learning period 3: 2019 - 2020

I am trying to capture each learning period as they happen, which, for our homeschooling arrangement, is a 2-month length of time, August through May. Learning period 3 covered December 2019 and January 2020. The idea of a learning period comes from the charter school that both my kids were in from 2013 onward and just Brown Mouse is part of now. Checking in every two months is doable for me and keeps me on track with both kids. Lala Bug is still homeschooling, but we are independently homeschooling now and she takes a couple classes at a private school, as a part-time student for hybrid-schooling.

Brown Mouse, grade 6:

Math: He is primarily using ALEKS and Key To workbooks for math. 6th grade is when I really backed off and made the year playful with math for his sister and I am keeping it short for him, currently, because I can feel a similar push-back and frustration.

Science: Science is one of his favorite subjects, so we do a lot of playing around with science. Recently, we have really enjoyed exploring science projects from the series of books from DK by Jack Challoner.

Language Arts/English: Brown Mouse is doing a loop of materials to work on different aspects of language arts in short bursts daily. He is using Typing Club, Handwriting Without Tears for Cursive, Editor in Chief, and speech-to-text to more fully get his thoughts in writing. He has also read and is now in a production of Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Social studies/history: We are learning American History. Right now, we are in the Civil War time period. Just to be confusing, we are also re-exploring the Middle Ages and Brown Mouse is beginning to work on a research project to go with his Shakespeare class.

Other: 4-H (all outdoors projects this year; hiking, urban farming, and wilderness skills, for which he is the junior leader), karate (new for him), soccer (skills class and pick-up games with his rec team)

Lala Bug, grade 9:

Math: Algebra 1 at the school. She is doing really well in this, despite years of math-hating, but the homework is time and energy consuming for her, I won't lie.

Science: Biology, with lab, at the school. This is my background, but is definitely not a favorite for her. She is currently having to practice note-taking because of this class and that is a challenging skill for her differently wired brain.

Language Arts/English: This year we are covering Shakespeare - comedy and tragedy and also essay reading (and eventually a little more writing).

Social studies/history: American history with the intention of being ready for American Government next school year. Right now, we are in the Civil War time period. We have also been dipping in and out of current events, because so much has been going on politically.

World language: This is generally on hold, although she has been "playing" with DuoLingo for Italian.

Other: 4-H (all outdoors projects now; hiking, urban farming, and wilderness skills, for which she is the teen leader. Unfortunately, she had to drop a life skills project because her academic school class times changed), ballet, coding, fashion/design, knitting. (Soccer is on break for the season.)


What has your kids schooling and education looked like lately?

Holiday Countdown 2018

Each year, we countdown during the holidays. I know I am a little late in posting this, but the reality for us is that we didn't feel all that Christmasy until it was all over. We had a little get-away after the new year and came home feeling a little more in the spirit, so I am finally posting on 12th night.

This is our December countdown for 2018. It took us through December, through January 1, 2019. I change it to adjust to my growing kids, who still love and ask for this tradition each year. This year, I noticed that perhaps we don't need the countdown after Christmas quite so much. I have always included this to ease some of the post-holiday let-down. Next year, the kids will let me know what they want and need. I love this tradition, too.

1. Sparkle Stories Advent stories begin!
2. Special holiday event with friends.
3. Light the Menorah. (The kids were given a new build-your-own Menoroah.)
4. Make latkes
5. Make a holiday decoration for Grannie (They decorated a wreath, which we hung on her front door.)
6. Happy St. Nicholas and Play dreidel (The kids were given a dreidel decorating kit.)
7. Pull out the holiday books!
8. Pull out Christmas decorations and start to decorate.
9. Get a Christmas tree!
10. Decorate the Christmas tree and watch Yogi’s first Christmas (a tradition)
11. Treasure Hunt!  (The kids found a mini tree to decorate for their room, their dolls and stuffed animals.)
12. Make a card or gift.
13. Pull out instruments or sing. Practice a Christmas song. (We had such a fun jam session!)
14. Take care of the birds.
15. See the hillside nativity scene.
16. Attend a holiday concert.
17. Choose a candy cane from the tree.
18. Treasure Hunt! (Each kid found a new article of clothing.)
19. Bunny day! Take extra care of our rabbit.
20. Neighborhood day! Pick up garbage, deliver toffee and cards.
21. Winter Solstice! Visit the library book store and choose a book for yourself and one as a gift.
22. Get out in nature! Super high tide today What unusual shore birds can you spot?
23. Bake cookies. Celebrate Christmas with family.
24. Take a rain walk and get a kettle corn treat.
25. Merry Christmas! Celebrate Christmas with family.
26. Make paper snowflakes.
27. Have a play date with friends at the park.
28. Write thank you notes
29. Take a hike.  See the ladybugs.
30. Go see Mary Poppins Returns with friends and perform and act of service for neighbor, family, or friend
31. Winter Spiral
32. (January 1): Make a ‘dream garden’ collage for 2019
    
    

     

    

    
    

    

    
    

    
    

52: 43

52 weeks of photos. A special moment during the week of October 22, 2017

Alaskan hunters and a Russian artisan in 1812, living history enrichment program.

