Homeschool Mother's Journal - Week 3

In my life this week.....

I have stayed in survival mode all week.  Joe was in Tennessee, so it was 4 against 1.  We actually didn't do too bad.  My mom helped keep the boys a couple times for about an hour or so between Lydia's camp drop/pickup times.  And when the girls wanted to report at the library for their reading program.  I was pretty much just trying to stay caught up all week.  Dishes, laundry, pick up toys, keep the bathroom cleaned, the pool clean, the veggie patch was watered....that's the short list besides doing their lessons.  There has also been an issue with Joey's med schedules and finding out the right combination and times for him.  So my cell phone always seems to be alarming a new alarm for another round of pills.  Basically he is medicated every 3 hours to keep him from becoming manicky.  And we have to watch his diet to avoid any dairy or MSG products.

I am considering starting back our art class again.  Last year we did an art class for our homeschool group.  It was fun.  But being a rural/suburban area, there were too many complaints about the location no matter where I had it.  I gave up and didn't restart this past year.  But I think I will start it again in a closer town.  Our kids really enjoy the class, so working on that.

Does anyone else have fibromyaligia issues during the constant up and downs in temps and humidity levels?  I have not been doing so hot and struggling to keep going on quite a few days lately.  I end up sitting longer than I want to, but need it.  I haven't had too many major issues for a few months, but the last couple weeks haven't been good on the fibro...feeling it badly in my legs and hands.

In our homeschool this week....

Well Lydia had her first 4-H Cloverbud camp.  So she had camp 3 mornings this week.  Plus she started back to violin after a 3 week break.  And then she had a cupcake decorating class that she took on Thursday kind of spur of the moment.  But she enjoyed it.  So Lydia practiced reading daily and her math facts.  And we did little projects like some on her American Girl Lanie Book, and of course her Horse project for the State Fair.

The boys and Caty did their workboxes each day.  I had them all packed up and as soon as I got home from dropping off Lydia I worked one-on-one with each one of them on something.  Brayden has started doing his schoolwork without complaint!!!  We were struggling bad for several months, and he has made a turn around.  I think it's his new meds.  Helping a lot.  He still fights about his math online, he prefers to just do the extra workbook.  But I want him to do the computer work first because it explains it to him.

We are doing a 3 day a week school work plan, with the other days being a catch up/field trip day.  It worked this week and last week.  I think we will stick with this for a couple months and see what happens.

Places we're going and people we're seeing....

We had a fun play date with a friend of our from our homeschool group this week.  We wanted to blueberry pick with them too, but the patch was closed.  Go figure!  We came back to our house and played.  It was fun!  The girls also played at their friends Abby and Suzie's house....of course it was awesome for them!

There was 4H camp, cupcake decorating, summer reading club signup at our normal library, and today we went to a one-room schoolhouse tour at a local metro park.  That was very fun and interesting!!!

My favorite thing this week.....

Not sure, had a pretty good week.  But one of the top things was daddy coming home from his trip.  And second was Caty teaching herself to swim.  It was amazing!!!

What's working for us....

The last couple of weeks having a 3 day workbox schedule.  I fill their boxes daily on those 3 "school" days and then we have 2 days off.  It seems to be working.  I spend the other two days making sure the kids understand their assignments and can answer questions or play catch-up if someone got behind on a project. Leaves me a bit more one-on-one time.

Things I'm working on.....

Actually decluttering areas, and reorganizing.  Next week, I will be taking a morning and just planning field trips for our homeschool group for several months.  I am going to work on painting their rooms in July/August.  And I am working on my front supply closet storage problem.  I desperately need shelving in there for all our supplies.  Working on it.  That's another whole post!

I'm reading....

I didn't get much reading done.  It was horrible for me.  I am reading what to the girls, so does that count?

I'm cooking....

Not much this week.  Joey requested shrimp alfredo, so made that one day.  I just played it by ear all week because Joe was gone.  But we didn't starve.  I did make super yummy sloppy joes the other night and GF hamburger buns for me to eat with that.  It was sooooo yummy!!!!

A photo to share....

This is hard this week.  I have so many cute ones.  I am doing a Summer of Coolness album on my Facebook page, with daily shot.  So I am watching for those moments when I normally don't think about grabbing the camera...and then regret that I didn't have it handy.  So lots of pics.

Lydia enjoying climbing trees at the schoolhouse tour this afternoon.

Linking up with other homeschool moms at iHomeschool Network.