Tuesday, September 14, 2010

A New School Year with New Changes!

Ahhh...so here we are! I know I haven't been the best about keeping this blog up to date. I kinda gave out by the holidays! Well, hopefully that will change! So much going on, with not enought time to get all of it done...the story of my life!

Well, we started "school" a couple weeks ago...no exact date, since we've kinda trickled into it and are still trickling in.

Cashew has since graduated from our private homeschool! He is now attending a junior college, which he started last year in his senior year of high school. He's doing well...I'll write about his classes later...He's now able to drive himself to school with his own car (thanks grandpa!). The newest discussion is whether he should get a job.

Macadamia is in public high school. She survived last year and is now getting the hang of it. She's on the dance team, which she is enjoying, but misses being at home and hates the homework! Her grade point average has been about a 3.5, so no complaints from mom! She is still doing ballet outside of school.

Pistachio has decided he wants to postpone going to high school. The plan was to go to 9th grade public school this year. He was excited to play football. He has a fall birthday, so technically, or even legally, he qualifies to actually be in 8th grade this year. After thorough discussion, he decided he wants to wait one more year. Many factors swayed his decision, including playing college sports...he'd rather be 18 when he graduates instead of 17. Makes sense, and honestly, there's no rush to make them grow up fast! He's playing in a football league and training at an athletic gym designed to groom college athletes.

Almond is now in 4th grade...finding a writing curriculum is my biggest challenge. She's taking ballet at one studio, and jazz, tap, and lyrical at another. This year she is trying a jazz performance team.

Peanut is officially in Kindergarten! Well, that could change too, since she has a fall birthday, but for now, we are doing K level work. She's following her big sis and dancing ballet once a week, then jazz and tap, also trying the performance team!

I'm still working part time night shift, 2 times a week. My biggest challenge is making our schedule work! The gas money is killing me! Not to mention I don't get enough sleep!

My hubby is currently on shore duty. We are waiting for new orders, and hoping we don't have to move! If we don't move, we're looking at another deployment next year! Such is the life of a military wife!

Whew...well, there's my update! Hopefully I will blog at least once a week...once a month minimum! I have so much to say, just not enough time to write it! lol... Hmmm...I have't tried mobile blogger. I may give that a try too!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Slacking and lacking in the humanities department!

Confession...we've not had the chance to learn as much as I had planned for. Part of the problem was that teaching math has been an unpredictable event! Now that we are moving on with TT, I'm excited to get to more fun and exciting things! Shakespeare, art study, composer/music study, Plutarch, nature study... I'm going to go do some planning right now!

“The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.” ~Albert Einstein

Teaching Textbooks 4

Math has been a struggle for Almond. Not that she isn't good at it, she just doesn't like doing it...Somewhere in the process, she decided it was too hard, and didn't enjoy the daily drill. In first grade she began the complaining, whining and crying. I tried to switch curriculum to find the right fit... I know I've made mistakes, which probably didn't help the issue! I also went back and forth about really wanting a mastery program vs. spiral approach. I've tried Singapore, MUS, Developmental Math, Houghton Mifflin Math, unschooling with games and activities, a tutor, and Horizon... What I realized was that dd does need a spiral approach, or we'd be stuck in the same place for a LONG time! My other kids weren't that difficult...Pistachio used Saxon up until Algebra, and now uses TT as well (I never pushed the mastery thing with him because he is very gifted in math, and MUS annoyed him).

So I guess with all that rambling, I wanted to say that we have been doing TT for the last 2 weeks, and she loves it! She's been doing at least one lesson a day, without any coercion, tears, or complaining! Yay!

 
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