from trees we don't have where we are from.

 Applying coordination efforts to learn how to drive a riding lawn mower, Brenden's first experience!

 Shop class with dad as repairs continue on our future home/RV.  (to learn more about this project, visit us on facebook and "like" group412org)

And etiquette was put into practice... yes, even for Brenden... as we all enjoyed a tea party with grandma!

How do we do it?  I don't know... God guides our steps.  We Bible study every day, pray every day, and lean into the Lord to know our bookwork vs. explorations will all balance out for a complete and productive school year.  My wager?  This will be their most memorable year yet!

Don't be afraid to school outside of the box.  It isn't always about the book work or the time spent at the table.  It isn't that you have to log a 'textbook' version of an 8 hour school day followed by 3 hours of grading.  Sometimes, it is simply about just learning... where ever we are.  It is about raising children who will ask questions, always desire to explore the world around them, and see the details in all that they experience.

“A state of mind that sees God in everything is evidence of growth in grace and a thankful heart.” - Charles G. Finney

 Even in our schoolwork!

I pray you are embracing the joy of homeschooling this year... taking time, thinking outside the box, and growing in grace all along the way!

Blessings,

Linking up today with:

iHomeschoolNetwork, and Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers