South Breeze Farm

Oct. 2, 2007

My First Post

Because of Katrina's Fall Reading Challenge, I've discovered a few new homeschooling bloggers out there! It's been fun to learn more about them, and find out what they're doing in their home schools this year. At one point I considered starting a homeschool blog (I already have one, but it's only so I can post on HomeschoolBlogger blogs), but as often as I would get around to post things, I figured I could write about them every now and then right here. So I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to share what the girls and I are doing this year.

Each morning, they get a wake-up call around 8:30. In the next half hour, they're expected to make their beds, tidy their rooms, get dressed, brush their teeth and hair, and be down for breakfast at 9:00.

After breakfast has been cleared away and the kitchen tidied, we head for the Family Room where we do devotions together. Doorposts has a wonderful resource for training children called "For Instruction in Righteousness". I think the idea was for parents and children to go over chapters together when the kids experienced problems in certain areas. I have done it that way before. But this time, we're going straight through the book, spending about a week on each "sin". It's been a good Bible Study for us, we are enjoying it, and we're all learning how we can be more Christ-like.

While we're still sitting together, I read a chapter from "The Mystery of History". This is new to us this year, but we really like it! I bought card boxes and 4x6 blank cards for them to write their recap of each lesson, but we're already losing interest in that so I think we'll discontinue that part. Love the flexibility of homeschooling! =)

At this point it's around 10:00, and we move into the school room to hand out/receive assignments for the day.

Suzanne (Grade 4) does Abeka for Math, Spelling, Language, Reading Comprehension and Health. She also writes out her Bible Verse that she's expected to memorize for our mid-week kids program at church.

Brittany (Grade 7) does Abeka for Math, Health and Science. She also writes a little bit every day on a Creative Writing assignment, and works on her Bible Instruction Class (like confirmation) assignments for Sunday mornings.

Together, along with the devotions and Mystery of History, we are also reading our way through the Anne of Green Gables series with great enjoyment. What a delight to read them aloud to the girls! While I read, they can do a variety of things: play with their Playmobil dollhouse, create things with homemade PlayDoh or Sculpey clay, draw and/or color pictures on the fireplace hearth, or play farm. ("The farm" takes awhile to set up, so we leave that up for a few days. They are so creative in their play, using popcorn for corn, and black eyed peas for soybeans, etc. I should post a picture the next time they set it up.) It gives me so much joy to see them play together! AND play things like dollhouse and farm, especially for Brittany! =)

Most days, we are able to wrap things up before noon. While they're working on their individual assignments, I'm usually doing laundry, checking email, reading blogs, and getting dinner ready. We eat our big meal of the day at noon, when Gary's home to join us. (During spring planting and fall harvest, he gets sandwiches out in the field for supper.)

In the afternoons we sort of split up and do our own things. They have a few shows they like to watch on TV, or something they've DVR'd. Outside, they like to build forts/homes in the grove, jump on the trampoline, ride their horses, tear around on the go-cart or 4-wheeler, or just spend time lovin' on their cats. (Blech!) But sometimes I'll read more out loud to them while they play, or we'll go to town, or watch a movie. Some days we'll do a project, or clean a room, or bake something together. The days are never dull! =)

I hope this gives you a little idea of what our homeschooling days are like here at South Breeze Farm. I love living out in the middle of nowhere (well, most days!) and schooling the girls, and I pray we can graduate them from high school as we did their big brother, Brady this spring.

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