The Homeschool Mother's Journal ~ Summer Week 4

In my life this week ... it's been pretty much about others. Last weekend I spent the entire weekend helping my sister redecorate her living room, dining room, kitchen, and hall bathroom, and paint and create her baby's nursery. We baked and gave a sweet treat to our public school librarians. And, we celebrated Rick's birthday by throwing him a golf-themed birthday dinner. BUT, this weekend Rick and I are going away for the weekend to celebrate our anniversary. And I am looking forward to it!

In our homeschool this week ... We really didn't do a whole lot in the schooling department. We read a tad bit, Brynne worked on letter writing for her Keeper's Club, we had our second Keeper's Club meeting, and the kids played the computer several times. Otherwise, we were either having fun or relaxing.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share ... We are going on a vacation next week. My personality is to make EVERYTHING educational. And I know that as home educators, we want our kids to take advantage of every learning opportunity, especially when we are in a new city. But, you know what? My kids are most looking forward to just staying in a hotel. I am NOT going to turn our vacation into an educational trip. Instead, we are just going to have FUN! Sometimes, we just need to take a fun break.

I am inspired by ... my family's interests. The things that interest them make me want to do what I can to reinforce it in their lives.

Places we're going and people we're seeing ... We visited with our public library employees when we took them some mini banana muffins as a thank you for all they do for us in our homeschool. They are invaluable to me and save me hours every week.

We saw lots of swimmers at the water park on Wednesday.

We saw daddy at his office on Thursday when we took him lunch for his birthday.

Now that Dawson is back home from working with my dad for the past two weeks, we have had teenage boys coming in and out all week. And the kids are seeing grandma this weekend when she comes to stay with them.

My favorite thing this week was ... helping my sister with the overwhelming organizational and decorating tasks she had set herself up to accomplish four weeks before her baby is due to be born. I felt so good helping her out. It was nice to do this with her, because we did not get along at all when we were girls. It's wonderful to have such a close relationship with her after all these years.

What's working/not working for us ... The panic of realizing that we are officially starting back to school in a little over a month, and I am nowhere near ready!

Questions/thoughts I have ... How much FREE play time do your kids have in a day? Do you think it's important? I have changed some of my reasoning why I think it is so important.

Things I'm working on ... getting dogs vaccinated, prepped, and ready for our vacation next week. The three little ones are getting boarded (which they will HATE), and we are taking Crusoe on vacation with us. We've never done either of these things before, so I am anxious to see how it all works out.

I'm reading ... Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon, Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel by Deborah Moggach (hoping to read this whole book this weekend while I am relaxing at the Bed and Breakfast on Saturday and while on the golf cart with my husband on Sunday.)

I'm cooking ... lots of mini muffins/cupcakes for snacks. I made some yummy banana muffins on Wednesday (a family favorite, especially Dawson) and some devil's food mini cupcakes yesterday.

I'm grateful for ... my mom who will drive four hours to stay with the kids for the weekend so that Rick and I can go away for some much-needed time alone together.

I'm praying for ... one of my good blogging friends who is having some disappointing and emotional difficulties with her teenage daughter. This is a tough one, friends, because kids will be difficult if they have a disobedient spirit. I had a disobedient spirit as a girl (still do, really), so I can understand it. But as a parent, it's so hard. Other than prayer, what else can you do? Can you really make someone do what they don't want to do? We can only protect our kids to a certain extent, and then I just have to believe in natural consequences and God's love and protection (this is not saying that I do not believe in rules, boundaries, guidance, and discipline). I have had to sit back and watch my kids make mistakes (that I know are mistakes), so that they learn how to deal with consequences, and just trust that God will make good of it.

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

Our golf-themed cupcakes and place setting for Ricks birthday.

I am also linking up at Weekly Wrap-up with Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

** Attention Last Child in the Woods participants. I will be putting up my post this weekend. We have had a busy week and I haven't had enough time to collect my thoughts on the chapters I have read. My post will be up by Sunday.