Monday, April 28, 2014

Mama said there be days like this...

Ever had one of those days when you feel you got it all under control : the laundry, housework, homeschool, work?  Yeah, me either.
Just when I  start to think "I've got this", that nagging voice creeps into my head and it says "no you don't!.  You haven't (insert whatever I haven't done here).

Today was a state holiday so I didn't have to work.  I've been home playing catch up with the laundry all day.  I've lost count of how many loads I've managed to fold and put away.  The size of the mountain has finally been reduced to a molehill.  

A few months ago, I started reading about Charlotte Mason and her philosophy on educating the kids.  I hadn't implemented anything yet, because I've been preoccupied with "finishing" the year.  I'm not sure why I'm doing this to myself, when we have decided to do year round homeschooling.  Maybe because I'm trying to drive myself crazy.

Anyway, back to CM and her philosophies.  I've also been looking for a writing curriculum/program to get my oldest to write.  I looked into Brave Writer and have started reading The Writer's Jungle .  Today we started incorporating some of the things in the first chapters.  I really like this book, because it nurtures the kids' natural desire to tell their stories.
So we did copywork today.  Basically the kids get to copy paragraphs from real books, not textbooks.  One is copying form 2,000 leagues under the sea; the other is copying from Robinson Crusoe; and the oldest is doing copywork from my one of my favorite books To Kill a Mockingbird.  
It's a small step in the journey but it's a step.  I was glad there was no complaining about doing this work!  I'm going to assign reading from the same books; so they can start picking out the paragraph they want to copy.

We had plenty of whining when it was time for math.  Why can't they do math without complaining?  Must their torture their engineer mother like this?  We got thru that with a few more gray hairs (mine) and tears (theirs).

Then I sent them outside to observe nature and writer about it in their nature journal.  I was pleasantly surprised to see how much they wanted to write.  I think we will definitely do this as often as the weather permits.

In history we are learning about India and the beginning of Hinduism.  I have to admit, this really brings me back to my childhood.  My father had books about Hinduism around the house and I recall reading about it as a kid.  We discussed their main gods; watched a video and then talked about Ganesha (god of success, destroyer of obstacles) which I have tattooed on my leg; and also about Indra (king of the gods) because my youngest sister bears its name.  

Still need to finish the workboxes; still need to put together the boys' science lesson plans for next year; get the Spanish curriculum, etc, etc, etc.   
Thankful for a day at home to spend with the kids though; talking to them about some of the things I learned as kid.