An Extra Ordinary Life - Homeschool Blogger

Feb 2009 Bushfires in Vic

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 20:30:00 -0600

Hi I have not been blogging at all in the New Year but today I am really feeling like I need to write something. The children have completed most of their school work today and now I have time to refelct on the devastating Bushfires that are around Melbourne at the moment. Bushfires are and have been a part of life here and most often when the weather turns as foul as it did Saturday you expect that something will happen. The winds are ferocious and hot often during the summer but when they come with 46c/115f temps they are deadly. That is what happened here Saturday. I was actually at a wedding and the poor bride looked like she was melting.We saw smoke and thought that it was a grass fire near the airport but in the last few days have come to realise that it was a Bushfire north of us that has killed a dozen or more people and devastated hundreds of houses. A friend of mine lives up that way and she is amazingly doing the best for her community working at the relife centre in Kilmore. I should have thought the worse when we spotted a grassfire in a paddock on the way to the wedding and tried to call 000 and there was a cue. We then thought we would go to the fire station on the way but when we got there, all the trucks were gone and noone was around. All we could do was pray.

I have friends that are being touched by this and feel so useless and can only pray for them and those that are directly affected. It makes me angry to think that someone being careless or worse on purpose could have started all of this, like the cigarette throwing person who started the grassfire I witnessed and tried to get help for. Did someone consiously do that? I pray that they learn of what they have done and are brought to Justice for it.

My prayers are also with those who are afffected by the directly and indirectly and iipray for those fighting the fires and those who are caring for the fire victims and for the those who are and will volunteer in the near future to help rebuild. I pray for those who will need to rebuild their lives to be comforted and feel the hand of God around them.

This article touched me today:

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25025587-2862,00.html

This blog touched me today:

http://catalysed.com/missmaccypants/2009/02/09/how-fragile-life-is

p.s.if anyone reading this hcan help me find the piece of code which can straighten out my blog please tell me as I have no idea which part needs to be fixed up. Thanks in advance. :).

The End of 2008

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:45:00 -0600

Hi,

Wow ,I suppose since I was away in August and September and spent all of October and November trying to settle back in. It does not surprise me that we are up to the end of November and only weeks away till the end of our school year.

We had a great time overseas. I wish I had tried harder ot get the children to write in their travel diaries but I just did not have the heart. I figuire our photos tell most of the story.

I thought they might forget about the trip as they so quickly settled back into being at home but they surprise and please me by popping u with things they observed so that is good.

So how do I feel this year?? Well a lot more unsettled than last year but that is because the trip threw us off. I was worried about the things they had forgotten but they gained it all back phew..

I am looking forward to having the time to reflect and assess goals for next year.

The changes in the children are amazing moving on to the next levels especially Samuel and Sierra. They have come leaps and bounds. They did really grow alot when we were away.

I am really enjoying watching them get excited about the holidays too. They are wanting to do projects and make memories so cute. Even Joshua came up with a Thanksgiving card he made. It was so beautiful. I was thinking today that we have never not had Thanksgiving no matter what continent we are on.

So on to the next year year 6... amazed but still convicted

July

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:35:00 -0500

Here again finally,

I have been quite busy (ok read that amazingly busy). I have been organising the trip. On top of that we have had some American who have been interns at out church staying with us.

They are nice young people. I am sad though at how overwhelmed they were by their situation being here. It was a lot different than they expected and that in turn colored the stay they had with us :(. I wish them well and hope that one day they can see that just being slightly different could make all the difference to everyone. The children loved them anyway and cannot stop talking about them, which is good. I wanted them to have this experience.

Thursday was a great homeschooling day. A friend of mine called to say that there was a live dissection of a Giant Squid at the Melbourne Museum and did I want go and get there by 11.30am. I said no because of a doctor’s appointment. She then offered to take Samuel and Joshua and leave her daughter with me. It was a fantastic day for the boys and I am so pleased she made the effort. They even got on the Melbourne National Nine news here is a link. Samuel is in the 1st few seconds with my friend's son.

Squid dissected in museum
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/video.aspx?videoid=671fcb98-8f05-4f49-85cc-482bb9b49a09&tab=1

I am not sure how long they will keep it up. Those are just days when you love homeschooling.

