The Homeschool Mother's Journal

Over at my main blog, Taulman Times, I do a weekly Simple Woman's Daybook post. I think that's why I haven't ever done The Homeschool Mother's Journal, for fear of repetitiveness. But since I won't have a lot to post about this summer here, because we are on summer "break" (or maybe I will, who knows), I thought I would join in on the journal. And here is my first entry:

In my life this week ... We are enjoying our first week of summer break. I have gotten back into my routine of getting up and running, doing my garden watering and maintenance, getting my work done in the morning and then enjoying the rest of my day. Plus, So You Think You Can Dance has started and it's my favorite guilty pleasure!

In our homeschool this week… We don't school year round, but we are doing some reading reinforcement and interest-based unit studies throughout the summer. Eli and Brynne have been doing their daily reading assignments. We'll start our first unit next week, on The Farm.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing… This past week we had our first Co-op Playgroup get-together. We made library bags, ate snacks, played, and talked. The moms range from age 26 to 40, and between us we have 7 daughters, all about the same age. There are also 4 other siblings ranging from newborn to age 7. Aunt Kristen and cousin Rylee also came for a short visit. This week we will be going to the zoo on Friday for their FarmFest.

My favorite thing this week was… getting together with our Playgroup. I could feel Titus 2 being played out before my eyes and it was wonderful!

What’s working/not working for us… Having a laid back attitude is definitely working for us!

Questions/thoughts I have… This next school year for Dawson, his first year of high school, is going to be so much more intense than last year was. We did, primarily, a unit study last year. This year his classes are more independent and more difficult. I hope that the two of us can handle it!

Things I’m working on… Dawson and Brynne's history, literature and writing curriculums this year will be on US History, and I am building their curriculums myself from various sources. It took me about 3 hours to prepare the first 3-week unit. I am going to have to be committed to working on the plans every week this summer to be ready for school to start. I'm also working on farm lapbook materials and relevant activities for Eli and Brynne to do this week.

Books I’m reading… Her Mother's Dream by Francine Rivers, Seasons of a Mother's Heart, by Sally Clarkson (reading with the moms in our Co-op Playgroup), More Faith in My Day by Emilie Barnes (my daily devotional), What Your Second Grader Needs to Know by The Core Knowledge Foundation.

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

"Don't you people have some school you should be doing?"