Science Takes Patience

You may not be able to see it all here in the photo. This is one of C's science experiments today. We have boiling salt water...

A lid with a bag of ice on the top...

And a bowl to catch the dripping (NOT) condensation.

Let me tell you, some of these experiments have taken a long time and have resulted in patience!

Can you see all of the white spots on the stove and the pan? That's the salt! Still need to wipe it down!

Teaching While Sick

We all have been sick for about two weeks here. The flu.

We have had no school all last week. But will start back today, albeit late.

With this in mind, as I am still a bit stuffed and blowing my nose, I wanted to write about teaching while sick.

I remember the first year of homechooling, I got sick one day and had to teach from the couch. Poor son, was so good about bringing his books to me, etc. I remember thinking, yikes, I wish I could call in a sub! But quickly knew I was the mom, the teacher, the janitor, the coach and the sub. I was it! I also felt more pressure to do school every day. (Whereas, I know now that I can skip a day here and there and will make it up later.) Last year wasn't too bad.

This year, so far has had enough sick days. So since the kids are feeling better. I will pull up my rolling chair, have cough drops in my pocket and tissue within reach and teach!

What do you do when you are sick?

Just What I Needed

So, we are into our third year of HSing and I feel much more confident, but this morning I kept pushing away the thought of maybe I am not doing enough for the kids. (Pause for a sentence check...we have been going over compound and complex sentences. I think I need the kids to check the first sentence. ;) )

Anyway, I am fighting the thought that "maybe I am short changing the kids' education. Maybe I will send DD to public high school next year."

We are in the post office when the the teller asks why the kids aren't in school. "They are homeschooled." I reply. She was taken back, just a bit. She starts to go on about how smart they must be and encourages me to keep it up. She says that she couldn't HS them at their ages. She really made my day!

You never know when you will say just the right thing at the right time to someone, so be nice!

Our Wall

I was thinking of repainting our walls, but I think this one will have to wait. It seems to be getting covered up. This is our dining room wall. As you can see it is also our main homeschool wall too. On it we have multiplication facts in colored story form, chemical formulas in colors (which I think only DD can read, she wrote them on teenage graphics), a calendar, the alphabet in cursive (as the kids need to write almost all in cursive now and we need the occasional reminder of how a letter should look), the ever essential dry erase board, and two maps for geography.

Last year we also had the US presidents running along the top of the wall. What does you wall look like?

Lunch Break Thoughts 2

Today, the kids worked by themselves for the most part and they did good! (usually I have to sit by DS to help him with his work or just to keep him focused.) I SOOO needed that too! The timing was perfect! I have a LOT to do and am going on a lack of sleep.

Thursday we are going to go on a field trip to the mtns nearby for some historical reenactments! Fri starts our PE group!

Lunch Break Thoughts

When I started this blog I intended it to be more or less my online diary of our homeschooling experience. I wanted to show the good and the bad, our triumphs and struggles. I write this not to complain or brag, but to hopefully encourage someone as I sort out my feelings.

For the most part this has been a wonderful ride...today however is one of those that I don't wish to ride again at least not for a long time. Let me explain. DD can pretty much work on her own. DS needs more of my help even of it's just staying focused. So, I sit with him as he does his grammar and math and work through each problem. Today he had a test. He was on his own. I left the room to get some things done. I had to tell them a few times to stop talking. They only got quieter. After a reasonable time I came back in to find that he only finished 6 problems on his test!! This and a few other things got to me. I was not the most patient mom today. These are the days that I have to stay focused on the big picture.

First "Half" Day

We are having our first 1/2 day. We started out school just fine. Then DD says she's not feeling well. Stomach.

Physical Science 101

DD is in 8th/9th grade Apologia Physical Science. We have done three experiment so far this week. Here's number three on Concentration.

She filled each glass with 1 c, 1/2c, 1/4c of vinegar added a Rolaid to each cup. We watched them dissolve.

