Hodge Podge of Homeshool: Week 2

Children have to be educated, but they have also to be left to educate themselves. ~Abbé Dimnet, Art of Thinking, 1928

I wanted to share a little of how I'm scheduling our day. Often that is the hardest part of this business of homeschool! That and all those papers to organize and file! Good thing I used to file for a living...it helps to know a way to do it that doesn't make mom fall over from frustration. KISS Keep it simple silly...(we don't use the other word around here!)

So here's a taste:

5-6 A.M: Mommy wakes up (yes it's early!!) and does any or all of the following; Workout, Pray, Make Coffee, Eat, Shower and Dress.
6-7 A.M.: Kids wake up (Hopefully closer to 7!!!) and eat breakfast, start morning chores (dress/brush teeth/wash face/brush hair/make bed)
7-8 A.M: Finish getting ready/Free time to play
8:10 A.M.: Leave for Daily Mass
8:30-9:15 A.M.: At Church
9:30-9:50 A.M.: Home and small snack
10 A.M.: START SCHOOL---Opening prayer/bible or saint story and school song (candle lighting always gets their attention)

Daily Practice Work and Core Work FIRST; Sight Words, Days of the Week, Allergy Safety/Safety work, Math, Reading, Writing or Religion (I know it's late, but it works for us and I like taking them to mass...they learn so much there, plus we have music so they get memory work, music, and religion in one nice hour of time).
My son can go "hunting" for objects that start with sounds or pick from a few options for him to play during school time, that way he has something to do while I work with my kindergartener!



Noon: LUNCH BREAK
1 P.M.: Finish any unfinished Core Work, Pick other subjects for the week (Social studies topics or other current subject or do Kindergarten worksheets/Special Project Work/Art).

2 P.M.: CHORES...Laundry/Clean-Up/Make any still unmade beds
2:30 P.M-3:30 P.M.: T.V. Time (if chores are done) and snack
3:30 (on non-Ballet days):

Story time or Religion (Substitute go to library on one Wednesday a month)

4 P.M: Exercise or Nature Walk (as time allows) Otherwise FREE PLAY/Pretend Play/drawing

5 P.M.: Mom starts dinner. Kids help set table, help mom with plates, napkins...etc. Clean-up any toys before Dad gets home.
6 P.M.: Dinnertime
ON FRIDAYS: 6:30 P.M. Once a week drawing lesson with Dad.
FRIDAY FUN! On Fridays we do a tea party, baking, and some games together OR go on a nature walk again (depending on how I feel usually, if I need to get them out, we walk).
School on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday...Wednesdays OFF for Grocery shopping/Library/appointments and field trips. Some Fridays we have Little Flowers and Homeschool Group Electives (We are doing Drama and Crafts for group this year).

PHEW!!! I like this...we are flexible so it is not set in stone...but it is a good outline for us. I can make up any work on Saturday or Wednesday as needed. OR if we travel take Friday off and school on Wednesday instead.
Please Note: Not all of the pics are from Week 2! I took a bunch Week 1 and forgot Week 2 :)

First Week of Kindergarten!

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world" - Albert Einstein

Here we are! Officially homeschooling for Kindergarten...reporting to the state and all that jazz! We are still trucking through our 100 Lessons to Read and our Primer Math-U-See but I've added an official religion curriculum, Art lessons, Kindergarten Brainquest sheets (for fun) and handwriting as well. My son has his own letter and number workbooks we ordered from Catholic Heritage, but is swiping all the mazes from his sister's Brainquest Workbook. :) Most of our social studies and science work will be from the library books of choice. She wants bees and butterflies as we see honeybees after mass in the medians. And he picked insect books and firefighters. So this month that's our subject guide for science/social studies! If it is of interest it is better to capture their little minds' full attention.

We are doing Daily Practice Work as outlined in our CHC planner and I really like adding it to the routine as she can do it on her own while I set up our lessons for the morning and they have a snack. She's doing Days of the Week, Sight Words (ones she's learned in 100 lessons) and her allergy safety booklet at the moment.

We've been attending daily mass as part of our new routine and I think it's a better teaching tool than any other religion curriculum. They are now doing music too so she gets memory work plus music at daily mass. It has been an adjustment trying to figure out how to get chores and workouts into the new schedule, but as long as I'm up early enough it all fits nicely into our day!

Wednesdays we have a day off/catch up day and Friday is "Fun Day" where we do only core work and some games, baking, and outdoor activities/songs and tea parties (as desired). I'm going to school on Saturdays that my hubby works so that I can keep the routine in place as much as possible. If we do more than needed we can take a Friday for just fun stuff and games some weeks.

Daddy is teaching her Drawing Lesson once a week and we do miscellaneous arts/crafts for Religion and throughout as time allows. She's always drawing at her coloring table we have set up for her so I consider that part of her ongoing Art for Kindergarten too!

Here's a little overview of our first week...


Supplies


To Do Jars




Feast of the Assumption Liturgical setup


First Day of School Blessing by Daddy


Working on math problems


G is for GRILL :)


Preschool math is much cooler than regular math...


Teacher and student...we love homeschooling!

I hope your back-to-school is as blessed as ours!

GOAL WEIGHT!!!!!

YAY I did it! After 8 months of staying around the same weight I finally kicked the last 10 lbs...plateaus are frustrating places to hang out! Here is my victory post from beginning to end! :)


BEFORE (After baby #2 June '08 my weight never dropped give or take 10 lbs)


BEFORE (Feb. 2010 1.5 months into my resolution to kick the weight)


AND...after 52 lbs lost...



AFTER (August 2011)



YAY! So happy to have reached my goal! I'm sure I still have a little I could do...but this was my goal! To be 50 pounds lighter! I went from a size 18 jeans/bottoms to a size 8 or 10 (I was a solid 12 pre pregnancy so this is a great step for me). I always blamed my hips for my size, but now I believe I can be a solid 8 or possibly a 6. I used to be XXL top and now I'm a SMALL! Being active and eating right...good foods smaller portions with plenty of intense exercise are definitely the key to getting fit! I think, as I said when I first began this, when it comes to weight loss "Slow and Steady wins the race." NOT stopping during plateaus was huge. I used to just give up and eat again (because I was dieting to lose not eating healthy as a life choice)...I kicked the diet and took up a lifestyle that has empowered me to do more physically than I ever believed I could.

Thanks for all the support and love! I did this...I know that anyone can do it with A LOT of work and discipline! Next...I hope to participate in my first race!

Blessings,
Evie