A Catholic homeschooling family living in Maine, amongst the hummingbirds and pine cones! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Wed, 27 May 2009 04:43:00 -0500 Wed, 27 May 2009 04:43:00 -0500 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! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/692984/ Wed, 27 May 2009 04:43:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/692984/ 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.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/692082/ Sun, 24 May 2009 06:15:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/692082/ 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! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/687622/ Sun, 10 May 2009 18:29:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/687622/ 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!   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/687504/ Sun, 10 May 2009 13:02:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/687504/ This week I've been reading a fascinating book on Fr. Sebastian Rale, Black Robe on the Kennebec by Mary R. Calvert.  I first heard about Fr. Rale several years ago, and now am so pleased to have found a well-written biography by a Maine author.  Calvert's home town of Madison, ME, was once home to the Norridgewock Indian village where Fr. Rale's mission was located. To sum up, Fr. Rale was a French Jesuit priest who came to the New World to spread the faith.  After years of studying the core Indian languages, he created an Abenaki dictionary (over 500 pages) to assist other missionaries.   After many years of service to the Abenaki, he and most of the village were slaughtered by the British with the assistance of the Mohawks.   We simply cannot begin to imagine the privations and sufferings Fr. Rale endured during his long missionary years.  Yet he was able to write to his brother, "You may well believe, my dear brother, that, whatever hardships a missionary may undergo, he is well repaid for his trials by the sweet consolation he experiences at haveing admitted an entire tribe of Indians into the way of salvation." (Calvert, p. 133) I'm designing a quilt square for my American history redwork quilt in honor of Fr. Rale, and we are planning a trip to see the monument in his honor at Madison.   We've also been fortunate to see the items housed in the Maine State Museum which were stolen from the village during the masacre of Fr. Rale and his flock - items such as his strongobx, inkwell, chapel bell, and the very crucifix he wore around his neck during his martyrdom.   (Interestingly enough, the Maine State Museum lists these objects as having been the property of "Sebastian Rale" but fail to mention he was a Catholic missionary or any details of the destruction of the village at Norridgewock.) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/686152/ Wed, 6 May 2009 05:06:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/686152/ In case this is helpful to anyone, I had created a spreadsheet for myself of the resources I would need for Preparing Hearts for His Glory, weeks 1 to 12.  This is to help me keep on top of my inter-library loan requests - I needed a visual! Preparing Hearts Resources Weeks 1 to 12 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/663121/ Fri, 27 Feb 2009 09:43:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/663121/ Catherine and I recently spent a day visiting my sister.  She's been having fun decorating and her home looks just like an English cottage!  Lovely!  Be sure to check out the little mouse door she added at the base of her stairs.   I think it's the cutest thing I've ever seen! Catherine and Karen Being feasted for a whole day. . .heaven! THE DOOR. . .I just love it!   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/659528/ Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:05:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/659528/ Be sure to check out the Patchwork Cottage blog, written by another single homeschooling mom here in Maine.  I really appreciate her encouragement and commitment to homeschooling.  The article on Homeschooling in Hard Times is great! While some have expressed concern that certain families may no longer be able to homeschooling, with moms needing to return to the work force, we also have heard stories of families who can no longer afford private school during these tough times.  What are you seeing in your area? http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/659145/ Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:56:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/659145/ One of the sacrifices we plan on making for Lent again this year is to go meatless. One would think it would be easy to find a small cookbook entitled, "Meatless Meals for Lent for Real People." I can assure you, no. There is no such thing. In case it is helpful to anyone, here is my tentative meatless meal plan for Lent. This is based on last year's meal plan. I also will try to post a few good Lenten recipes from my collection of World War II recipes during Lent.  I'll be trying some of these out as I go! Here is another helpful post for your planning - a Lenten Calendar from Trinity Acres.   A different calendar is shared by Shower of Roses. Finally, please check my archived post for the Stations of the Cross Grotos craft.  We gave our set to my mom as a gift, so we'll be making more this week for praying the Stations on Fridays during Lent! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/659110/ Tue, 17 Feb 2009 06:10:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/659110/ Happy St. Valentine's Day to you and yours! We had a great time adapting this fun craft project from Pondered in My Heart.  Here's how the one for Grammy turned out. We had fun with this, using some Valentine-themed scrapbooking materials picked up from the Target dollar aisle in January.  Sam secretly made one for Catherine, and Catherine secretly made one for me! Here is a photo of the St. Valentine's Day breakfast table: And a link to an interesting article on the Saints Valentine.  Did you know there were three? http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/659109/ Sun, 15 Feb 2009 04:00:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JennyMaine/659109/