Dumped those out, then added varying amounts of vinegar and water to equal 2 cups. Rolaids dissolved faster in the water that had more vinegar.

Grammar, What Grammar?

Day three and we are starting to find the kinks.

I have forgotten to do grammar two days in a row!
I have to do refresher sheets for DS in math. The info's there, just needs to be dug up.
DD and science are not clicking.
History seems to be working...well, for DS. DD said that she needs to let her brain warm up first. (We are doing history last!) As to when will it warm up, after DS answers the questions. Hmmm... He is the one taking notes.
Our days are longer and I don't know how to fit it all in. We are going to keep at this pace until we know if we can do some subjects every other day.
Geography will be M-W-F. We are ahead of schedule on that.
Spelling wisdom M & W.
Fri I want to do the "main" subjects then add the "extras" in.
We are also doing Expository Writing. Joy! The kids don't think writing is fun. But as a keeper of three blogs, I rather enjoy writing! I'd like to write everyday. We'll see.

I hope your school day is going smooth!

Day One Down

I am excited to tell you that today went great! Dh went grocery shopping for me! We all got up on time! It all ran smoothly.

Our days are going to be longer, like two hours longer. But it went much smoother. We did one experiment (Atoms & Molecules).

Start of School Panic!

School starts Monday! Here's what we have going on:

DS has a cold. The rest of us are getting over it.

DH is taking that day off. (He is working the grave yard this weekend.)

It is a grocery shopping day.

I am feeling like I am not ready.

We have found this great site. Audio books.

Confession...

I have to confess...I just read a friends blog. She is just going to start her first year of homeschooling with 4 kiddos. She is super organized, always has been. People like her always make me feel like I need to get my act together. Then I realize I am not like her. She has chore charts on her frig. (Chore charts never worked for us. I still have to double check the kids stuff.) Her magnets and clips are colored for each kid. Her schedule is already up. I again have to confess that after reading her blog (though I know she is like this for everything) I felt a bit inferior. Though my closet is color coordinated, that's about the end of my super organization skills. I know she is reading this, yelling at me from across the states. But I need to go now and reorganize my school supplies for next school year!

Great Find and Less Than a Month

Less then one month left of our summer vacation! The kids are NOT ready for school to resume at all. They are totally enjoying the summer.

I, on the other hand, though I have been doing the deep cleaning that doesn't happen during school, etc., am getting ready for school. I think it's having a routine that I like. Don't get me wrong, we do have a routine. I just like the school routine better, most days.

I also have to tell you (because as fellow homeschoolers I KNOW you'll appreciate it and not look at me funny) I found a nice, US map. I looked online, looked in our local stores, etc., nothing that wassuitable. Do you know where I found it...it makes it all the better? The Dollar Store (where everything's a dollar!!!)! It's perfect size too.

Now if I can just get my hubby to agree to switch two rooms so we can have an actual room for school, I think I'd be one happy camper.

Anybody There?

Does anyone still read my sadly neglected blog?

If you do, then this may be the last post for the summer. School gets out for us the Friday! I couldn't be happier! I need some time off. I have next school years curriculum all lined up.

Here's what we do the last 2 weeks of school. (We don't seem to completely finish our books.) Once the kids get to a good stopping point like a test. If stopping in 1-2 weeks would mean stopping in the middle of a chapter/unit then we just stop. They use that time to "catch up" on some other subject. So DS is finishing a book for Lang Arts. DD her Math. We finished our History early and were filling it in with study the 1900's with a timeline and reading about the Oregon Trail.

I am going through their books and getting together a "list" of the subjects we've covered this year. Being our second year of HSing, I think I am just getting somethings. And since our DD will be in high school in two years, I know I need to start keeping better records. Anyone used a transcript maker?

Well, I do need to get going. I took a nap, from which I woke up more tired than when I laid down! Please be back in August to read more of our Homeschool adventures! And thanks for following us this year!