The next day at home was a horrendous one and it made me really sit down with the children and refocus on why we are doing this :(. Getting back into it after the holidays is so hard. I keep getting distracted with the trip details. Must focus too.

June

Wed, 4 Jun 2008 19:15:00 -0500

Wow,

Here we are again in June. I am feeling really tired but it is expected to be like that this time of year. End of 2nd and all 3rd term are when I feel it the most. I seem to be up to date on most things which is unusual for me. Of course there is always more things that could/ should be done :).

We are planning a trip tp the US after 12years. I am amazed and will believe it when I am on the plane. I am so excited for the children. I am excited they will see my family for the 1st time as well as where I grew up. This opens up a whole new box of learning opportunities for the children and I am debating on which way to seize them. I osilate between letting them see or having some information. I suppose I should remember that I regret that I did not learn more about what was in Europe before I went rather than after.

So I guess I will be doing unit studies for most of 3rd term.

We have an American student staying with us at the moment and the children love it. They ask constantly where he is and what he doing. They are learning so much form each other.

A day in the life of the Redolfi Homeschool

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:00:00 -0600

When I started homeschooling something that inspired me often and still does was reading what a day in the life of other homeschooers was like. Nancy Lande's A Patchwork of Days was a God send. I was able to learn through reading these entries just how I wanted to create my own homeschool. Of course like all things it changes often. So when Susan at HomeGrownKids asked to write what my homeschool day is like here http://kerugma.net/blog/ I thought I might finally have enough experience to write a day.

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So let me see. The school year for us has started way back in January on the 15th as in February we has our annual homeschooling camp at Lorne Vic and we also had a 4 day trip to QLD. We stayed at Burleigh Heads. It was nice but this week has been slow to get back into the routine.

Today....

5.50 Daddy gets up and goes to do his morning routine.

7.00am He comes in and kisses me goodbye. I roll over and think about my day.

7.30 am-Joshua comes in and asks if he can turn on the computer.

9.00am- Samuel came in and asked for his turn on the computer. I get up and have a shower. The children have made their beds and are dressed. We decide to make breakfast. I make some semolina as it is cold this morning. The children get bowls of cereal. Joshua makes some toast.I sit down with them as they eat and read from Leading Little Ones to God. We say a prayer for our school day.

9.50am -Dh calls to say have a good day.

10.00am - the children opt to start their schoolwork at 10.30 instead of starting right away.

I call a friend and cancel coming to the bible study at her house this afternoon as I am truely exhausted from the week. I need to go out this evening to a Gooc party and thought with how tired I am it is either one or the other. I put on a load of washing and check emails.

10.35am- I call the children to their Math. Samuel and Sierra work rapidly to complete theirs with me being called away for the computer a few times to answer questions. I am really trying to get them to work independantly as Joshua had me all the time with him and does not like to work on his own. I often need to sit with him to complete work even though he is quite capable to do it himself. Samuel starts on the kitchen bench them moves to sit neat me at the computer. Joshua is in the loungeroom sitting at the coffee table. Sierra starts in the playroom and then moves to the computer room floor behind me. Samuel and Sierra finish and Joshua is still going. They get a few minute break as I clean up from breakfast.

11.30-I then start their LLATL. I ask them to start writing some sentences as I look through a book on Grammar.

12.00-They finish this as Joshua finishes his Math Saxon 5/4. I give Joshua a few minutes break and then call him over to look at his Math and then start his LLATL. He has to write a paragraph and we have a discussion on choosing to write as little as possible and doing as the lesson asks. He chooses to write the minimum on the paragraph :(. I then dictate the whole literature passage to him instead of part as I had planned.

1.30pm -Time for lunch. I make sandwiches for myself and Sierra. Maccaroni and Cheese for Samuel and a meat Pie for Joshua. I read aloud from Julie of the Wolves. Only a few pages today as the kids lose interest. I like reading it and remember it being read aloud to me at school.

2.30pm- I give them another break and check emails. They decide on their own to get out drawing paper and drawing books and start drawing. Before they get too far into it I ask them to get the map work out for STOW 3 and the coloring pages and get them to start that as I sweep the floor around them. When I am done I read the mapwork instructions.

3.15pm-they have free time the rest of the afternoon. They are doing watercolour painting. And now drawing on the chalkboard practicing their names in cursive.

