I started out the first week with lots of plans and ideas! Some of them got done, some did not, and most got modified as we went along!

 

I had told the children we would be doing a unit study on Foxton, including exploring some of the local sites and attractions. And they were really excited about that! They couldn't wait to GO somewhere FUN! LOL

 

But, we started out the week, staying at home and talking about Foxton, working on copywork and doing Math. On Tuesday afternoon (NZ time), Cindy Rushton's new Back to the Heart of Homeschooling series began, and I was able to drop into the study for just a few minutes near the end of Cindy's presentation. I'm looking forward to hearing the full audio - but one thing she said in those few minutes that stuck was "go and have some fun with your children!"

 

So, next morning, we loaded everyone up and went to explore the Water Tower in Foxton, and the park around it. We found a garden where the word Foxton is outlined in brick, with the letters being garden beds (unplanted as yet this year). The kids enjoyed posing on the lettering for a photo.

         

 

Then we headed down the main street, and seeing as I had a camera with me, I decided to take some photos of this incredible mural that is on a wall opposite the supermarket. The younger children got the idea to pose in the picture as if they were the characters painted on the wall, and I snapped some pics. They LOVED it!

 

A moment later, my 9yo wrapped her arms around me and said "I'm having so much fun! I'm glad you're our mum, and that I don't have another mother to send me to school!"

 

What did we learn that day? A little more about our town - we also got an invitation to visit the radio station when they're broadcasting live one weekend. We got a close-up look at the water tower that we will be studying in more depth soon. Did we do any written work? No, apart from some notes the two older girls took at the water tower.

 

Was it worth it? YES! Be encouraged that some days, departing from the routine is a GOOD thing - it breathes life into your homeschool and your family relationships!

 

Later in the week, we had a field trip to the local windmill - this is an exact replica of a 17th Centuary Dutch Windmill. It was built by the local community, and is open every day. They grind grains, and supply flour and other products. We got to go up inside the tower, see the grainmill in action, and go out on the balcony and watch the sails of the mill swinging past - and they are FAST! We'll be writing up an article on the windmill - I've been suprised to find how little info is actually out there, so we will be doing some serious research!

 

 

During the week we also worked on making a keyword outline and writing our own narrative of the creation of Adam and Eve, and the children have been working well in their Math U See books.

 

Overall, it was a good week - though I felt like we didn't do as much as I had hoped. Funny thing about the first day back at school - you find out how many things you DIDN'T have as ready as you thought - what you're missing or need more of!

 

Oh, and we had our first official guest this weekend - my Dad - who was supposed to come Saturday night, but I found a message waiting for me when I finished our chat on Friday, to say he was on his way down then - so we spent the rest of the day rushing to finish the "spare room" - a caravan we were outfitting for that purpose. Over the last few days, we have recarpeted it, made curtains, modified a Queen size bed to fit, and got it all ready. I finished making the last curtain shortly after Dad arrived! We also got the whole house straightened up - the younger kids rooms had been a disaster since they got all their boxes of stuff from storage and just pulled things out willy-nilly, with nowhere to put anything! Nothing like an impending deadline to make me spring into action on things I've been procrastinating over!

 

Now to plan for this week.

 

 Do leave a comment before you go -  I love to hear from you!