What's New?

The weather has been more cooperative so the boys can now race around the yard like super heroes after lunch. This makes all the difference for homeschooling the high schoolers.  A quiet house with fewer distractions are both benefits of the nicer weather. It also makes it easier to get those grades averaged and recorded to mark the end of the nine weeks. As we end the first quarter (albeit 2 weeks later than everyone else) I can see more clearly what is working and what is not. It is always helpful to analyze and readjust periodically to keep us on track.

The Works For Us category includes:

Science Co-ops - My 11th grader is attending a weekly Chemistry co-op with an amazing teacher. Not only is she learning the basics of high school chemistry, but also note-taking and study skills that will prepare her for college.  The junior high teens are just around the corner during the same block of time studying physical science.While they are attending Friday afternoon classes, I have time to work individually with the younger children.  And as icing on the cake: A dear friend has volunteered to take my younger kids to an elementary school science co-op on Tuesdays! I owe her BIG TIME! Finally, I have time to work with the teens without the usual distractions of bored and incessantly hungry siblings. There are no words to express my appreciation for the women who host these weekly sessions for the local home schoolers. The kids are loving the time with their friends and they are really learning more when all is said and done.

History Co-op-This is our turn to pay it back. The American History group meets here on Wednesday afternoons.  It is a small group but we are looking for extra participants for the upcoming Civil War Re-enactment.  I cannot wait till we begin preparation.  The boys are ready to scout the Good Will Store for Navy blue and Gray.  I will be online with my Maryland friends to get all of the details from their successful encampment.

Ballet Class- Three daughters are taking ballet this year and of course, they are scheduled on different days. Luckily for me, the library is across the street and the adoration chapel just a block away.  On Mondays while the younger girls are in class, my 16 year old babysits so I can have an hour before the Blessed Sacrament.  What a gift!  Then when the 16 year old has ballet on Tuesdays, I bring everyone else to the library.  My family LOVES the library.  This gives me an hour or more to grade papers without interruption. There is also the added benefit of a perfectly quiet house for the rest of the evening (since everyone has his nose in a book). Since dance classes are held in the late afternoon, we still make it home in time for dinner as a family. Another gift!

Piano lessons- My next door neighbor is a music instructor for the local schools, and offers piano lessons in her home after work. On top of the convenient location, she charges about half of the going rate. What a score! Unfortunately she only had room in her schedule for 2 new students.

Hockey-  The boys are not into ballet, but they certainly love to practice stick handling and deeking their opponents on the hockey rink. Dear husband takes the rest of the family to the inline rink, which is 40 miles away, while I connect with women at our parish for a Bible study. This is our crazy night out with no time for a real dinner together. But so far it has been great fun and worth the extra drive for the boys. I love my time with the women to discuss our roles as mothers, wives, and daughters of the King. Very refreshing for everyone. Then on Saturday mornings the boys have scheduled games and I get to go to the gym for a guilt free workout.

Kolbe Writing/Literature/Theology/History with Enhanced Evaluation- Now that's a mouthful. We are using the 9th grade writing program to develop basic rhetorical skills, and 12th grade Lit/Hist/Theology since they are better integrated with our American History Unit.  This is only the second time I have used a boxed curriculum in all my years of home education. By opting for the Enhanced Evaluation Service, my daughter has the opportunity to get another perspective on her writing.  She is learning very quickly that mom isn't the only one who will challenge her beyond her comfort zone. So far I am very pleased with the course selections, paper topics, and instruction she is receiving. Today she participated in an online symposium to discuss if man can truly be good without God. I was impressed by the student's comments. Socratic discussion rocks!

Crock pot meals- This morning our entire dinner meal was prepped in the crock pot in less than ten minutes. I switched it on and went to mass.  After mass, I simply lowered the cooking temperature and forgot about it for the rest of the day. Smells wonderful now.  A crock pot is, in my not so humble opinion,  indispensable for a homeschooling family. We have many favorite recipes on file for busy days.

What Isn't Working?

Ballet Lessons 4 days a week- had to drop the extra 2 days. The girls would benefit from 2 classes each per week, but the schedule was really crunched. Besides, we do not need more than 2 hours a week at the library. So I nixed it.