Tonight -when daddy comes home they will practise their speeches for speech club next week. They are more like book reports really for their ages.

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I have found this year to achieve my goals I am needing to be home more. I was out three afternoons a week but feel that two is enough this year.

I have left my job as a Coles check out chick and that is a blessing. How much time and energy did that take. Getting ready to go on holiday was so stress free as I had all the time in the world. No nights away from home.

I am still the co-ordinator of our group but that just means being at a meeting once a month and setting up a few annual events. The group has gotten pretty big and we are finding it easier to meet on an individual family basis than as a huge group.

We had our 5th homeschooling camp and it was great to see how much the children had grown since our 1st one.

This is our Mums' with only a few not there, we have 80 children between us!!!

Wow it has been a while since I wrote and I am glad I did.

End of the 2007 School Year and Christmas Eve

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 23:04:00 -0600

I was reading blogging basics from the team at tos and could not resist coming here and writing a blog.

I was also thinking about some of the things they said about blogging and found myself nodding and agreeing. I was agreeing especially to the thought that a blog can be a gift from someone. I so many times have had a browse around here on the site and found someones thoughts and feeling made an impact of my life and gave me ideas on just how I can make this journey better .

I was thinking this morning the last few years at this time I have been exhausted and weary. This year has been different as I am not weary. I am very reflective and thinking about next year but that can wait until after New Years. I think that I have cutting back on engagements and not working has made it so much nicer. Thank God for his blessings especially DH who goes out to work for us.

I finally feel I have a little bit of experience behind me. I know how to buy curriculum and I know how to set a program and go with the waves that come and try and knock you off your schedule. I also know that things will change but I am just happy that I have come to this point. I think I have the basics down. Now I need to fine tune and make goals for each child for the year. I love that I can see these things now. Again experience in parenting and homeschooling I think.

I am so happy and blessed with friends and fellow women of God who are trusting Him for their journeys. If you are reading this that includes you.

I know I have not blogged much this year but it is so nice to know I can come here and be in a place with others like me.

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and I hope to write more in 2008

Spring has sprung!!

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 00:31:00 -0500

We are doing lots of spring things (read that outdoors) these days and it is so nice as the children are older. We went to the Tulip festival and The Murray River and Mission Aviation Day in Coldstream Victoria .We love going there as the children get to go on joy flights and their Dad who loves flying get to go too. http://www.maf.org.au/

Here is a photo or two !!!

Tulip Festival Silvan Vic

MAF Plane

Children and Dh flying in Cessna at MAF day

A Message from God

Thu, 9 Aug 2007 02:24:00 -0500

Again another Month has gone by...

I had a busy July with school holidays and organising a weekend away with our Homeschooling Mums.If you haven't ever done it I recommend it. We are all from different denominations and back grounds but the one common thread among us is Our love of God and homeschooling. We went to a place called Kinglake homestead. It was really good and I had such a lovely time. When you are among a group of women it is always amazing. We are such emotional creatures. The theme was "Don't have too" you did not have to do anything you did not want to . Just recharge and refresh as you felt lead.

I found my self standing at the kitchen sink alot doing the dishes and was duelly teased about it. I love to talk but I guess I also need to have down time. Being at the sink made it so I could rest but still hear what was being talked about .

Anyways. We had an awsome Sunday devotion. I was going to plan somehting but decided to see what would happen.. God comes thru everytime. Someone asked to start it and it turned into a brilliant praise and worship that turned into a prayer laying on hands session (keeo in minds all the different denominations.) I have had an intimated experience with all these women but some barely know each other... Ahhh...

The question was asked we had any wonderous examples of God working in our life. I said "No" then said "that God always put a Chrisitan in my life whenever I needed someone." During our prayers session we were all convited how God can talk to usa thru nature. A friend mentioned how a rose bush that was given to her bloomed on her mothers 1st birthday after she dies.

I thought wow I have never had an experience like that. Well the day after I got home had a very bad day with the children. I screamed at them and then asked why I was still doing this even thought God had reminded me on the weekend that he had convicted both dh and I to do this homeschool journey.

