Weekly Homeschool Wrap-up–June 21, 2009

I am convinced that this is the problem with summer for me—too much that I want to do, and fewer pressures to fit it all into a time slot.   Anyway, I woke up with plans to pray and eat breakfast on today, hubby’s and my fast day, work on a business project, and type my weekly homeschool wrap-up (this has become a Monday morning project as by Sunday evening I’m generally too whipped out to pull my thoughts together).   I had school with the kids, then a bit of time with my big kids, and perhaps time to sew this evening and complete that long overdue workout.   Normally, I’d list my tasks into my planner and then scratch through them when done.     So here’s the difference of the season, even if the difference is only psychological.   I can’t immediately find my planner, although I can think of 2-3 places where it might be.   Prayer keeps getting pushed back as I noticed an empty washing machine (gotta start that new load), fed a hungry 5-year-old, and began to tidy up a house with something in the floor of every room besides furniture.   Over breakfast, or should I say brunch given the time, a cursory check through my mail led me to a beautiful post regarding CM principles, how they relate to scriptural principles, and how they are still relevant in this post-modern world in which we live.     Between that entry and my dissertation to Cathy at Basketflat about our academic “uniqueness” (two posts ago), it is now time for school, and I’m already behind in typing this entry.   I’m not sure that it will be a weekly wrap-up, but we’ll see how it goes.

As an individual, I…

finished reading the blog entry about post-modernism and immediately thought about our Sunday school class.   We taught two Sundays back-to-back because of mini-vacation plans that will take us away from home this coming weekend.   In truth, because of our own schedules, we were nowhere near as prepared as we should have been, but the Lord was, and He did a work through us.   We were able to use the taco sauce/ penny experiment twice since we had a different group of kids in the second week.    Every time I look at their faces, I am reminded of the movie “Lean on Me”, based upon the true story of educator Joe Clark of Patterson, New Jersey.    One of his soliloquies that strikes me at the core is, as I paraphrase, we are a part of a system that is turning [the poor and the racial minority] into a permanent underclass.     I only see these kids for an hour on two Sundays, but it pains me to think about what their everyday lives must be, and sadly, they are a microcosm of a much larger generation who finds beauty in little, and indifference in much.    Our newest teacher has a lot of zeal toward getting them involved in redecorating the classroom, but from a teaching perspective, sent them home with instructions to read the book of Esther; to the best of my knowledge, they’ve discussed none of it in class.   I could go on, but I won’t.   It’s another of many situations surrounding me that need prayer.

As a wife and homemaker, I…

wonder what we are role modeling for our children regarding the realities of marriage.      The hubby and I almost never fight, but we went 15 rounds recently regarding the expense of Nutrigrain bars, too many turkey sandwiches as a portable lunch entrée, but ultimately, about what I perceived as a lack of appreciation for my post-layoff efforts to right our financial cart.   A sharp-tongued debate it was, with no volume and certainly no blows thrown, but it was enough to bring our son to tears, as he’s not accustomed to seeing us upset with one another.    Later I apologized to him and talked about the fact that we still love him and each other, but I also don’t want him to think there’s something abnormal about disagreements with a spouse (as long as it’s not the rule rather than the exception, and certainly not if it’s violent).    Such is the nature of bringing two lives together to make them one.   I once read somewhere that the hardest two jobs on planet Earth are being a wife (or husband) and raising children; interesting that we don’t get formal training in either one, huh?

As a mom and homeschooling parent, I…

am always intrigued by our kids and the way their enthusiasm for learning reveals itself.   I’m even more intrigued at why they feel the need to mask this enthusiasm.   Even in a homeschool environment, I think they’ve picked up from television and the crowd at church that it’s geeky to enjoy school.   Bummer.    We will wrap up our history studies on Weds.    The oldest said, “What will we study next?”  Then she grinned sheepishly once she realized that her comment might be interpreted as enjoying what we’re learning.   Today (although this was last week’s wrap-up), we traveled to 1944 Guam with the Code Talker , discussed the election of George Bush as President for the first time, and detailed Jesus’ questioning by Annas after His arrest.

The youngest will finish her K level math on this week and is excited to begin her 1^st grade work.    Being a big girl is relative, I guess.   I’m in a bit of a quandary about her phonics work.   She is reading very well.  I don’t know whether to drop the rest of the K books as she’s zooming through them, or to stick with the order of pages/ levels suggested so that I’m sure to cover everything.   I’m led to stay the course and complete her K book.     I struggle over whether that’s holding her back, but I also realize that she is not headed for college tomorrow, so a little extra time spent on something she might already know won’t be too devastating.    Other than that, she and I are enjoying The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder.    This is one of my favorite in the series, although it’s so hard to read through their near-starvation experience while waiting on the supply trains to get through to the town.    I think I like it because it’s the first time that Almanzo and Laura meet, although their courtship is a couple of books away.   I love when Pa, in the last ditch effort to feed his family, insists on taking wheat from Almanzo, who refuses to sell it.   Pa goes to the wall, takes what he needs from the hidden storage bin, and states defiantly, “And now we’ll talk price.”   I love it!

As a business owner, I…

have begun editing again.   I am also pulling together publicity packages for the cruise next year and an upcoming conference this year.   I will soon begin an affiliate program when I slow down long enough to complete the research.   I am excited about this time, and if I manage it correctly, I’ll hopefully get back to writing in the fall.   My next project is shaping and forming as I try to wrap up all of this other work.

Now it’s late, and I’ve picked this entry up and put it down several times, I’ve written Cathy at least one more dissertation.   Class work must be done, but I can safely say that there’ll be no sewing this evening.   The oldest did come and ask if we could sit down together and view her upcoming online biology class.   She was glad to be sitting when the instructor pulled out a real dissected heart for discussion.   Will we make it this year? (smile)

God bless you as your week transpires.