Hockey 3 days a week- We also had to drop the second day of hockey practice. Once a week practice with games on Saturday are enough for us. Maybe in the summer we can add the extra practice at the rink. For now the boys will have to practice skating and moving the puck around the drive way after school. I am a mean mom with too many pesky rules.  The boys actually do not mind. They love the freedom to play "unorganized sports" too.

Morning Piano lessons-  Since our neighbor did not have room for extra students, two of my younger children began lessons with a very talented homeschooler on Friday mornings. She is wonderful with her students and they are learning very quickly. But- and this is a VERY BIG BUT- once we leave the house for an activity it is almost impossible to get everyone back on task. Fridays are especially difficult since we have to finish schoolwork early enough to get everyone to Science co-op by 1:00.  I dread cancelling these lessons, but sometime you just gotta do it. I am a VERY MEAN MOM.  There has to be another way but we haven't figured it out, yet.

Boxed Curriculum- Let's face it. I am a do it yourselfer. It is very difficult for me to follow someone else's lesson plans. I like to coordinate all grade levels to cover the same basic time period and literature unit simultaneously. But for various reasons I did choose to use Kolbe for my high school junior. Overall I am pleased with the materials, especially since Kolbe follows the classical approach emphasizing primary sources. However, there were so many frustrating mix ups with our lesson plans and textbook order that dear daughter was unable to begin school on time. The staff was very apologetic and did work diligently to rectify the mix up, but it was a time consuming and expensive experience.  Dear daughter is now 2-3 weeks behind the syllabus and I am wondering why I spent so much money for this "service" that was supposed to make my life easier. Hopefully the kinks have been worked out and classes will run smoothly from now on.

Rain- I must complain to those in charge about weeks of continuous rain. How am I to keep order in the homeschool when my bouncy tiggerish boys are wrestling around the living room and using the sofa as a trampoline? Mean Mom was on call for too many days weeks in a row.  I am however, grateful for the reprieve of the past couple of days.  I would like to put in a request that it only rain on days when we can schedule time at the gym or hockey rink. Otherwise, please let the skies rumble at night. We do not mind being lulled to sleep by a gentle storm, as long as the sun shines in the morning. After all, I do have a reputation for being solar powered.

Their Inheritance

Rain, Rain, Rain! What's An Active Family To Do?

What do you do when it rains, and rains and rains with no end in sight? I planned the weekly menu, then cooked something yummy to make the house smell delish and cozy.

Dad used his time to review those pesky math lessons with one not so enthusiastic student.

                                           

After a few days of rain we begin trying to put a new spin on old craft ideas to make the time inside more bearable. We tried three different recipes before finding the perfect Koolaid scented dough.  Cornstarch and salt worked much better than flour concoctions.

Combine 2 cups table salt with 1 cup cornstarch in a saucepan.Add 1 cup water.

Stir constantly while cooking over low heat until the mixture is stiff.Add 1 package of powdered drink mix (the colors will be more vibrant and it will smell good enough to eat).Allow to cool a bit and then knead.

                      

  

 But tutti-fruiti clay didn't excite the older kids, so they cheered us up with a little music. Queena perform a puppet show for Uncle Nick and the dog. The 12:45 show was "Noah's Ark."  How appropriate.

Perhaps a Bionicle movie is more your speed.  How many still life pictures does it take to make a 5 minute movie. Apparently more than the battery life in our camera.

   

After days and days of rain we just had to give it up. Are you ready for some football? The school uniform color for today: Muddy Brown. Maybe I should just Oxyclean everyone on the patio before allowing re-entry.

 Boy oh boy- Whatcha gonna do?

Refreshing - Affirming - Made My Day!

Sometimes I need to be reminded of the goodness in this world. Today especially. This was a gift.

Simple Victories

• Victory #1: I recently discovered that a foil wrapped potatoes and a frozen roast can be seasoned before breakfast and placed in the oven to be auto roasted at 4:30 pm using the delay start timer. Results:  DH comes home to an amazing meal instead of a wife who says, "Is it really 5:30? I'd better start dinner."  
• Victory #2: If  you use the oven stop time function, you won't forget the bread.  There is a running joke around here that the smoke alarm is our dinner bell. I always put in a loaf of Italian bread or rolls to reheat, just before someone REALLLLY needs my attention. And then it goes off, reminding me that there is only a 2 minute difference between the aroma of baked bread and the stench of charcoaled rolls. 
• Victory #3: Spent $135 at the grocery store this morning, but since I took extra time to plan the meals, write a grocery list, and cut a few coupons, my savings were more than $95. Three of the items were free. Score!  I am set to feed a family of 10 for a week.