Here is the good part. I went for a walk with Samuel my youngest boy. We passes a place where some lorikeets live and on the road. I looked and felt sad to see one lying on the road. They often swoop down to the grass on the other side of the road and get hit by cars. I supposed this one had been too. I went to move it out of the road and to my surprise it grabbed the stick.. It was alive when I thought it was dead...

Amazing then I thought what am I going to do. I walked the rest of the way home with it .. I kept thinging it was going to die. When we got home I called a friend who rescues animals and she said that he might just be stunned. It was true ... the bird got better within a couple of house and flew away.

God had spoken to me thru nature... awesome

June

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 02:58:00 -0500

Is it really June???

I was wandering around visiting other peoples blogs tonight and I thought hey I am actually in the mood to update mine :).

I still must try and learn to add pictures. Maybe next time I come up for breath.

Where have I been?? I suppose alot of time has been spent with my homeschool group. Since we have not been organising for our craft group we have had lots more time to socialize. I am enjoying that. There has been a period of transition in the group as some members have left and new people have joined leaving some of the ones that have been around for a long time wondering where they will fit in .

A few people that have joined our group are natural learners and it had set a fire in our group. A wind of change might be more like it. I have been enjoying it and often think of the phrase "Seasons" in our homeschooling journey lately (Thanks Susan) . I have always been the odd one out because I am so eclectic in my hs. Until now cyberspace has been where I communicate with people who are like minded. Now with a few new members it has all changed. An answer to prayer I might add. It has caused a bit of concern though for people who are not lead to learn this way. I guess as long as people are honest things will be good.

I myself am learning many things!! I attended the NHED conference and just loved hearing Eleanor Sparks, Beverly Paine and of course John Taylor Gatto. I missed the Christian feel though. As someone else mentioned I missed being edified and uplifted by the fact I was sittting with others that felt God had called them to hs. There were a few people but not alot. I was happy to see Muslims there too.

I hope that there will be a Big Picture Conference in the near future...I will definatly attend...I was talking to someone here about a hs camp here in Vic that would be good. I appreciated that my children were able to be out and about the HEN winter camp while we attended the conference. My dh was rapt to be able to hear John Gatto almost uninterupted.

Anyway, obviously things are going well. I don't think I could completely natural learn but I am not going to such a slave to the curriculum. If I get to Bible, Math and LA that is enough for a day if I get to more great. The rest of the day can be dedicated to their interests and mine too..which is another revelation..

The Start of 2007 Homeschooling Year

Tue, 6 Feb 2007 18:21:00 -0600

Well,

It has been a while since I have felt like blogging. I guess getting into the year so far has been pretty time consuming. I haven't changed much from last year, but was trying to tie up loose ends. We started back on the 15th of January which suits us very well actually. It is enough time off to catch our breath and then time to work our way back into it just as everyone else is going back :). We will take a break at the end of Feb when we go to homeschooling camp and then take the week off afterwards. I, of course, am really looking forward to it. A week at the beach yay!!.

The 1st few weeks have been very productive though especially the 1st week or so. Every day something was happening which made me think o.k. we have progressed since last year. Someone said to me once that they need time to process things and it is so true. I was was worried at the end of 2006 that Joshua was not writing enough...The 1st week of this school I found a piece of paper which he had typed printed and handed out to his siblings. It was a National Anthem to his imaginary country called Natureland.

By Joshua (starting Grade 3)

Ya ye ta to us and we are like a stone of life and we love our God.

Let's forget bad things and let's Remember good things. We Have big hearts and souls we love our God.

Let's make a strong nation and A good place.

Let's be fair and good to others.

Let's make good things.

Let's make ships,planes and trains.

This is every ones nation.

Nature land

Ya ye ta

I am just so proud that he wrote this from his own heart. It shows he is listening and learning from us is so many ways. He is in fact very proud I wanted to put this here.

Samuel and Sierra are working hard at their reading and doing so well. I just can't present phonics to them fast enough.

I have finally started to use copywork in an everyday way and I am so glad. It works out well for them all.

I am struggling however to add Latin, Art, and Music in a scheduled way. I do have the intention.. That is the joy of this you can add one thing at a time.

Hubby and I are feeling better spiritually and are going to activly seek a new church soon. I am praying for it to be sooner rather than later. Our homeschooling friends have sustained us though thank goodness for fellowship