We got a new camcorder for Youtubing and other things people use camcorders for- so we've been doing loads of filming this week. Its so much fun to see how creative the kids can be when they are working on new ideas for videos.
We finished our English book early this year. Not doing English is just too strange an idea for me that we started doing some review worksheets. They are really too easy though. They are supposed to review fourth grade concepts, so I guess it is a good indicator that we did do enough this year if the sheets are too easy. L-bug did a video on English one day this week. After I edit it, we'll get it up on YouTube if you want to check it out. It will be under the Icy Breeze Show.
We had Lego club at the library this week. L-bug and Ro-bear built bridges and Boo played with the big blocks. The librarians had two tables spread apart 6" to test the bridges and rolls of pennies to put on for weight. Ro-bear's bridge was too skinny to hold more than one roll of pennies. L-bug's held all the pennies they had plus some marbles they had on hand.
I got sick towards the end of this week, so we spent most of our free time watching tv and being laid back. Boo and Ro-bear discovered Yokai Watch. It is a pretty cute show, with really annoying theme songs. Its a little young for L-bug though, so they take turns watching shows. Her current favorite is Girl Meets World. Which, if you liked Boy Meets World, you'll like this new one. We'd started on Animaniacs, but some reason the kids all lost interest about five episodes into the series. What are your favorite shows to watch when you're sick?
We still have three weeks left in school, but we already feel like we're wrapping up. As I look back on this year my favorite thing we did was listen to audio books together. Every morning we would take our handicraft project to the living room and sit on the couch and listen while a lovely Librivox reader would read to us. We read The Secret Garden, A Little Princess and Kidnapped this way. I completed a cross stitch for a friend's Christmas present while we listened and now when I think of cross stitching I think of the cozy feeling I had while listening to The Secret Garden and most of A Little Princess. Then we moved on to a new book that wasn't available in audio and now I miss those mornings.
Another thing I missed this year was taking nature walks. We rarely went out on walks. We got so busy being busy. We had school work and extra activities and L-bug has a friend she plays with every afternoon after school and we just ran out of time. We did spend plenty of time outside with the chickens, but its not the same as taking a nature walk, or any walk for that matter. Looking at what you miss in your school life doesn't have to be depressing though. Don't beat yourself up over what you could or should or would like to have done. Simply start where you are and adjust. We have three weeks left. In a 36 week year it might not seem like much, but it is, it is almost a month. We can find time to snuggle together to read, or do handicrafts with the tv. We can spend time outside talking walks, having tea parties all the "extras" that make homeschooling worth it. It is not too late to adjust and make your year what your family wants and needs.
We've talked over some ideas for next year when Ro-bear will be joining us as a Kindergartener. We want to start having tea parties maybe once a month to read poetry together and make cookies. We want to hang our artist study on the wall so we can enjoy the paintings every day. L-bug will start writing for the blog just a little something for her writing assignments. We will try a four day a week schedule where we spend Friday's doing crafts, YouTube recording, free interest projects, walks and things that don't make it on the school schedule. L-bug's favorite part of school is science experiments, so I know to add hands on activities to school.
Do I believe we'll succeed immediately? No, but if we try to implement these things something new will emerge and I think we'll have a more restful school experience. What are your goals for schooling?
Here's to the final three, may they be everything we hope them to be and more.
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