Fiddleheads and Fronds

A cool and breezy morning was a welcomed relief from the hot and humid stickiness of the past few weeks.



After morning mass we snuggled up with our science book for a lesson on ferns, mosses, and algae. I didn't have to ask twice if anyone was up for a nature walk in search of specimens for the classroom. We left the older kids to have some quiet time to goof off study, and took the bikes down to the swampier area of the neighborhood (Yes, we really do live near the swamp). As we rounded the bend the kids were excited to see all of the algae in the water.  But closer observation revealed that it was not algae at all.  This water plant was the focus of the morning.

 The boys examined it carefully with the magnifying glass, before flinging it onto each other. We did manage to bring home a small sample to view under the microscope.  Didn't have any luck finding tadpoles, though dear daughter tried her best. But we did find fiddleheads and fronds for the nature books.  All in all it was a very pleasant morning if you overlook me yelling like a maniac as the boys recklessly raced down the middle of the road on the way home.

Everyone is looking forward to more beautiful days so we can work in the yard and refresh the garden. For my  friends on the East Coast I must clarify:  Cooler days and fall-like weather around here really means low 80's with no humidity. I do miss the beautiful fall colors and real change of season- more than a little. But I am still getting tomatoes and peppers from the garden, so I won't complain too much.

TMN!

24 teens over for dinner and a movie:

Poor Unsocialized Home schoolers!

Favorite Short Film

We have always been fans of Eduardo Verastegui and of the Doorpost Film Project. The Butterfly Circus is an opportunity to see both in action together. This clip also features Nick Vujicic and the theme is Hope. Enjoy!

First Field Trip Of The Year

Wanted to take my grandson to the zoo, but the weatherman said otherwise. 70% chance of thunderstorms all day! We were all discouraged. All except my 11 year who old said we should have a little faith. She led a decade of the rosary in petition for sunshine and a second decade in thanksgiving. What do you know.....

And did I mention that it rained heavily on our way home? We just grinned at the clouds and winked at each other.

Thanks, Dear Daughter!

For You, David and Mom

After that Hawaii incident, I thought you might enjoy this.

American Government 101

Today's American History / Government lesson -----compliments of Tim Hawkins:

HT: Patti Sano - miss you, girl!

That's The Life For Me

I love listening to the children hurry each other through breakfast so they can make an hour fast before mass. I love hearing their brother rush everyone into the car so we can arrive early enough for him to altar serve. I love being in on the plans of teen age girls planning fundraisers along the way so they can attend the March for Life in January. I love watching the all of the kids run around the courtyard with their friends and pick flowers for their mothers after mass. I love having the flexibility to go to daily mass with my kids, planning trips to DC during a school week, and sharing these memories with my family on a day to day basis. The joys of homeschooling certainly outweigh the negatives. Now, can someone please remind me how much I love this lifestyle next March, when I am drowning in paperwork and burnout begins to set in?

First Day of School

Day one and we are doing well. This may be the only day of the year that I will not be behind in grading papers. Yeah!!! The ranks are dwindling, with another daughter off to college. I think we will be saying goodbye to a someone every other year from here on out.... until the youngest rules the roost (He may never leave.) I do not know what I will do all day once the nest is empty.

At least 3 of the kids are enthusiastic about beginning the new term My strategy is to wait until September to begin, when all of the neighborhood children have already been going to school for 2 weeks. The boredom is overwhelming and they start asking me when we can start. And when we do actually break out the books and new school supplies, everyone pretends not to be too excited (except, of course, the drama queen who shrieks with excitement). But I can tell. It is time.

Clathrus columnatus

Kaboom! After a 7 week drought, this rain seems never ending. And with it comes the invasion of the mushrooms. Not just your run of the mill toadstools, but orange helix shaped vestibules that pack a deathly stench. And they are hatching out of eggs like a late night sci fi movie. Any ideas how to exterminate this species without destroying tender vegetation?

My sister says this mushroom is a sign of good organic gardening and will actually help break down the debris in the soil. But if the smell is too awful, salt is likely to kill the mushroom and actually help the tomatoes. What do you think?

Attention Dear Husband.....

The girls would like one of these for Christmas, pretty, pretty please:

HT Patrick Madrid via Creative Minority Report