A little update.

Poor little homeschooling blog. All alone and neglected. Waiting for me to update with any tiny little post. Waiting for a tiny nod of attention...

Things have been... ok. Justin is still doing great at homeschooling. He takes his work, does it with little complaint, and completes most of the work correctly the FIRST TIME through. We're using his math and spelling books from public school to finish out the year and he has done so much better on them than he was doing on his own. Having the ability to have things explained more than once and not moving on until the information is more secure is definitely good for him.

Evan... Well. Evan is still struggling. He and I haven't found the proper way to communicate regarding school work. I don't feel comfortable using an unschooling method with him or anything much looser than what we're doing. I just want some basic work to be accomplished at the end of the day. That's all! The arguments he has been giving me every morning are painful and only add to the stress of my already overburdened load. Seeing as how public school ends on Wednesday of next week, we are ending at that time, too. And seeing as how public school is usually review work and parties the last week of school, I can't say that our days will be much different, either. In that regard, I don't feel worried about Evan for the rest of the school year. I know that we will have to start from scratch come the fall, anyway, so I am trying to let this one issue roll off my back for now.

My plans for the summer and homeschooling will simply be to make sure that everyone reads every day, and to get some science experiments done. Just wait till you see the chemistry set I was sent to review! If it's anything close to as cool as it looks, the kids will get more science in the summer than most kids get all school year.

I hope to make at least 3-4 lesson plans each week to be used in the fall of next year. I'm hoping to do unit studies that the boys (and Corinne) can do together, but tailored to each child's level. We'll see how that works out. Some of the themes I think we'll be doing will be:

Marine life - sharks, fish, food chains, fresh vs. salt water..

US government - chain of command, bills to laws, what does "freedom" mean?

Human body - how does each part relate to the other, labeling parts, how does the heart work, what does living a healthy life mean?

Dinosaurs - knowing the different times of the periods and eras, how the Earth was formed, what animals evolved into animals we know today?

Civil War era - causes of disagreement, what does "slavery" REALLY mean, living situations of the different classes of people, were the arguments ever really resolved? (reenactment field trip)

Fractions - Having everyone in the family really REALLY understand fractions at their own level, how do we use this in real life?

Geology - how was the earth formed? What makes gems and stones different, what geological features are in our area? (field trip to natural geological formations - Starved Rock, etc.) (field trip to gem museum)

Local history - native Americans' history of Illinois, settlers in the 1800's, their lifestyles and how each side impacted the other.

Piano - I'd like to reteach Justin the piano and have Evan learn the basics on reading music and finger placements.

History of holidays - as each holiday approaches, provide the true history of each one: Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.



More will come to me and I'll update this list so that I can use it next year. If anyone has any ideas (small or big) please let me know in the comments. I would appreciate any help from anyone who has homeschooled the lessons, too!

11 days of school left!

I feel so extremely lucky that I have such a great homeschooling group in my hometown. Today we played outside with the kindergarten neighbors and then headed to meet at the local church. We made jellyfish (really cool!), watched Billy Nye on Fish, and then studied loads of sea animals that one of the group's leaders had on loan from a nature museum. Bio-cams and magnifying glasses and everything! The kids had a great time. It is STILL gorgeous out and I am off to drink some lemonade and watch the kids swing.

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Adios.

No title comes to mind...

What a day!

We spent the day at the Field Museum in Chicago. Despite the fact that I didn't realize I had left our lunch bag on the grass beside the driveway until I bent down to get it out of the car, we had a great time. Thank GOD I had $6 singles, a $2 bill and $5 in quarters. We were able to get McDonald's downstairs and drank the juice boxes we had in the Flex's refrigerator.

We were lucky enough to go on a beautiful and uncrowded free day. The kids had lots of questions about everything we saw. In the Ancient Americas section, a museum employee who had gone on excavations to the sites we were looking at was very informative. It was really cool to talk to someone who had helped to pull the artifacts from the Earth.

