Friday, January 11, 2013

Lisa's Logbook - January 11


In our home education this week, we started in on an ambitiously planned January schedule. 

What's working for us: Making the kids earn their screen time by doing physical activity.

Places we went and people we saw: DOCTORS - I visited the doctor's office three times this week. Once with my husband (check-up), once with 3 of my kids (well child and immunizations - yes, we do those), and once ALL BY MYSELF (the ever-so-enjoyable annual PAP smear and physical). Three different doctors, all in the same building, on three consecutive days. Bob also had a cardiologist appointment that he went to without me.

We're reading:
  • Uncle Tom's Cabin (my 12th and 10th graders, for their American Lit class)
  • Les Miserables (me and my 10th grader, for our book club)
  • My Side of the Mountain (my 7th grader)
  • Pilgrim's Progress, simplified (my 5th grader)
  • Walking with Bilbo devotional (me)
I'm grateful for: my 5th grader rising to the challenge of a difficult reading book. She is doing well! My hope was that she would find that she is more capable than she (or I) thought she was. And it's true!

My favorite thing this week: challenging my children to find opportunities to pray throughout each day using ideas like THESE from Barbara Bartocci.  Here's one that I hope we all learn: The count-to-60, stop-a-fight prayer. Ever burst out in anger and regretted your words later? Next time, count to 60 this way: one-for God, two-for-God…

Favorite Resource this Week: The Body Book: Easy-to-Make Hands-on Models That Teach 

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share: I am not sure how helpful this is and it is rather humbling to think along these lines, but when I was a brand new homeschool mom (and formerly employed teacher) with a kindergartener, a preschooler, and a baby, I knew more about "the right way" to homeschool than I know now as the mom of a senior, a sophomore, a seventh grader, and a fifth grader. Crazy, eh?

A link to share…  A sad cautionary tale on the Love, Light, Laughter & Chocolate blog. 

Coming up next week: A visit to the circus with my two youngest children; my oldest has an orthodontist visit

2 comments:

Wee Pip said...

I love the idea of earning screen time by physical activity! And way to go 5th grader on tackling a challenging reading project:) It does seem I grow less confident and less sure of myself as homeschool mom, the older my kids get. Would love to hear your homeschooling insights with a grad'ing homeschooler.

Jamie said...

I think making them "earn" screen time is great! What a heartbreaking blog...just went and kissed my four-year-old, who was all suspicious about it...