This and That: Our First Week Back to School

My thoughts are more jumbled than usual this week.... starting school has been a welcome return to routine for us, but with that start comes lots of planning, projects, and later nights than usual.   All in all, I'm very happy with how the first week of school has gone.  It's certainly a lot more smooth than last year (which was the first time I was homeschooling two!).  

We have been using a modified version of the Workbox system, which is going VERY WELL!  I can't wait to share it with you, but I want to give it another week so I have a little more to write about. I'll give you just a couple pictures to peak your interest!   (Special thanks to Jolanthe at Homeschool Creations for the Workbox printables!)   I must say that it is giving our days more structure and my children know better what is expected of them.   On the flip side, I may be giving them too much structure because my husband pointed out to me last night that he really liked how we were going towards "unschooling" last year and how much the children seemed to be learning.   He has noticed this year that everything is more scheduled and wondered how that's working for us.     I never EVER imagined my husband and I would be having a conversation about ourselves and  unschooling - life is funny sometimes.


My plan is to take my weekly wrap-up each Friday that I write here and print it to put in my homeschool binder.  I've been so good about keeping up with that this week and writing down everyone's accomplishments.   I think having a weekly wrap-up printed each week would be a nice addition.


Our accomplishments this week include:

Working on math, writing, and spelling each day.  History was studied three days this week.  Next week I will add science and Latin (hopefully).  I'm still wondering how our schedule will play out ~ I love homeschooling because I can adjust as needed!  

Serious piano practice each day for Miss B - I'm so thankful she loves her music, and she can retreat to our music room and play piano and recorder each day.  

A reading time to therapy dogs for GMan.  This sweet little dog is Ginny, and my son loves to read to her.  He reads for 20 minutes to a dog as a part of a program called Reading PAWS.  

LOTS of hands on activities:  plenty of Lego building while mom was reading aloud, and a fun soap carving activity.  We learned all about the Parthenon this week and how the statues in it were carved from marble - we carved our own statues out of Ivory Soap.  

Lots of time was spent outside each morning (very early because it's so hot here right now).  One of GMan's workbox cards is "Baseball" for "30 minutes" -- he sets his timer and goes outside to throw with his pitchback.  He is so funny - he talks to imaginary batters, gives pitching signals, spits on the ball, etc...    This kid is obsessed with baseball!

We're culminating our week today with a Fun Friday activity  - Sharpie Tie Dye Bandanas.  I'd like to have a fun art activity or craft each Friday.  Of course we include more throughout the week, but something on Friday that will be just FUN for FUN'S SAKE is what I'm looking for.    This afternoon we're also having a Fudge Tasting Contest with a good friend of mine.  She claims her fudge is the best, and I claim mine is the best.  We are going to blindfold some kids and put our masterpieces to the test.  I think it should be FUN! 

That's our first week in a nutshell!  Have you officially started back to school yet? How's it going?  If you haven't, when do you start?

I'm linking up with Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers this week!  

Multiple Read-Alouds

We've been reading LOTS aloud this week.    Last week we had started (and finished) Shiloh, and this week dad is reading Shiloh Season to the children each evening.  They are such good books - everyone loves them!  Be warned that there is a little bit of rough language, and one of the main characters drinks heavily and totes a gun.    It's all a part of the setting in the West Virginia countryside.




A few weeks ago, I won a tote full of books from The Booksource!  When it came in the mail I was so excited.  This week we have finally broken into the bag.   From the cover I could tell that Iron Hans was going to captivate my children, and I was right!    A retold Grimm's fairytale, it stresses the point of humility and using what you have been given for good.   The children were so interested in the book that after we read it I asked them to draw a picture from the story... I loved what they did and we had fun talking about the book while they were drawing.   This is also a great thing for me to save and put in their portfolios so we can remember our books more vividly.  

Our big read-aloud which corresponds with The Story of The World (we are currently approaching the time of Jesus) is The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth Spear.  Two years ago we read The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and The Sign of the Beaver (thank you Sonlight!) and loved each of them, so I'm sure another book by Spear will not disappoint.  We are just a few chapters in, but you can tell it's going to be a book we'll always remember. 

Finally, I wanted to tell you about a book you MUST READ to your pre-teen and teenage daughters:  Beautiful Girlhood by Karen Andreola.  I haven't seen another book or resource that deals with the changes taking place in our girls at this age.  When you first start the book it may seem old fashioned, but this is where the beauty lies -- it takes me back to a time when the family was more important.   I'm reading this aloud to my daughter a little at a time and I'm surprised how much she enjoys listening... it's definitely something we will reread as the years go by.  The Christian approach to the transition between girlhood and womanhood is so refreshing!    Here's a little excerpt:

The most precious earthly treasure a girl can have is good character.  Her character is what she really is.  If she will look beyond what she appears to be, and what people think of her, and look at her heart fairly and honestly, judging herself by the standards of right and wrong to which her own conscience gives approval, then she can know whether she has a good character...  

Character is not given to us:  we build it ourselves.  Others may furnish the material, may set before us the right standards and ideals, may give us reproof and corerctions, may guide our actions and mold our thoughts.  But we build our own character.  

  (pp. 29-30)

I used to believe that children had trouble keeping multiple stories straight - so I would just read one large book at a time.  Now, we always have three or four books going, and lots of picture books on hand.    We are addicted to books, which is why I love linking up with Amy each Thursday for Read Aloud Thursday!   Click the box below to go to Amy's blog... today she's sharing a poetry book with you called "Around the World in 80 Legs"!