Archive for the ‘Homeschool’ Category
Carnival of Homeschooling: Remember Summer Edition
Welcome to the Carnival of Homeschooling!
I am honored to share these wonderful submissions from various homeschool bloggers.
There are a number of great articles, so please bookmark this page and scroll through at your convenience. I trust that you will find encouragement and ideas for the upcoming year.
As a way to organize the posts by subject, I chose a theme. And since I’ve collected so many pictures the past few months, I decided to share glimpses of a summer we want to remember.
I hope your summer has been as joyful and educational as ours!
Mark Twain Museum, Virginia City, NV
Thinking about books and history:
- Books in the Home posted at Why Homeschool.
- a book list…decisions, decisions! posted at Bugs, Knights, and Turkeys in the Yard.
- Egyptian Day posted at A Pilgrim’s Heart.
- Enigmas on the Prairie posted at Sage Parnassus.
The Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA
Imagining places and spaces:
- The SchoolRoom Conundrum posted at Nerd Family.
- Guess The Common Room Family School-Room posted at The Common Room.
- Dreaming about School posted at The Legacy of Home.
- Astronomical Field Trip! posted at Question the Culture.
- To College or Not to College? posted at The Expanding Life.
Chihuly Installation at The Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA
Encouraging imagination and ability:
- Opportunity Indulges Passion posted at Home Spun Juggling.
- Extra-curricular or simply curricular? posted at Two Kid Schoolhouse.
- Where Do I Start?–Homeschooling a Kindergartener posted at God Made, Home Grow.
- Five Must-Have School Supplies for Homeschooling Parents posted at Barbara Frank Online.
- Back To (Home) School: My Students; Teaching Multiple Grades & Learning Styles posted at A Classic Housewife in a Modern World.
The Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA
Confronting concerns and critics:
- The Cretins are posting again posted at Alasandra’s Homeschool Blog Awards.
- Planning and Pondering – What is Success? posted at Chronic Learning.
- Why I Homeschool posted at The Rebellious Pastor’s Wife.
- Atlanta Suspects 109 Teachers of Test Cheating posted at PARENT AT THE HELM.
Waiting to board Air Force One at The Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA
Embracing family and friends:
- Susannah Wesley’s 16 Rules posted at C h r y s a l i s ღ.
- How to Pray for a Home Educator posted at Mind Being Renewed.
- Sprucing Up at The HomeSpun Life.
- To My New Blogging Students and Their Parents posted at Blogging 2 Learn.
Camp Tawakani, South Hills, ID
Planning for lessons and learning:
- What’s in a Name? posted at Princess Momma.
- whoohoo, we are finished! posted at No Fighting, No Biting!.
- Homeschool Scheduling and Planning posted at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.
- Homeschool Plan and Curriculum List for My Kids 2010 to 2011 posted at The Thinking Mother.
That concludes The Carnival of Homeschooling: Remember Summer Edition. Thanks for stopping by. Now go celebrate the last bits of summer!
Please submit your blog article to the next edition of using the carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on the blog carnival index page.
Perfect Timing
My idea of perfect time includes tasty coffee, complete silence, and no interruptions. I crave time alone to plan, to create, to write, to read.
After almost thirteen years of parenting, I wonder if I need to change my definition of perfect time.
It’s imagination that says I accomplish great things after everyone else is asleep. The opposite is often true. My brain is bleary from the work of the day, so I stare at the wall or click link after link on the never-ending internet. Then next morning an empty coffee cup follows me because I experienced perfect time.
Instead of pining for hours of quiet and wasting the rare moments of solitude, can I be diligent in the minutes I have throughout the day?
It is hard to focus in the multitasking of motherhood and homeschool, but what if I fill in the lesson plans while my son works on his math? What if I type out a few sentences when inspiration strikes?
What if I stop grumbling about not having time alone and focus more on why I’m not alone?
I get to homeschool three amazing children. It is messy and delightful, frustrating and rewarding. There are so many things wrapped up in this choice, but I don’t want it any other way (usually).
The Importance of Short Lessons
We got so much school done when my son was in kindergarten. He was an only child. We worked on school for hours a day. Learning phonograms, writing numbers, and reading lots of books. Yes, I was such a good teacher then.
Until I really think about it…
My son cried writing his letters. Math confused and both of us were frustrated. Learning was so painful. I pushed the tears right out.
Sometimes the frustration reappears, but I learned something from that early struggle.
I stop teaching while my little girls are still interested.
The Importance of Making Memories Happen
My five-year-old girl, Sweet Pea, skips across the grass while her brother sails past on his bike with one flat tire. Around and around the park heads bob and smiles erupt. I glance around every once in awhile to see where they have scampered.
They enjoy the freedom to practice their childhood games. I enjoy the adult conversation.
Tears flow when we have to leave. As an afternoon of playing with her cousin at the lake etches into her heart, Sweet Pea shouts,
I’ll never forget this!
I never want to forget her response to the simple delight.
Since I like to stay home, it’s easy for me to forget how important it is to get out and explore. How important it is to create moments my children will remember. How important it is to simply be with my kids and enjoy them instead of pushing and pushing.
Yes, we need to do lessons. But what kind of mother-teacher am I? Tired, worn out, and grumpy?
Homeschooling is not just for my children. It is for me, too. It is an opportunity for me to discover the depths of my motivation. It is an opportunity to learn from the precious ones in my care.
The pressure is real. There is a weight of responsibility, but can I put the worry aside? Can I enjoy the moments so I never forget?
Pounding out words helps me remember, but capturing a memory is not the same as creating it.
An important part of my responsibility is to make memories happen for them, for us, for future generations.
What are your children remembering?
(Photos are from a Father’s Day hike in the Snake River Canyon. I neglected to take my camera to the lake.)
The Homeschool Swap- The Real Gift
My opportunity was on the way!
The opportunity for me to step outside of my introverted ways. The opportunity to open my newly finished and almost empty home. The opportunity to have company while my husband was so far away.
Some would say it was foolish to let a practical stranger come stay at my house, but that’s the thing. Heather didn’t feel like a stranger. Even though we met only briefly at a homeschool convention, I knew her in a way I don’t know my own neighbors. I knew her through blogging.
photo by: Sprittibee
When I sent my first post into the cloud of search engines, I never imagined friendships would form. Friendships created not on externals, but on ideas shaped with words.
Even though writing doesn’t peel away our flesh, souls are revealed over time. And time is on Heather’s side. She has been blogging at Sprittibee for FIVE years.
photo credit: Sprittibee
I was so blessed to have Heather’s beautiful family in my home. They arrived late and had to leave early, but our time together was refreshing. Our children became instant friends.
I got to hold the baby while the boys chatted about Star Wars Lego faster than my brain could process the words. The girls enjoyed drawing pictures together.
The gifts Heather sent me for The Homeschool Swap are still making me smile. Many of the presents brighten my new kitchen: a cute towel, a stainless steel bowl (the perfect size for blogging munchies), a timer (which I really needed), and a cool magnetic spice container.
The artsy, handmade cards for each of my children were carted off immediately. Sweet Pea claimed the fairy wand, and Bug built the Lego set in mere seconds. Sunshine decided the CD was for her. She was not disappointed. Heather filled it up with pictures of the visit.
These last photos of our time in Texas brought tears to my eyes. She captured not only my children, but little glimpses of my house with new eyes.
photo credit: Sprittibee
The package was only a representation of the real gift: her friendship.
Thank you so much, Heather!
