Starting October

We've been homeschooling for about a month ago.  Our calendar says we've had 12 days of school, but counting field trips we are up to 20ish...so a month.  All in all it has gone well.  That said, there are days, like today, when I wonder what I'm doing and wouldn't he be better off with someone who wasn't just on the verge of loosing her patience!  Some days we seem to get so much done in such a short time, and some days it feels like we've been doing school forever and have yet to finish 2 subjects.  I feel tied to curriculum that I've chosen and that I like, but I feel like I'm not leaving enough time for the "fun" stuff...the history and science projects that I'd like to do.  Rigel makes it harder too because I'll have a great project planned (mummifying a chicken anyone?) and Rigel will say he doesn't want to do it because it will take time away from what he wants to do.  He wants time to play with dad and make things and I want that too!  And it's not like we are doing so much school that there isn't time for this, he has lots of free time!  It's just a balancing act that I have yet to master!

I am supposed to be taking an online class to go with Lori Pickert's "Project-based homeschooling" book, but frankly I've barely read the assignment.  It is supposed to be about improving our journaling of our children's learning and how they do it best.  Her example has lovely post it notes and pictures of their daily activities...I can't manage to update this blog more than once a week.  I guess I need to step back and work on just noticing more what works and what doesn't work so well in my homeschooling with Rigel. Ultimately I'd like to do a lot more Rigel-driven projects, I really do.  I don't want to just try to pour knowledge into his mind, I want to ignite a love of learning!  That's one of the main reasons he is home this year.  That said, the other main reason is because I want to help him develop his basic skills, primarily reading, to a much more independent level so that when he returns to school he can handle working more independently.  I really do think we are going to get there, but I think a large part of how we are going to do it is using the curriculum that I've purchased.  It's good stuff in there and so I want to do it... It just all takes time and somehow the "academic" stuff seems to take too long and the self-driven stuff doesn't seem to fit in.  I'll work on it!

This past week has had some high points though including climbing Mt. Kearsarge, Rigel finally getting to make his own bow thanks to Darik's help, playing soccer on the rec team, and starting percussion and lego classes.  Mom came to visit too and we had a really special time going to the Boston Science museum to see the Dead Sea Scrolls.


OK, now onto the pictures...


Rigel is beginning to read more to himself in bed....now to get him to go to sleep!

He LOVED this kit.

Mom's mom made mom this dress when she was a little girl.  While my Grandma has passed away, I'm sure she would have loved to see this special moment.

Climbing Mt. Kearsarge

Learning the concept of "squaring" a number pyramid style!

Rigel with his handmade bow...

And River with hers.  She is not Katniss yet!

Rigel at his soccer practice tonight.  He's had 5 practices with this group this year and it has been great!  I doubt high level soccer is in his future, but he plays with heart and compassion and that is more than good enough for me!

Meanwhile on the sidelines....

Back in the game!

Mommy, take a picture of me doing this!

Rigel's team photo.

So today wasn't an "official" homeschool day.  By that I mean I didn't plan any curriculum and we have yet to touch a book.  Today doesn't get a star on the calendar because we don't do calendar on days we don't school at the house.  But today we learned and had fun!

This morning we went to Massabesic Audubon for a "Wee Wonders" lesson on birds.  The teacher, Miss Kim, is fantastic!  While River largely loves collecting pretty berries and leaves outside, Rigel really enjoys the material, which was on migration today.  The kids also got to see fish and frogs which River loved to touch because she's River!

Then back to the classroom for a craft.  Today was making a bird with flapping wings.  River took great care in her coloring to make it a rainbow bird. She normally doesn't seem to enjoy coloring too much, but today she loved it and was very proud of the result.

Then we drove to a fellow homeschoolers house to learn about beavers and see evidence of beaver activity.  While we didn't see any actual beavers, we did see a lot of trees that had been dragged away by beavers as well as areas where they are currently working on trees.

River and Rigel also had new nets that they had never used.  River decided to try to use hers as a hat.... it isn't.  In short, she got her head stuck (with part of the net filled with dirty leaves as well!)  It took a while, but we were able to get the net off in a couple of minutes and the cut on her forehead is minimal.

Rigel greatly enjoyed jumping from rock to rock. River takes a different tact...she just walks on in.  It wasn't long before the water was over the top of her boots.

River decided that all that lovely, goopy mud needed to be experienced. She finger painted herself and her shirt and generally had a wonderful time!

However before getting her in the car I had to try to get some of the mud off of her. I turned her shirt inside out, wiped her arms off with the shirt, and then let her run around shirtless...she's 3 after all.

The place with the beavers also had baby ducks.  River LOVED holding them!

And thus ends another day of homeschooling Velez style.  I'm realizing that I need to loosen up.  That my immediate initial reaction to not go see the beavers because we were going to do "academic" stuff in the afternoon can be let go.  There can be lots of kinds of learning...and it isn't all in books.  So today we didn't read or writing or compute.  But we shared and touched fish and met other children and figured out where a couple new New Hampshire towns are.  It was a good day....mud and stuck head and all!

This another photo bomb of the last couple days of our homeschooling.  We were gone over the weekend at mom's and that was fun too.  I want to write pretty prose, but for now a photo list will have to do.  This week should be exciting though in that we are learning about ancient writing and then going to see the Dead Sea scrolls at the Boston Science museum.  Rigel is working on cuneiform and hieroglyphics.  We are also calling it a field trip day tomorrow and going to Massabesic Audubon and then to look at beavers.  It should be a good week!

Rigel working on his "All about Reading" fluency sheets.

 River wanted to do school too.

Mom was fixing a leak in her skylight.  She invited the boys to come up for a picnic lunch!

Hi world!

 Looking through the skylight.

 Roof monkeys!

Cousin time.

 We read "How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World" and then went to pick apples.

 My little apple picker.

 And mom, the homecoming queen of dandelion leaves!

 Jared in a tree...

 My long-haired, handsome boy!

 Look what Jared found...

I then worked with both boys to make an apple pie...

 River decided to put herself to sleep....she must have been tired!

 Rigel and Jared were flying a kite at Dad's place.  It got caught in the tree....

 Rigel LOVES his 7 month old cousin!

 Visiting Dad!

 Race time...we went to a kids fun run with Rebecca and family.

This morning I wrote "Hi" in cuneiform on Rigel's white board.  I left the key on his desk.  He figured it out and then we spent some more time writing messages to each other.  Then, after a long time thinking about what he might want to write, he wrote a clay, cuneiform tablet that says "Velez Family" to hang outside our door.  Won't the students be puzzled!

Rigel's name in cuneiform....

 And hieroglypics.....

And so with that we start the 3rd official week of homeschooling (not counting field trip days and coop days).  It's been a good ride thus far.