Justin watched and did just about every interactive show they had. His favorite sections were the Ice Age and DNA. Oh, and any of the gems and minerals they had scattered about the museum, of course.

Evan loved every single diorama we saw. We couldn't pass up a single one! Sadly, the interactive children's area with the "make your own diorama" didn't have the pieces out and available to play with! They were being WASHED. At 3 pm. On a FREE DAY. I was not impressed with this poor planning, but he got over his disappointment even though he had been talking about building his own set-up ALL DAY. :( I'd post a picture of him playing with the 1 figurine they had left (a German shepherd, of all things!) at the ready-made Native American site, but, well, the cameras were in my bag, on the grass, in front of my house. (Thank God for a good neighborhood, right?)

Corinne was most interested in annoying her brothers and getting in and out of the stroller. She succeeded in the first and was able to add "annoy Mommy" to the list.

And now? Now they're killing each other in the other room. I have tons of things to organize and clean and my voice is pretty shot from yelling across the house. Gotta jet.

Old and festering wounds never really go away...

Through a torrent of tears, he spilled the truth.

Finally.

A bully. One who tripped and laughed at my sensitive middle son. Evan claims it was a regular occurrence. One that happened on the playground. The reason that recess wasn't always a fun topic when I'd ask him how his day had gone.

"That's why I wanted to be homeschooled so bad! I hated that bully! He made me feel so sad inside!"

Tears ran down both of our cheeks.

We talked. I consoled. He released several months' worth of sadness and pent-up emotion. I listened and stroked his sweaty forehead while suffering my own torment. Why didn't he just come out and say something earlier? Because this child doesn't work that way. My baby was in anguish for God only knows how long (he even went so far as to talk about a different boy who picked on him in kindergarten) and I couldn't find the right strings to pull to help him open up.

Once he spills though? It's a lengthy episode. Many problems will be released at once, which wipes us both out.

I am so glad he opened up. I am so glad he is able to make friends in a situation where the adults are able to listen to him. The playground is a fun place for most, but brutal for those who are targeted...

Suddenly, the lights are switched on and many questions about Evan are easier to decipher...

This is what happens when you write in metaphors...

Today? Today has been a leaky boat day.

Many leaks.

I reallllly want to throw an oar overboard.

Tomorrow, can I go for a boat ride alone?

PLEASE?!?

The BEST part? I can't complain to my husband or I'll get the "just quit" response.

Again.

Which really only makes my hopes for this whole situation more defeating.

I feel defeated. By a 7 year old. And a 10 year old who had his own issues. And a 3 year old who only wanted to run with scissors. And glue on the table and mac n cheese congealing on the stove.

I need an extra life jacket...

The Biggest Fish Metaphor Ever Created

EDITED to add: I know it's an analogy, not a metaphor. Not sure why I make that mistake so often, even though I went to a great public school. OH THE IRONY.

~~
So, there was this lake. Great spot, lots of fish.

All of the parents and children would gather upon its shore to test the waters and exclaim over the variety of fish they would catch. Some days, the kids would reel in tons of marine life: catfish, turtles, bass, walleye... Some days, they would go home empty-handed, but happy from the fresh air and chance to try new lures.

As people began to notice this lake's abundance of fish, more families would gather together on its sandy banks. Soon, the "good" fishing spots became a bit crowded. Many times, hours would be spent untangling one line from another, unsnagging hooks, and anxiously waiting for a good bite that never came.

Some families moved to new fishing spots. But many found that moving to a new spot wasn't suitable for their footwear. Not all banks are sandy and rock-free, you know!

One mother looked at her children and said,

"This fishing spot is still lovely. The view is pleasing and the water is filled with interesting water life. But my children only catch a few fish a day. Sometimes, they come home empty-handed! We can see the fish in the water, but it's hard to cast when so many are throwing their lines beside you."

