Friday, September 21, 2007

We've Been So Busy!

I haven't really taken the time to write in my Blog. I am pretty sure no one is suffering too badly from not hearing from me in so long, but just in case, I'm sorry. :) As Philip is fond of saying "We're back to seeing friends THREE days a week!!" Our homeschool co-op, NIKE, started on September 13th. We only meet once a week, but it's a LONG day. We are there from 11-4, including a lunch/recess break. The kids absolutely love it! They're studying Literature, Ancient Civilizations, Science, Music (learning to play the recorder and read music!) and Art. I am so grateful that I have this co-op because it gives me the basis for everything else I'll do this year, plus, as everyone knows, I'm not that disciplined when it comes to buckling down and getting things done. Having to do "homework" is really helping me in getting everything else going for our homeschooling. For Literature, we are reading Charlotte's Web. At first, Philip wasn't really interested, claiming that he would only like to read things relating to Star Wars or Pokemon. Tyler insisted on participating in every single class. So, at the first reading of Charlotte's Web, Philip happened to be sitting with us. He pretended he wasn't listening. Then at the end of the first chapter, he happened to wonder aloud, "Why would a 10 year old want a pig?" (referring to Fern's older brother who decides he wants a pig after she saves Wilbur from "an untimely death.") So, Tyler wanders off saying he is done listening and then Philip was all ears! Tyler didn't listen again until tonight. He went to the class on Thursday, where they got to act out the second chapter, (while the co-op Mom was reading it aloud again, which I also LOVED!) and now Tyler is also all ears and even making comments in the middle of the readings. They insisted that we read all the assigned chapters tonight instead of doing one chapter each night. I am so excited at how interested they both are now and I just LOVE watching them get interested in things that *I want* them to be into, he he! I'll be teaching on Mesopotamia in a about a month from now, maybe less and then I'm doing a 5 week study on Evolution. Yikes!!! I really wanted to teach Evolution because Tyler is so interested and asking questions about how we came to be and who was the first Mom that had a baby in her belly and different things like that. But, my GOODNESS, it is HARD to narrow it down to a kids level (or even MY level!) and do it in only 5 weeks! I will do it mostly from a pre-made curriculum, cutting out what isn't absolutely necessary and going from there. Then, I'll teach all of what I didn't get to at NIKE to my kids at home anyway. The biggest problem is that the co-op decided to teach all the science based around the scientific method. How can I experiment with Evolution?? Really, I'll take any suggestions on that one cause I'd like to try fall in line with everyone else on this, and at the same time I'd really like to stick with teaching Evolution.
And now Philip will get to say "We're seeing friends 4 days a week!" because we've also joined a homeschool club called Young Explorers. We'll be meeting on Fridays. Phew! There's a plan for every Friday, but we get to pick which ones we want to attend. There are ballets and children's plays, trips to corn mazes and pumpkin patches, I'm organizing a field trip to our local water treatment facility, etc., etc. PLUS we have some of those events planned with our regular Tuesday Playgroup and on top of everything else, just a plain old Park Day every Wednesday. We are one BUSY, but very happy and sleeping well family! :)

3 comments:

Jenny said...

Wow, sounds great! My kids love Charlotte's Web also, what a great book! :)

Janine said...

It sounds like you are having a great time. Good luck teaching Evolution! It is a theory that has evolved (:-) into what some consider fact. It would be good for teaching hypothesis but as far as being testable...not really practical there. Make sure you get your Bible out too. Lots of very educated scientists believe in creation.

Tracee said...

I am teaching my children to have faith in God along with believing in how animals evolved and are still evolving. But I can in no way bring the Bible into it at our co-op! There are a wide array of religious backgrounds from Atheist to Buddhists, to Eckists, etc! I got the approval on teaching evolution but I know they won't approve teaching from the Bible, LOL!