Projects
I’ve got a bit of spring fever. Our weather was so beautiful today that it made me want to work on house projects outside. My personality is such that I hate when things are left unfinished or when they need to be addressed. (My husband will vouch for that). Because of being in my house all day I’m constantly seeing house projects that need attention. My home is my work place, so there’s no escaping.
The bee in my bonnet today was our garage. It was so dirty and messy as a result of a very long winter that we’ve had, so after studies today I went to work cleaning and organizing the garage. I ended around midnight after mopping the floor. Today, we only covered math, reading, and journaling along with a French lesson via Skype. My oldest son finished War of the Worlds on his IPad, and my second son is going through the series Third Grade Detectives. They spent a great deal of time outside because of the nice weather. Unfortunately, we found a dead adult bird on our deck, so we’re hoping he/she has a replacement for the nest of eggs:(
Off to bed soon…the tooth fairy is coming. Of course, my son will tell you that I’m the tooth fairy. I asked him what he thought she might bring, and he said “a hundred dollars”. I don’t ever remember that tooth fairy visiting me when I was growing up!
Planning the future on I-95
Road trips are always amusing to me because I use the hours of the car ride to discuss crazy ideas in my head with my husband. He becomes a captive audience:) Of course, our car is full of audio books, library books, and school books. I think half of the trunk is just books. I would feel strange if we didn’t travel with our school materials. I was up until 2 this morning packing up the school room to go with us. This was after I’d spent over an hour at the library yesterday selecting literature for each child to read while we are vacationing. The local librarians know my face and are used to the volume of books that I check out on visits. I left yesterday from the library with 3 grocery bags full. Sometimes, I get the stares from the public like I’m a little over-the-top with that. They’re probably right.
So back to the road trip…Today, we’ve been discussing everything from retirement places to business ideas. My husband laughs quite a bit at me during these talks. I’m the dreamer, and he’s the practical one so we balance each other out. Now that we are entering a new phase in our lives, I’d love to see our family start a business where our children could have a big part in the running of the company. This is one example of the continuous racing thoughts in my mind. I pick up magazines like Forbes or PC World and off my brain goes. I don’t know if any of my “big ideas” will ever do anything other than be a passing thought, but maybe with enough hard work and dedication, one of them will come into existence. Road trip ramblings…
Finding motivation
Monday morning approaches. We’ve lost an hour of sleep from Daylight Savings Time (not a fan). Add that to my already sleep-deprived day, and I’m not ready to gear up for academics tomorrow. Yes, I could totally blow off studies, and we could sit around and do nothing. You actually could do that as a homeschooler, but that’s not really my nature. I work by a schedule. I know what needs to be taught and covered, so I must stay focused and persistent. I’ve been reading more on the Chinese culture and their parenting style, so I’m feeling as if I’m in a bit of competition with them and anyone else who’s intense on academics and succeeding. I don’t want to go out in left field with this, but at the same time, my kids could be trying to get the same jobs or trying to get into the same college as they will try to do one day. Note that I don’t transfer these feelings onto my kids. They’re really just something that I’m constantly thinking about to myself, and it drives me to study, research, and refine what we’re doing at home. Here’s my global thought on the whole bit of all…I want my kids to pursue their interests and where their gifts are. They don’t have to go down the Ivy League road if it’s not the right fit for them. However, if they would like to even be competitive for consideration, they have to be prepared for such. That’s why I desire to train them early with a solid educational foundation. It’s easy to prepare them for anything if started at an early age. Not so easy when you start late, and then it’s usually too late.
Lazy weekend
Icy cold water but kids don’t seem to mind.
So nice to have break from the routine..
Arrival
No alarm or agenda! We could use the break.
I’m tired, and it all just needs to stop for tonight..
There are not many true breaks for yourself when you homeschool. Even when you’re on a break, you’re not really on a break because you’ve got to plan what’s coming next in their education and in their lives.
We spent the day at Excelsior, our local homeschool cooperative. Dance followed classes. Then, we made a mad rush to buy groceries. You should see me buying groceries with all four kids. I just throw things in the cart like I”m shooting a basketball.
Next week is Excelsior’s annual “Friends and Family night” where the students present a variety of things they’ve learned throughout the school year. This week I”ll be planning for that. I’ve also got to work on science projects with my 2 oldest kids over the weekend. They’re presenting in a science fair in April. The Boy Scouts Pinewood Derby is Friday so I have to help the boys make their cars (Oh my gosh!). We’re testing this week in our home studies so lots of work to be done this week in academics. The weekend is full of activities. Thank goodness spring break is coming up, but I’ll have to pack for the entire family before we can travel during the break. And, even when we’re on spring break, I’ll be teaching because if I don’t, then we’ll be behind on where we need to be to break for the summer.
And, I need a summer break! Maybe I can get some of those house projects accomplished that stare at me everyday. Maybe I’ll sleep. Maybe I’ll just look at my children or go on a date with my husband. Or, maybe I”ll be prepping for the upcoming school year-Did I mention you don’t really get a break:)
Ivy League Homeschooling 