After five years in school, will homeschooling be a fit for our family? Walk with us as we try to find out!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Weekly Wrap Up: Where a Week Stands for a Month

I never intended to totally abandon my Weekly Wrap posts for the summer.  Nevertheless, it's been a month since I've written about our daily lives!  Rather than try to detail all our comings and goings this month, I'm using the Homeschool Mother's Journal format coupled with lots of pictures for this week's post.

In my life this week…
I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed recently.  There are many projects and obligations floating around in my head and weighing me down a bit.  I am trying to tackle each one a little bit at a time, and that does help.  Most of the projects are not earth shattering in importance.  They are things like organizing photos, de-cluttering the attic and playroom, preparing for VBS, etc.  However, I know I won't feel true relief until I get the largest ones completed.  The two biggies on my list are: planning and preparing for the two co-op classes I will be teaching in the fall and planning and preparing for our upcoming homeschool year.  

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
Over the past month, we spent a day with our dear old friends who are in town from London.  


This little one was already strapped in and ready for departure when we remember to get a group photo!

We met the newest baby in the family, my sweet nephew!  I am spoiling him as much as humanly possible- oh how I just love snuggling a newborn.  It is a little bit on heaven right here on earth.


We spent 5 days with cousins (13 kids and 8 adults) in the country.  










We watched fireworks on the 4th of July.


We had a beach playdate with dear friends.  The dads met us there and we stayed until almost 9 p.m.  












The kids spent a week at camp- baseball camp for the boys and day camp for our girl.  They had a blast!  


They also had a much anticipated sleepover at Papa and Abuelita's house.  


TS 1 is playing on a summer travel team for the first time and loving the experience, which means we are spending plenty of  time at the local baseball fields, too.   


(Our last name is not Dutra.  His jersey still has not come in yet!)




We had an impromptu backyard swim and BBQ with friends this week that spilled right over into the Wednesday night home bible study in our neighborhood.  It was a wonderful time of fun and fellowship!


We have made it to the community pool with friends only one time so far, but we are hoping for more opportunities to do that soon.

My favorite thing this week was…
5 quiet, productive hours everyday this week while the kids were at camp.  I could not believe how quickly two o'clock came each afternoon!  

Questions/thoughts I have…
What will teaching at co-op be like?  Will it add a lot of stress to my weeks in terms of planning and prepping?  Or will it be great fun?  Will the kids be bored or engaged?  How will I manage home schooling all three of my own kids next year?  Will I be able to give each one what he/she needs?

Things I’m working on…
I spent this week, while the kids were all at camp, working on a syllabus and lesson plans for my co-op classes.  I was able to sketch out lesson plans for the entire semester for both classes and I feel so relieved.  I've also been de-cluttering hot spots around the house and have plans for a big playroom clean out in the next few weeks.  

I’m reading…
I read most of A Charlotte Mason Companion last month.  I took a break to read the Hunger Games trilogy this month.  My reading goals for the rest of the summer include finish reading and taking notes on A Charlotte Mason Companion, so I can be sure to include more of her ideas in our homeschool next year.  I purchased Jimmie Lanley's Notebooking Success e-book this week and plan to read it as part of my planning process for next year, too.  I am very interested in incorporating more notebooking in our home school next year.


I realized my Read Aloud goals were a bit lofty for our busy summer routine.  So far, we have read Charlotte's Web and Homer Price.  We are going to be reading A Secret Garden next.  If we get through the first four or five of my top 10, I will be very satisfied.  There's always the fall for more Read Aloud fun, right?    

I’m praying for…
A dear friend who has been through so much in less than a year.  For her health, her children, her family.  For friends whose husbands are out of work.  For friends who are preparing for their first year of homeschooling.  For my own anxiety about the burdens I mentioned above.  

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."  Psalm 19:1


Homegrown Learners

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