Homeschool Mother's Journal - Week 2

In my life this week...

I'm getting prepared for the 30-Day Vegan Program by making some significant modifications to the food that I have on hand.  Spent most of Sunday cleaning and organizing the cupboards so that all the healthy food is in canning jars and labeled. 

Healthy food that is in canning jars -

labeled and ready to use.

Need to work on a couple more cupboards as well as the refrigerator so I'm prepared on March 7th when the program begins.

More jars ready to be sorted by type before putting in the cupboard

(e.g., beans, dried fruit, grains, flours).

For Harvest Moon by Hand (my shop), I want to:

- list at least 7 new items to the website
- finish sewing the bags I made from vintage children's books
- create another PDF pattern for either felt food or a children's toy
- make a "friendship" theme item for the HandmadeMN team challenge

I have a quilt square I need to complete by the middle of the week for a swap on Swap-Bot. 

The major project of the week:  my office.  I have to file and start doing taxes this week.

In our homeschool this week...

In addition to the standard/core curriculum for language arts, history, geography, and science (using Sonlight Curriculum) and math (using Rod and Staff Curriculum), I have a variety of other activities that I'm doing with the girls:

- Finish the paper quilt for February using the book Easy Literature-Based Quilts Around the Year by Mariann Cigrand.

- Finish the rest of the Aesop's Fables stories and hands-on projects using the book Literature Pockets - Aesop's Fables by Evan-Moor Educational Publishers. (Olivia is doing this only.)

- Do another Outdoor Hour Challenge using the book Handbook of Nature Study by Annna Botsford Comstock; and have the girls add to their nature journals.

- Learn about and do activities related to Dr. Seuss's Birthday (March 2nd) and Alexander Graham Bell's Birthday (March 3rd).
- Do two more art lessons using the Atelier program as well as do a new type of Waldorf painting that combines wax crayons, oil, and aromatherapy.

- Continue doing activities related to Ukraine (this is the ABC Journey Around the World that I've been doing with the girls for a couple years now). This week, I'd like the girls to learn how to make some of the Ukrainian recipes as well as try making pysanky (the decorated eggs using the wax-resist method and dye). 

- Begin learning about Wales on March 1st when St. David's Day is celebrated there (St. David is the Patron Saint of Wales).

Places we're going and people we're seeing...

The homeschool co-op is on Monday.  Sophia takes piano lessons, ceramics/pottery, and home economics.  Olivia takes American Heroes, computers, and ceramics/pottery.  Both the girls have choir on Wednesday evening.  On Thursday, I'm helping my parents with chores around their home as well as errands they need to do.  On Saturday, my parents are taking us all out to eat.

My favorite thing this week was...

Doing the Outdoor Nature Hour Challenge that was focused on birds.  The girls and I also spent time doing snow-related science activities which were a lot of fun.

Sophia measuring the snow depth on

the limb of a fallen tree.

Also, we enjoyed making Hygiene Kits that will be shipped worldwide to people facing natural disasters, violence, or extreme poverty.

What's working/not working for us...

What I enjoy about homeschooling is that we can spend longer periods of time on particular subjects that either interest the girls or that they are finding challenging and with which they need extra guidance. 

What is a challenge right now is waiting for the assessment that the school district is doing on Olivia to help determine why she is struggling with reading and math.  The anticipated date that I should have their report in hand is April 11th...right before the homeschool conference.  This hopefully will help determine what curricula and strategies to use that will make learning easier for her in these subjects.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...

It's more of a dream...as the girls begin learning about United States geography, I think it would be incredibly educational (and fun) to be visit each of the 50 states to make learning about them more "real."  If the goal would be to learn about each of the 50 states, say, one per month, it would take about four years for an in-depth geography study.  It would be interesting to visit a group of states each quarter. 

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...

Olivia opening seeds that she had soaked

to reveal the new growth. 

She planted these and

will watch them grow during the upcoming weeks.