Lessons All Around

We had a soft start to our school year two weeks back.  We read the religion for Catholic Coffee Club and the kids were required to do just 15 minutes of math each day.  We did spend several nights outside looking up at the stars.  It is so thrilling to see a shooting star.  One night we saw about 20, 3 were huge.  It was enough to hook us for the next several nights even though the local temps were hot and humid even at 11 pm.

Being that we were from St. Louis and they were in the path of totality for the eclipse this Monday.  We heard about it from all of our friends and families.  They had huge eclipse parties.

We tried to make the most of it and see what we could.  It was a very hot and steaming day that made it a quick lesson outside and more pictures and videos later.

by Goobers

We were planning a full start next week but now I am not sure that will be possible.  You see a hurricane is headed toward Houston.

I must say that this is the kind of learning that I find most exciting.  Please parents don't fret when life gets crazy and makes schooling difficult, just turn it into a lesson.

The kids continue with small faith lessons.  We are still doing the 15 minutes of Math (as long as we have internet).  We have all been causally reading or working with reading games online for at least 15 minutes.  Now mother nature has sent us another fun lesson to mess up our full on start.  We can and will postpone most other subject to make use of the natural learning that will take place.  The science of weather, the social aspect of a crisis, the humanity of helping those in need, the faith that God is powerful and bigger than a hurricane.

I love homeschooling.  I love these kind of annoying distractions.  They are were the real learning is. So if you get off track or are hit with a hurricane.  Just make it a life lesson and keep on learning.

Had to Share - grandma cooking meme

I am finding that these meme's are catching my attention more and more.  Maybe I am just becoming old and sentimental.  I love this one.

Year Later I get Confirmation on Homeschooling

 I am always so thankful when Pooker points out that benefits of her childhood and her style of education.  I remember giving her the lesson she describes.  I loved how inquisitive she was ( and still is.)  She was only 5 years old and asked me a question about why it gets dark at night if the sun isn't moving.  It was such an awesome question that it merited a real example.  As we used the flashlight (sun) and basketball (earth) and tennis ball (moon) I could see on her face that she was understanding what I was trying to teach.  She was "getting it" and was very thoughtful in her questions.  I had questions myself about homeschool a lot that first year, her kindergarten year.  This lesson happened and I realized that I wanted those moments with my daughter.  I LOVED seeing that "A-HA" moment when she understood the answer to her question.  I loved that she was more interested not less interested as we studied to find her answer.  I never knew it meant anything to her, but that lesson changed my resolve to be her teacher.  I find it very cool that 21 years later she still remembers it.

Pooker posted this on Facebook.  

"You can laugh at my picture. I am. This one is for mom though. 
I'm in the middle of my "professional leadership and development" class. Part of which requires a ton of reflection. We were asked to express in the "artistic drawing form" a memory from school after listening to a guided lecture. My first memory of official school was my solar system lecture. I remember going to the basement so we could use a flash light (because space is dark!) and mom using different size balls to represent planets and such. It was so cool to have that time with mom and you know what, I've loved the solar system my whole life probably because of that lesson.

Thank you mom  for homeschooling me. And thanks dad for working so hard so she can be at home.

Maybe we should have spent more time with art though?"
Thank you mom  for homeschooling me. And thanks dad for working so hard so she can be at home. 
Maybe we should have spent more time with art though?"

Ok so now I am off to work more art classes for the younger kids.  I love homeschooling as much today as I did that day.  Thank you, Pooker,  for the tears of joy!