Week 3..no go.
Well, this has been a sickly month for the Davis household. Somehow we got a stomach virus on top of what we had already been fighting. C, myself, lil 'c and J all have gotten it. We had to cancel plans w/ friends and school for the week. Lil'c is still sick which is beginning to wear on me. Well this whole thing is wearing on me. Today will be spent dusting & bleaching & bleaching again. I am glad to say R & E have not shown any signs of being sick - which is great and I hope to keep it that way. I felt really bad about not doing school last week, but what can you do when everyone feels like crud!?!
Looking forward to a much more productive 4th week! :)
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Week 2 Down!
Yea! Two weeks into this year and I am feeling good about it..still sick which makes me CRAZY!!! Coughing and coughing- but I did go to the doctor, lungs sound good, possibly whooping cough? Treating it as a secondary sinus infection while he checks on my labs to see if I had a Pertussis shot. Anyhow, it stinks to STILL be sick.
Co-op is great! The kids love it. It is a perfect addition for us. I really enjoy teaching the first graders, they are so neat. I had them do a show and tell and just listening to each of them tell about themselves was so much fun. I really enjoy working w/ kids and I get to have R in my class which makes it even better.
I also am so glad to be around other HS moms. Our co-op is very large, we are like a mini school and the moms are amazing!
Over all, the school week went well..did a lot of reading.
The one day that sticks out the most for me is when we were ALL able to sit down for dinner. J works so hard and so much - it has been forever since we have done that. That night he was able to come straight home from work and be with us. He took E outside to play football and the girls played w/ friends. Lil'c and I stayed in and fixed dinner, then we all sat down together. (we used to do that everyday in MN-I wonder if that is why I look back on that as such a great time) Anyhow, over dinner we talked about what we learned and dad got into it w/ us. Sometimes home schooling can feel like a big heavy load that I carry alone and no one really knows what we are doing or takes part - but people are always quick to express concerns....I don't mean that in a "mean" way or towards any one person in particular- it is just a pressure I feel. Anyways, that night was great - dad did math problems w/ us and the kids told him all about what they learned.
I am so blessed to have a husband who is not only a brilliant businessman w/ an amazing ability to make money from his businesses; but who also has such a great work ethic. He works very hard and provides well for his family -I am so grateful for that. BUT, I do miss him and so do the kids. So, I can't WAIT for things to calm down some & he feels the same. :)- PLUS I want him to be able to come home and kick his feet up and relax a little himself.
All in all it was a good week and I love my family!
Co-op is great! The kids love it. It is a perfect addition for us. I really enjoy teaching the first graders, they are so neat. I had them do a show and tell and just listening to each of them tell about themselves was so much fun. I really enjoy working w/ kids and I get to have R in my class which makes it even better.
I also am so glad to be around other HS moms. Our co-op is very large, we are like a mini school and the moms are amazing!
Over all, the school week went well..did a lot of reading.
The one day that sticks out the most for me is when we were ALL able to sit down for dinner. J works so hard and so much - it has been forever since we have done that. That night he was able to come straight home from work and be with us. He took E outside to play football and the girls played w/ friends. Lil'c and I stayed in and fixed dinner, then we all sat down together. (we used to do that everyday in MN-I wonder if that is why I look back on that as such a great time) Anyhow, over dinner we talked about what we learned and dad got into it w/ us. Sometimes home schooling can feel like a big heavy load that I carry alone and no one really knows what we are doing or takes part - but people are always quick to express concerns....I don't mean that in a "mean" way or towards any one person in particular- it is just a pressure I feel. Anyways, that night was great - dad did math problems w/ us and the kids told him all about what they learned.
I am so blessed to have a husband who is not only a brilliant businessman w/ an amazing ability to make money from his businesses; but who also has such a great work ethic. He works very hard and provides well for his family -I am so grateful for that. BUT, I do miss him and so do the kids. So, I can't WAIT for things to calm down some & he feels the same. :)- PLUS I want him to be able to come home and kick his feet up and relax a little himself.
All in all it was a good week and I love my family!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Week 2
I think that one of my favorite things about home schooling is all the literature we get to read together. Sonlight does an amazing job at putting together the right assortment of books for us. It is so awesome to be able to sit and read with all the kids and they love it. No complaining, it's all excitement when we sit down and spend the last hour reading together.
