May. 27, 2009 - Keeping Records for High School Homeschooling
I thought I would share some photos of the log book I created for my kids. Trying to explain it in an e-mail or online forum makes it sound more complicated to create than it really was. As a visual learner, I know that I need to see something in order to get it.
First, I have a slim binder for each child. I tried to select colors that wouldn't just get buried on my desk. Knowing exactly what color to look for makes these stand out when they are stacked amidst a towering pile of textbooks on the kitchen table!
 
If you are using a full service curriculum provider (such as Seton Home Study), you no doubt have prepared lesson plans as well as forms for tracking grades and attendance. If not, don't walk. . .RUN over to Donna Young's amazing site of free homeschooling forms and start printing!
In addition to pages for tracking grades, I found that I needed a good daily log book to jot down what was actually accomplished each day as well as the minutes/hours spent on each subject. In the past, I've used the Notgrass Record of the Lifestyle of Learning and I liked it ok. However, the administrative assistant in me just couldn't leave well enough alone. I wanted something similar, but needed to customize it for my family. I kept a similar format, because I love how you can see in an instant which subjects haven't been completed yet today, before one day off from Latin becomes a week off from Latin! So, in case it's helpful to others, here are photos and an explanation of what I created in a very short time in Works. I create these pages one month at a time, which only means freshening up the weekly planner page four to five at a time. Easy, easy.
This is the page that would be on the left-hand side when I open up my binder to start our day. This is a weekly planning page, so it stays right here on the left side for one week. I can jot down outside activities, such as piano, choir, and babysitting. I note the amount of time spent on these activities. I include our devotion for the month, saints for each day, and a Rosary schedule. Remember to use your 3-hole puncher on the right hand side of this page, not the left! 
On the right hand side each day is the log page. I print off five of these for the week, and just put a fresh one on top each day. This is where you can customize your log to reflect the materials you are using. Boxes can be titled "Latina Christiana", "Apologia Physical Science", and so on. Then you need only jot down which pages were completed, that a quiz was taken and the grade (if desired), etc. It is so easy to quickly make a note of how much time was spent on that subject. I have a bright red date stamper that I use on these pages, although in this example it looks like I had just written the date by hand. I also stamp the date on completed workbook pages, quizzes, tests, and so on.
You can see here that you simply place the next day's log page on top of the first, which keeps your left-hand weekly planning page visible each day.
Finally, don't forget to add things to your log book that help keep you motivated. I like to put poems and quotes from the Saints which are meaningful to me. Here is a poem I recently added to the front of one log book. It is called "Do The Next Thing" and is about fulfilling our duties with fidelity, something crucial for the success of any homeschooling mom!
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May. 24, 2009 - Charitable Knitting
Catherine and I have been interested in doing some knitting and crocheting for charity. We were so excited to read in the April issue of St. Maria's Messenger that there is an organization which collects and distributes to crisis pregnancy centers nationwide. The article included a pattern for knitted baby booties, and I was amazed at how fast I could make these even though I'm fairly new to knitting. The simplicity of the pattern makes it a breeze to work on in the evenings, at odd times (waiting in the doctor's office), or to peck away at here and there when you only have a few minutes to knit.
Other items accepted for donations include baby washcloths, baby toys, even the ziploc bags needed to distribute the items!
We will be contacting the Sisters of Life to see if they also accept donations like this. If so, we hope to bless them with some hand-made contributions.
Let me know if you have a favorite charitable knitting project! One homeschool mom mentioned that she makes afghans for a local veterans home.
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May. 10, 2009 - A Rose for Mothers Day
We had a wonderful breakfast with mom - Catherine made Eggs Benedict. Yum!
Here is a photo of the pink rose Sam bought for me. They each also got me a necklace and earring set. So pretty, it was hard deciding which to wear today!
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May. 10, 2009 - Musica Sacra in honor of Our Blessed Mother
This afternoon our parish held a wonderful concert in honor of Our Blessed Mother. Catherine was thrilled to participate as a member of St. John's Choir. The music included Mozart's Regina Coeli, various settings of the Ave Maria, and more traditional Marian hymns.
The choir loft and pipe organ. Catherine is second from the right.
(My digital camera and the interior of St. John's do NOT get along! LOL)
Catherine is behind the girl in the bright green dress.
Catherine and Jen at the reception following the concert
Catherine, my mom (Charlotte), and Sam
We're so grateful to be at a parish with a choir director who is truly gifted, and a music ministry which incorporates the traditional use of the pipe organ and choir!
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