Home School Mother's Journal/Weekly Wrap UP

     In Our Life This Week: things have been pretty good. I have been doing lots of praying & reading, thinking & planning for next year's curriculum. Most of the time I feel anxious when it comes to our home schooling, like any other home school mom, wondering if we are doing enough, are we covering the things that we need to be covering, etc. But, when I take the time to pull to the side, pray, really focus on what we've done & what we need to plan to do, I ALWAYS feel refreshed. God always speaks to my spirit and lets me know that it will all fall in place & in the end my children will be educated. My soul always feels refreshed also & feels the leading of the spirit. The leading of the spirit always puts a calmness in me, one that makes our home schooling flow smoothly.

     In Our Home Schooling This Week: Math was another great week, accomplishing four lessons in our Saxon 8/7.

     Science: Exploring Creation With Physical Science, we have made it to the end of Module 7, only our Study Guide & test left to go.

     History: has only been a review week. We've basicly just been walking through history in our conversation reviewing for the S. A. T. Test we will be taking next week. I always like to make sure that things are a bit fresh in their mind before we go to take our test. Monday will be a day of review in all of our subjects before we strike out on Tuesday for the big test. We use the test results to see if we are progressing. I know that the results to these test aren't always accurate if they have things on the test that we haven't covered, but it does show me what they do know.

     Literature: We began Johnny Tremain. After the second day of reading my children were begging for more. I did not give in this time. I made them wait until the next day. This has kept their enthusiasm up for the next day of Literature.

     Art: We combined our Art work with our Literature this week. They have been painting a picture after each day's reading about some part of the story. Here are a few pics of their Art Work:

Matthew sketching a scene from Johnny Tremain

Sarah's painting of Johnny carrying Isannah to the wharf to get fresh air

Display of Sarah's paintings from the book Johnny Tremain

Matthew's paintings from Johnny Tremain

Sarah & Matthew busy painting their own scenes of their read-a-loud of Johnny Tremain

     English: Did not get to it this week, but this was our plans. We are going to write paragraph summaries to go along side of our Art pictures to make our on Johnny Tremain book in the end. We have plans to catch up with our pictures next week.

     Places We Are Going: made a trip to the library this week. The children schooled there while daddy & I pulled books from shelves and made plans for our next year. We have a ways to go, but much was accomplished. I also took me a few hours at the library to sit and read. The ME time was great! Daddy took the children to the doctor while I was enjoying my ME time, thanks daddy, you're the best!
My diligent scholars:

         

     Home Schooling Tip For the Week: "Set your house in order." I have found that as my children are getting older their schooling intensify's. By keeping up with our household chores, the house is decent, & we have more time to devote to our school work. When the house is maintained on a day to day basis it keeps an appearance of being presentable when company arrives, and also allows for plenty of time to do schooling. If we let the house go it may take us all day one day to clean it, leaving no time for school that day (probably leaving a grouchy mom behind, upset because of no schooling being accomplished). Twenty to thirty minutes a day gives 2 to 2 1/2 hours of cleaning each week. If you use team work, as we do, multiply your minutes time the amount of people on the team & look at the results of how much house work can be done. Plenty of time to keep the house in order.

     What I'm Reading: Lots & lots of things from books I'm wanting to use next year to books about home schooling.

     What I'm Praying About: Lots of needs for others & a closer walk with the Lord. I need His closeness to guide me along this journey. And not just along this journey, but until I make heaven my home. I want to be one of the chosen few.

     I think this about wraps us up for the week. Check out the other home school blogger's weeks at the HMJ & the Weekly Wrap UP.

HAPPY HOME SCHOOLING!