52: 42

52 weeks of photos. A special moment during the week of October 15, 2017

beach camping

You might remember my post about camping with friends...two years ago! We never dreamed we'd be able to book this campground again, but lucky, lucky us. Take two (with two years' growth) was this week. Some of the photos look just about the same, although we were missing M, who had to work. Still sea glass hunting, but this time with more determination. Lala Bug had a competition with herself to beat the previous day's finds. There was also an interest in the geology of the location. The variety and history of the rocks and formations is incredible. There were fewer ships, fewer raccoons, more people, and a group of whales consistently entertaining us. And sunrise on an empty beach with a minus tide? Spectacular.

52: 19

52 weeks of photos. A special moment during the week of May 7, 2017

Chicken and garden care for a neighbor.

this is my job

Social studies in the living room

This is the season of holiday parties, and in some of my online homeschooling communities, the question has arisen "What do you say when people ask what you do?" Honestly, this question doesn't bother me. I tell people what I do. But...this question generally comes from people I don't know, so it is more entertaining than anything else to watch and hear the responses. I have no investment in their opinion.

This year was the first time I can remember having conversations that left me feeling a little uprooted. At the time, I was momentarily phased, but it wasn't until later (early the next morning while exercising and having a quiet moment alone with my thoughts) that the words and the meanings meshed into something in my mind a little more weighty.

Writing holiday cards to nursing home residents

First, I was asked "so...just how long have you been a stay at home mom?" (Almost nine years. Nine of them. That's a lot of flippin' years.) The next person asked "so you still don't work, do you?" Honestly, my response to this one was "Actually, I work A LOT."

Okay, so I am a sensitive soul, and these were lovely, well intended questions from friends of my parents. People who probably don't really care a bit about what I really do, don't actually hold judgement on me, and who are just trying to make conversation. But they probably do care about my parents, they probably do compare what their own children are doing with what their friends' kids are doing, and perhaps my own parents do, too. As a sensitive soul, the questions linger and add themselves to the questions I have of myself. As I roll into mid-life, what am I doing with my life? What next?

 Learning about bridges with Uncle S

Well let me tell you...A LOT. I am teaching, learning, facilitating opportunities, fostering curiosities, exploring all sorts of topics, crafting, creating, and connecting with my children. I am good at it. It is hard. I am making decisions all. day. long. It is nearly impossible to find quiet. There are limits to my knowledge (as is the case for every teacher) and I don't get paid (in money). But this is my job and although I get grumpy, tired, stressed (the stakes are high!), and overwhelmed sometimes, I am privileged to do it and it is no less important than having an advanced degree or a passion-driven job as some of my peers are paid to do.

I am blessed to be in an extended family who, while concerned and curious, are supportive and interested, invested, and wanting to help. I am not generally questioned or undermined. Occasional comments are made that leave me wondering if they are disappointed with the choices I/we have made, if there is embarrassment at having to answer that I am not working (for a paycheck), but judgments and negative comments are kept to themselves, support is offered and given often, and I know we have opened the door to a world of possibilities, not just to our children, but to our families, as well.

I don't know what next. I am trying to be present in what is in front of me right now, as it is so fleeting. I have inklings of ideas of the possibilities for me when I am no longer homeschooling and have faith the doors will open when the time is right.

Right now, I am a home educator. This is my job. What do you do?

Alaska

We just got home from a 10 day trip to Alaska. We visited and stayed with friends who live there, sometimes doing things on our own, sometimes helping them play hooky from school or work. Such beauty where they live. So much nature that spoke to my soul. The locals would say it helped that they had sun and record high temps while we were there, but I could have done without that and it might have even been more intensely lovely.

Such fun with friends. So many stories to tell and so many adventures within adventures. Here are some photos that only touch the edge of what we saw and did.

(And imagine stunning photos of Bald Eagles and Ravens right here. We saw a ton of them, but somehow, my camera was never with me or there was no time to take a photo when we saw them!)