Expressions from our Youngest

Expressions from our Youngest
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Saturday, September 7, 2013

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - September 6, 2013




It's time for the Weekly Wrap Up for my homeschool week.

In my life this week...My son's new sling shot came in the mail.  I showed him how to use it by shooting a grape across the kitchen.  He found some crab apples from a tree in the middle of our court.  Boy, does it shoot far.  We went for a long walk with the dog and he brought his sling shot with crab apples in his pocket.  We've had beautiful weather this week in Maryland.

Now that the private school my daughters attend have a bus service, I get home thirty minutes earlier than last year when I had to drive them all the way into Virginia.  It is nice not having to drive the beltway.  When the weather is cold or rainy though, I know they will want to wait in the car until the bus comes.  Therefore, we may only save fifteen minutes or so.  

On Labor day, my husband took the kids to the pool before it closed for the summer.  The kids played so well together that day.  The girls got all their homework done for the return to school on Tuesday.  It was a very relaxing day for all of us.

In our homeschool week...

Religion:  Devotion, Bible and Prayers everyday.

Math:  Word problems, patterns, addition, equal groups, fractions, time, money, line segments, regrouping, subtraction, hundreds, liquid measures, shapes, dates, hundreds, speed drills, greater than and less than, expanded numbers, place value, fact families, length

Latin:  Started Lesson 2 - Learned six Latin words, some consonants, diphthongs, and watched instructional CD, and I bought some index cards for studying the vocabulary words.

NOL Journaling:  Wrote draft on My Cool Sling Shot.  Drew and colored picture and neatly wrote the final.


Spelling:  homophones and test

Reader:  Finished work on the book Keep the Lights Burning Abbie and wrote the draft paragraph on My Happiest Moment.  Also read Never Ask a Bear by Louise Bonnet-Rampersaud and related following the Ten Commandments to the story because it was about following rules.

History:  Did notebooking about the Celts and Anglo-Saxons of Britain.  We also learned about Beowulf.  Did map work, test, and oral questions.  Learned about St. Augustine of Canterberry and great monasteries.




Helpful homeschool tips...I use my journal idea every week.  Here is a link on my website for some of the most recent stories we drew and wrote about:  http://www.nucleusoflife.com/apps/blog/show/32669614-nol-sample-stories-group-4

Places and People...My friend and I went to a meeting to empower women.  It is almost like a prayer meeting but the women are so nice and it felt good to get out and have some time for ourselves.  I love meeting new women.

My favorite thing...was spending time with my friend and letting our sons play together.  Also attending our first home Maryland football game together.






Things I'm working on...I'm still working on getting a learning center for homeschooling in our basement.

I'm cooking... I made chicken in the crock pot one night.

I'm grateful for...being able to homeschool.

I'm praying for...The country of Syria

I rewarded my kids by...buying the sling shot for my son.

Something I have my eye on...A day to put up my white board (still).

A photo...Here is Bella sleeping on the couch while we homeschool.



Monday, September 2, 2013

Labor Day: The Value of Work


We are so blessed as a family to be able to work at homeschooling our children, finding productive jobs for our teens, and take advantage of some very beneficial volunteer endeavors.  We've always taught our children to help out whenever they can.  Being able to homeschool has helped us display and dialogue about a hard work ethic.  Whenever we observed someone with a lazy attitude, we knew that this was not the way Christ has taught us to serve others.  You can see it in people all around you when your out and about.  One can easily tell if a person enjoys their job or not.

In Maryland, I've noticed that the employees who work at Chic-Fil-A in our area are much more pleasant, confident, and timely than other drive through windows we've visited.  Have you noticed anything similar in your area of the woods?  It is a stark contrast between the two.  It is very interesting.

We also have a local gas station with an anniversary date of their start up this month in our town.  They still come out and put the gas in your car for you.  There is no self serve.  It is just a small no-frills gas station and they are so friendly and quick.  I want to bring them a birthday cake this month because I'm so grateful for their old fashioned service.

Some of the volunteer work and teen jobs my children were able to participate in are listed below.  Maybe you can get some ideas for your own kids.  Let's honor the jobs we've held in the past and value the work we are able to participate in on this labor day.  Here is my list:

1)  My daughters assisted me teaching a dance class for pre-schoolers at a local dance studio.

2)  My husband worked with my sons in boy scouts and worked hard every year with them to sell Christmas trees and wreaths.  Two of them received their Eagles and for their Eagle project were able to build a Stations of the Cross with a nice brick path up at our Church.  It was hard work.

3)  When the kids were young, I was a Pastoral Visitor at my Church.  We were able to bring weekly communion to the frail and elderly.  We would pray over them and get to know them.

4)  My daughter was able to help at our local American Legion serving food to customers on bingo night.  Veterans are wonderfully hard workers and so friendly.

5)  My husband was a swimmer growing up and our three oldest children were all able to be life guards for their first job at our local swimming pool.

6)  My daughter has been a coach-in-training with the swim team teaching little ones how to swim.

7)  My daughter was able to volunteer one day a week at a local hospital.  She wants to go into nursing.

8)  My two daughters help my husband usher at Mass every week.

These jobs were a great benefit to our family.  As you can see, some of the jobs are a family affair.  In other words, mom or dad worked with the kids.  The older the kids became...the more independent they were in the jobs they held.  Let's honor the work we've been able to participate in on this labor day.  The value of work is very important.


10 Things that Make this Summer Memorable



I'm hooking up with Monday Listicles and listing 10 things that made my summer memorable:

1)  Being on the beach in Ocean City, Maryland with the family in the cool of the evening observing the beautiful sky and ocean, watching the kids play volleyball and skin board.

2)  My seven year old's first time on swim team and his first lap across the entire pool

3)  Swim Team's Ice Cream Social

4)  Swim Team's Potluck Breakfast

5)  The Swim Team Bonfire and Dive-in Movie

6)  4th of July at Baker Park and dancing in the parking lot

7)  Driving my daughter to and from her life guarding, coach-in-training, and volunteer jobs

8)  My son's breakup with his girlfriend

9)  Tailgating at University of Maryland football games

10)  Watching Duck Dynasty with the family and having dinner on the back deck on nice evenings