Every day we read, Reese makes me read a poem to her called "The Birthday Bus", it is her absolute favorite. It is a fun little poem about a girl turning 6!
Last night we did poetry reading and we listened to a tape of a man and women reading the poems. They are so good and it's awesome how much the kids like it. I remember as a teenager reading classical poetry for my dad. That was something we enjoyed doing together. I can still see myself at the table, it's a dimly lit room, my dad is doing something (grading papers?.?)classical music is playing in the background & I am reading to him.
I know my kids will remember these times and hopefully look back on them as fondly as I do.
Every day we read, Reese makes me read a poem to her called "The Birthday Bus", it is her absolute favorite. It is a fun little poem about a girl turning 6!
Last night we did poetry reading and we listened to a tape of a man and women reading the poems. They are so good and it's awesome how much the kids like it. I remember as a teenager reading classical poetry for my dad. That was something we enjoyed doing together. I can still see myself at the table, it's a dimly lit room, my dad is doing something (grading papers?.?)classical music is playing in the background & I am reading to him.
I know my kids will remember these times and hopefully look back on them as fondly as I do.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Week 1 down!
Okay so this "first" week of school wasn't as great as I hoped - but we did it. :)
I was sick and so were 3 of the kids. Kids are funny..I really didn't realize that E was sick until it took him over 30min to take a math test. This kid is a math genius & he sat there struggling thru his test! I was like seriously - you must be sick. He still made an A as did Chase so I guess that is good. Trying to teach in the midst of coughing fits was extremely annoying & my throat hurt so bad I struggled through our reading. What can you do, it is what it is. We learned this week and that is all that counts. Week 1 down!
So, Are you smarter than a 4th grader?
Question - Are lions and house cats part of the same Genus, Family or Species?
I was sick and so were 3 of the kids. Kids are funny..I really didn't realize that E was sick until it took him over 30min to take a math test. This kid is a math genius & he sat there struggling thru his test! I was like seriously - you must be sick. He still made an A as did Chase so I guess that is good. Trying to teach in the midst of coughing fits was extremely annoying & my throat hurt so bad I struggled through our reading. What can you do, it is what it is. We learned this week and that is all that counts. Week 1 down!
So, Are you smarter than a 4th grader?
Question - Are lions and house cats part of the same Genus, Family or Species?
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
First Day of School
Today was our first day of school.
We were living in MN when I first started home schooling and they start school after Labor Day up there. I think that is a perfect time to start school, so we have kept it that way ever since.
This is my fourth year of home schooling our kids. I have decided to Blog about it, to put some of you grandparents out there at ease - you know who you are :) j/k . Not that I am going to Blog everyday (maybe I will?) or Blog "everything" we do -BUT this way you can know 'what' we are doing.
So today we started, we pushed through even though all of us are sick except R and we got it done. It took from 8:30am until 3:15 to do so (longer than I like but I like to be thorough).
This year I am hoping will be so much better than the last. Lil'c is older and I have a better plan of action when it comes to her. (Let's hope it goes well.) We will be finishing up our curriculum from last year until we get the new. That may sound bad, but SonLight is 1 1/2 years worth of work and we have never ordered our new curriculm before Nov. and we won't this year either. I like to finish it all - I hate to have things undone. It really bothers me!!
In some ways I feel I have a lot of ground to cover to catch up, but then when I hang out w/ other kids the same age and hear what they are learning I feel as if we are okay. Home Schooling and a public education are so different it is hard to compare what we are doing to what they do. With a 1:1 ratio- you can cover things a lot faster than when you are trying to teach a class of 15 -20 kids. Anyhow, so I think we are okay. I get really paranoid if I don't cross & dot everything!
So here we are ...year 4. Two fourth graders and a BIG first grader this year.
This is what our day looked like:
Pledges (yes we pledge,Bible,Christian Flag,US Flag) -->It's important in my opinion.
Bible
Spelling (we do Sequential Spelling- which was new to me last year, but I loved it! We take a test everyday. This type of spelling uses the AVKO (Audio, Visual, Kinesthetic, Oral) approach to spelling rather than the traditional approach. It uses tests as a learning device and not a method of evaluation. The test uses the word family approach sequentially. They correct their own mistakes, when they make them.