She was concerned. She could see that they were becoming discouraged over their lack of bites. If they didn't fish, what would they eat? If they didn't learn to fish properly, how would they know to feed themselves as adults?

Day after day, she pondered the situation. They tried to change position on the shore. Perhaps a new fishing pole? A new reel? What could help her children catch their share of the abundant fish?

One morning, her child cast his line so far out that his pole slipped out of his hand and began to float down the shoreline! The mother frantically scrambled over rocks and brambles, chasing the pole on its path into uncharted territory. The pole snagged upon a stump, allowing her to snatch it up from the water. Exhausted, she blew the hair from her eyes and looked around at the new surroundings.

She was standing beside a dock. This dock stretched far into the lake. Tethered to the dock were a variety of boats. She watched in wonder as these boats paddled in and out and noticed something she had never considered; they were fishing from the boats! They were leaving the shore in small groups, looking for the fish! If the fish weren't by the shore or dock, the families with the boats simply tried a new spot! And the most amazing thing was that the children were smiling in the wind and helping to paddle the boat! They were learning to love to fish!!

"How can I do this, too?!?" she wondered. "Is it difficult? Do I need a special license or is this something that only the incredibly rich and privileged can attempt?"

Her surprise was unimaginable when she found her answer; Anyone can fish from a boat. All you need is the courage!

Was she brave enough, though? There was the harder question...

The boats seemed so far out in the lake. Was she strong enough to paddle that far? She then remembered that the children were all helping. No parent paddled alone...

The lake was so big! How could she cover the entire lake and help her children catch every single type of fish available? She then remembered that the crowded lake shore provided no more diversity than her own boat would provide. In fact, her children might be able to catch MORE fish, simply because the competition for each fish's attention would be less when there were fewer lures to look at.

The boats were all alone, though. Wouldn't her children get lonely, so separated from the other people on the shore? She then watched in amazement as the boats gathered upon the lake; showing each other their catches and sharing the best fishing spots. At the dock, more boats pulled in for the day, exuberantly holding up their fish and laughing as the children ran off to play. No more fishing was needed that day! Their families had caught their limit!

Determined, the mother raced back to her children. She would make this work! A new way to fish! A new method to help them love not only the fish they caught but also the process in which to FIND them!! How marvelous! Surely everyone would feel the same way about her discovery!!

The mother and her children began to go boating together. Not wanting to push them too fast, too soon, she encouraged them to learn the ways of boating before focusing on actually catching any new fish. They would throw their poles into the water everyday, and be thrilled with their ordinary bass and perch, because paddling together was definitely an effort. Some days, they needed to return to the dock early. The sun was too hot or the boat had a slow leak that needed patching. But everyday, they faithfully returned to the boat, for the enjoyment they had from the time spent together was too great to abandon for the simplicity of the crowded banks.

Gradually, the mother began to notice small miracles; The boat was springing fewer leaks. Bigger fish were being caught. Her children were leading her to spots that she hadn't even considered to fish in. New species of aquatic animals were making themselves known to the entire family. Even SHE was learning to love to fish!

Others upon the banks were too far away to see the joy that the boat was bringing the family. Not willing or able to take even a short boat ride, they turned their heads in disgust over the leaks and windburn, the choppy waves and strange coves the family was exploring. When the mother would grumble about needing another new paddle to replace the one her child had lost in the lake, the shore fishermen would demand that she give up and "give into reason" by returning to the banks. "After all," they declared, "There is only one way to properly fish."

No.

I am here to tell you that there is more than one way to fish. I am here to tell you that a leaky boat or choppy water isn't a reason to abandon your boat.

Personally? I never enjoyed shore fishing. I mean, it's okay, but I always get snagged on the plant life and there tends to be lots of pop cans littered on the banks. When I'm on a boat, though? I don't even CARE how many fish I catch! I have fun just enjoying the ride!!

Friday at the Arboretum