Blog

Weekly Wrap Up #2 - Mom is Getting Better

It was a good week in our homeschool.  It has been a GOOD week for me personally, as well.  Do you remember when I asked for your prayers and shared my story about my two year struggle with a herniated disc?    Well, I've been seeing a wonderful physical therapist!  God directed me to a kind, knowledgable woman who has homeschooled five of her own children.    I have been going to therapy two times each week and being diligent about exercising at home.    I'm beginning to feel there is LIGHT at the end of this tunnel.    


I truly believe that sharing my pain allowed so many of you to pray for me, and God is working in my life.    I cannot tell you what an amazing feeling this is!   Once physical therapy is finished I will continue with Pilates classes at the same rehab center.   A key to feeling better has also been not spending time at the computer.  I am limiting my time sitting at my desk to just the time I spend writing - all other reading of blogs, etc... is done on my iPad, where I can put my feet up and be comfortable!   I think God is using this struggle to get some out of whack priorities back in place.   


In our homeschool this week we went full steam ahead with almost all of our subjects.  We added science.    Apologia's Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day seems like it's going to be a winner.  Miss B enjoyed the very first experiment in the book about air pressure and is liking keeping a science notebook.  


The weather has been just miserable here in Georgia - hot, hot and more hot!   We've had to seek out indoor places to play - my little guy HAS to get his energy out, or we are all doomed!   Here he is playing basketball:




We also went to the YMCA to swim laps.   I swam for an hour - and it felt wonderful!   After I was finished I got the kids to come  in the lane with me and I coached them through some laps, too.  Great excercise!





Miss B is continuing her knitting projects.   She's working on  some American Girl scarves for her friends.   I love this yarn! 



Our cooking project this week was making tapioca pudding.  In a chapter of The Story of The World we had learned about the root of the Cassava plant and how when it is ground up it makes the tapioca "beads"/seeds .... one day for snack we made tapioca pudding.  It was a wonderful exercise in following directions!

Most importantly, I'm steadily learning to let go of my rigid schedule ideas and just have fun learning with my kids.  Oh yes, we covered all of the necessary math, grammar, spelling (oh how I love Spelling Workout by the way), reading, and fine arts things, but what stuck out to me about our week was the fun we had together.   


Fun Friday this week will be spent at the Lego store north of Atlanta.  My son is obsessed with Legos and I told him if he got to 1,000 on his number scroll we would pay a visit to the store (we've never been) and get something to make as a family.    That little stinker got up early a few mornings this week so he could write his numbers to 1,000 for me.   He claims he will get to 5,000 next week!   It's funny what motivates some kids - numbers do it for my son! 


How was your week?    I'm happily joining the weekly wrap up at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers!  

Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Photobucket

Read-Aloud Thursday: Biographies

We've read two very good biographies this week that I'd like to share with you.    The first, Alexander the Great: Ruler of the Ancient World, was a book I ordered simply by searching for books on this topic on Amazon.    It got very good reviews, and I knew we wanted to go a little more in depth with Alexander than Volume 1 of Story of The World goes.... this book was just perfect!    I'd recommend it if you're studying Alexander the Great.   


I got a wonderful idea last year from Heather at Blog, She Wrote.  She suggests leaving books you'd like the children to read just setting around your home in prominent places.   I left this one sitting on our kitchen island (hey, they have to go there for meals and snacks, so eventually they'd see the book) and my daughter picked it up and started reading.  At that point I invited the children to the sofa and we read it together - perfect!!   


The second book was given to us by a retired woman in our church.  She loves my children and brought me a bag of things for me to use with them.  She had bought this book at a museum in Atlanta when a Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit was in town.   I have to tell you - I've fallen in love with O'Keeffe's works and would like to learn even more myself.  My Name is Georgia is a beautiful, simple story told through the artist's eyes.   This point of view really intrigued my children.    We read the book out loud on the way home from church and by the time we were in the door we had to Google some of her works.    I need to see if our museum in Atlanta has some of her works because I would love to see them.  




I hadn't planned an artist study for this week, but this one was thrown in my lap, so we ran with it.  I found this great activity which we will do this week on fun Friday.  


General read-alouds this week include dad finishing Shiloh Season (kids are loving this!), mom reading The Adventures of Pinocchio with GMan, and we are still reading The Bronze Bow - oh, that is a marvelous book!    Our book on CD is nearly finished - Peter Pan - we are thoroughly enjoying that as well.   


What are you reading aloud this week?    Visit Amy, at Hope is The Word to link your post!  

Photobucket