Dictation/Phonics & Readers : R- Mary on Horseback
MCP Word Study, Wordly Wise, Explode the Code - Vocabulary Enrichment
Math
History: R is studying about living long ago and the twins are learning about Johnny Tremain & Ben Franklin and History of the American People.
Science- Biology: The Butterfly Life Cycle
We will also be studying: Spanish and Typing (when Jeff hooks up the computer in the school room for me) :) - he's been busy.
The kids also belong to a co-op where they will be doing Human Anatomy, Legos, PE, Creative Writing and other electives. The Twins do Piano, R and C also take a sewing class. All of them are in or will be in a sport (Soccer, Volleyball, Flag Football) So they are busy and very socialized :) !
It was a full day and Lil'c played and ate and napped. R was very disappointed she had to eat a hot lunch in the cafeteria (fideo in the kitchen) and Lil'c was so cute holding the American Flag for our pledge.
So, that's it! I will post pics later this week for you, so you can see the kids classroom and lockers etc. Thank-you Papa Chewy and grandma Chewy for the new desk it is great to now have room for all my stuff.
We were living in MN when I first started home schooling and they start school after Labor Day up there. I think that is a perfect time to start school, so we have kept it that way ever since.
This is my fourth year of home schooling our kids. I have decided to Blog about it, to put some of you grandparents out there at ease - you know who you are :) j/k . Not that I am going to Blog everyday (maybe I will?) or Blog "everything" we do -BUT this way you can know 'what' we are doing.
So today we started, we pushed through even though all of us are sick except R and we got it done. It took from 8:30am until 3:15 to do so (longer than I like but I like to be thorough).
This year I am hoping will be so much better than the last. Lil'c is older and I have a better plan of action when it comes to her. (Let's hope it goes well.) We will be finishing up our curriculum from last year until we get the new. That may sound bad, but SonLight is 1 1/2 years worth of work and we have never ordered our new curriculm before Nov. and we won't this year either. I like to finish it all - I hate to have things undone. It really bothers me!!
In some ways I feel I have a lot of ground to cover to catch up, but then when I hang out w/ other kids the same age and hear what they are learning I feel as if we are okay. Home Schooling and a public education are so different it is hard to compare what we are doing to what they do. With a 1:1 ratio- you can cover things a lot faster than when you are trying to teach a class of 15 -20 kids. Anyhow, so I think we are okay. I get really paranoid if I don't cross & dot everything!
So here we are ...year 4. Two fourth graders and a BIG first grader this year.
This is what our day looked like:
Pledges (yes we pledge,Bible,Christian Flag,US Flag) -->It's important in my opinion.
Bible
Spelling (we do Sequential Spelling- which was new to me last year, but I loved it! We take a test everyday. This type of spelling uses the AVKO (Audio, Visual, Kinesthetic, Oral) approach to spelling rather than the traditional approach. It uses tests as a learning device and not a method of evaluation. The test uses the word family approach sequentially. They correct their own mistakes, when they make them.
Dictation/Phonics & Readers : R- Mary on Horseback
MCP Word Study, Wordly Wise, Explode the Code - Vocabulary Enrichment
Math
History: R is studying about living long ago and the twins are learning about Johnny Tremain & Ben Franklin and History of the American People.
Science- Biology: The Butterfly Life Cycle
We will also be studying: Spanish and Typing (when Jeff hooks up the computer in the school room for me) :) - he's been busy.
The kids also belong to a co-op where they will be doing Human Anatomy, Legos, PE, Creative Writing and other electives. The Twins do Piano, R and C also take a sewing class. All of them are in or will be in a sport (Soccer, Volleyball, Flag Football) So they are busy and very socialized :) !
It was a full day and Lil'c played and ate and napped. R was very disappointed she had to eat a hot lunch in the cafeteria (fideo in the kitchen) and Lil'c was so cute holding the American Flag for our pledge.
So, that's it! I will post pics later this week for you, so you can see the kids classroom and lockers etc. Thank-you Papa Chewy and grandma Chewy for the new desk it is great to now have room for all my stuff.
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