Back to school

We enjoyed our break but it was time to get back into school today. I think everyone was ready, but we are still keeping a day free this week for a visit from Grandma.

We are studying electricity and magnetism and yesterday I read half of a biography of Nikola Tesla and started preparing questions for the kids so that they can begin reading when they are finished with the current chapter in their science book.

What a story!

His life was characterized by both his amazing mind and his equally hard challenges socially, including not being able to assertively stand up for himself. He was a sensitive and smart person who seemed much less macabre than most stories seem to depict him. I think part of that whole persona was what partly affected him socially as well. The idea that he was a wizard made people take him even less seriously, but he was truly amazing. He predicted television and sound waves and he invented alternating current, which is what we use in homes today. Edison had invented direct current, which was more costly and less safe. The book discussed a bit about why Edison did not want to jump on the alternating current bandwagon - but not only that - it became a personal vendetta against seeing Tesla become successful. Edison created a very damaging public campaign against alternating current so that he and his direct current wouldn't become obsolete and lose $$. Ahhh, the psyche of an American tycoon.

For hands on lab, the kids have been also working with their snap circuit set and learning about that basics there, as well. They love it!

I have my oldest delving even deeper in her social studies unit by reading the biography of Sojourner Truth. I am really trying to make the hardships of slavery a reality because it's something that I believe is sort of glossed over. Once again, I'm able to stress and dig more deeply into topics I feel are very important in history. Hopefully, I can raise critical thinkers who have an accurate view of history and can make sound judgement in the present day and for the future as well.

Chill out!

Read it here

I definitely felt this from Jesus last week and this is in all total seriousness. Hormones can be serious business.  Nothing ever felt like it was enough and I was ready to give up! Then I heard it to my soul. Chill out. I realized that they are learning so much everyday but the pace needs to work for us. I don't need to outpace public school and a child can have a scholarly mind and not care for others. I need to not freak out and then fail modeling my very own values to the kids. Kindness, gentleness...direction rather than condemnation to their hearts.

Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. Colossians 3:21

Being a mom that does many of the things listed in this article...feed baby mushed up food vs jar, cloth diaper for first year, teaching kids to sew, homeschooling and baking from scratch and cooking 95% of meals, I think maybe other moms think I'm "that" mom. Goodness golly, I hope not. I say the F word, I get grumpy and I hate my existence sometimes. There. Now we are equal.

Shall I go on???

Seriously. We "homeschooling" moms don't think we put together, so don't think that about us. If anything, our frailties seem to be put on display to ourselves. We're in a bubble. We struggle with isolation. These are real struggles. Yet, it is OUR decision. Don't tell us "you'd never do that" as if the decision was stupid, our beyond ability of a sane person. Because we're already fighting that idea. Sometimes more than others.

Parenting is hard, folks. Do you ever have any idea how hard before you become one to make an educated guess either way. No. So don't judge those with kids. And don't judge those who choose not to have kids.

Seriously.

Don't judge public school, homeschool...

Don't judge yourself. Life is a continuum and no state of mind, bad habit, or anything else is eternal, nor can separate us from God's love.

Just some encouragement that I felt fit well with my experience this last month with my emotions, mistakes, and contemplation.

Fall Break!!!

We are enjoying our fall break!

Meanwhile, we ordered this: http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-SC-100-Snap-Circuits-Jr/dp/B00008BFZH/ref=pd_sim_t_1

Snap circuits should be here today and we will be ready to talk more about currents. We're also going to discuss Tesla - his life, his contributions, and how he is somehow ignored in every science book. Not sure why he is ignored, but my kids are going to learn about his genius a little bit.

I'm planning on having the kids mount some of their poetry from our poetry unit and make a fall-themed display when we start back.

We are also going to talk more about the history of our country. A Young People's History of the United States is anything but tame, but I am going to try to find some things to give the children a broad picture of how life was vastly different for the classes and how life was pre and post slavery. Being poor is not deviance, but kids are taught from a young age that you control your own destiny. This can be true, but is also a bit of myth as well. Ken Burns is also doing a special on the Dust Bowl coming up on PBS and we will talk even more about the poor farming practices of the early settlers whose only concern was the immediate bottom line. What a costly error. Again, we see history repeating itself today in energy and agriculture. ie. genetic engineering, use of pesticides, etc. This is all apart of my plan to teach them to think critically and try to be observant of patterns in behavior that societies tend towards. In this way, they can hopefully become civic minded and engaged. 

But this is all mixed into plenty of "being a kid" time which is valued a lot around here!

We are reading through The Action Bible for devotion that I purchased last year. I really love this graphic representation. The artists did a great job!

It's a bit above my younger son's head, but he still likes the other devotions we have that are more to the point with questions and a verse to contemplate. He is full of questions and ideas but he is also still literal, which makes for some funny questions. 

non-traditional week

The public school will soon be taking two solid weeks off for fall break. I use these times as a guide to allow our little school some breaks. I definitely needed it. Some days I really don't feel I have my sanity left. It isn't school so much as it is the particular stages that each child is currently in. Baby is still clingy. We also found out she is a bit low-iron and I think it makes her tired and more grumpy than normal (I know how she feels, as I am also low iron etc, etc.)

We took Monday and Tuesday "off", even though we actually did activities. I think I am going to call it like it is, "unschooling". Unschooling weeks can be even more hectic, draining, and just more "busy" as they are *doing* things. I spent all afternoon Tuesday with ALLL the kids in the kitchen looking over shoulders as they learned to bake a cake from scratch. Measuring, pouring, stirring, and following directions is NOT something to take for granted as a skill. Making your way around a kitchen can save them thousands of dollars and their health in the process as we talk about healthy choices (I hope I am never audited on this claim because I seriously doubt we are "healthy". Maybe just not "unhealthy".).

It really is a priority for them to learn to take care of themselves and all three of them have a passion for cooking, baking, and fixing food. It's really wonderful.

So we did that.

And then today we spent houuurssss once again learning how to draft a plan, cut out a pattern, and stitch (properly).

For my eldest it was a lesson that has taken many tries to accomplish. Slowww down. Learn it. Take direction. Lose the attitude. Those are things we struggle with. But, you know what? She did it! She asked for help, she got frustrated a few times, but she kept at it and completed a project correctly.

I am proud.

My eldest son made his little creation more interesting but he was getting tired and some of it was learning even more types of stitches since he mastered the blanket stitch. It is just easy to mess up and these exercises are great for learning focus.