Homeschool Mother's Journal ~ Summer Week 8 (the week before the last week)

In my life this week ... Okay, I can't stand it anymore. I have to share what's going on in our life. I went to my hometown in Missouri this past weekend to see my newly born niece, and ended up making a decision (with my husband) to buy a home there in the town where I grew up, and where my parents still live. We are in the process of making an offer and getting inspections done. (So far, so good on the inspections.) If all goes as planned, the kids and I will move as soon as possible while Rick stays here to sell our house. Dawson has decided that he would like to go back to public school because it is a super-small school where he could really connect. There will be MANY changes in our lives and we are SO EXCITED about it (well, most of us.) More about this decision will come soon.

In our homeschool this week ... It's all about Ice Age this week! Although we didn't get in our field trip to the Tulsa Geoscience Center because of the craziness of our possible life changes, we did do all of our planned lessons, and even added a couple of things. We will finish our time by going to see the movie at the drive-in movie theatre tomorrow night! I had really planned on logging two or three days of school on this unit, but we will be satisfied with one. We did learn a lot about the continental drift, plate tectonics, Pangaea and Gondwana, the earth's model, and earthquakes. We watched a cool animation on the continental drift. It was my Favorite Resource this week.

1. Eli is holding our hard-boiled egg earth model to demonstrate the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core.

2. We read the book The Island that Moved by Meredith Hooper and watched the video Earth Science from the Rock 'N Learn series about Plate Tectonics. (And then they ended up watching the whole thing because they liked it so much.)

3. A puzzle to put back together the earth after it was divided along the plate lines. (Just cut it apart along the lines and have them put it back together.)

4. Snack Tectonics with graham crackers and frosting. A fun way to learn about fault lines, earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain formation.  

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share ... Look at each child individually and address their schooling needs individually, and be prepared for changes.

I am inspired by ... simplicity.

Places we're going and people we're seeing ... Well, this past weekend we saw this amazingly beautiful munchkin who is now a member of our family.

Ashtyn Rae, my beautiful niece.

And the kids had a really fun time at Grandma and Papa's lakehouse.

We did some swimming with church friends who moved into our neighborhood and had some doctor, orthodontist, and hair appointments.

My favorite thing this week was ... Making decisions for FAMILY!  

What's working/not working for us ... A willingness to take risks to make change.

Questions/thoughts I have ... What will happen to Dawson and my relationship if he goes back to public school? We have been SO CLOSE the past two years, and I hope that doesn't change when he goes back to school.

Things I'm working on ... Not panicking with all I have on my plate right now. Rick has advised that I not start school with Eli and Brynne on the 23rd as planned, but I am really looking forward to our unit on The Olympics. So, I might just do a stress-free version that allows lots of play time in between sets of work.

I'm reading ... Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. That's all I have time for. I am getting ready to start a book that I am writing a review on soon. I'll be doing some flying next week, so should be able to read it all.

I'm cooking ... Tonight we are having tilapia with fresh veggie salsa. I have also been enjoying my turkey sandwiches this week with FRESH HOMEGROWN tomatoes from my garden. Yummy!

I'm grateful for ... my family's help in all that this move will involve.

I'm praying for ... our transition to a small town, that our house sells, that Rick's job situation works out like he wants, that Dawson adjusts well to going back to public school and makes the "right" friends, that our renovations go smoothly.

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

Our 1918 house. You will just have to try to visualize what it will look like when we are done.

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

Collage Friday with Mary at Homegrown Learners,

and Favorite Resource this Week with Learning All the Time.