Tales of a Homeschool Nothing ~ Week 2 ~ Stewardship & Time, 4H Field Trip, & a Birthday

Well, we have week 2 under our belts, but we still don't have a good schedule. We studied time management - OOOPPPPS! maybe I need to revisit this lesson myself! hahaha

Stewardship: "using, not abusing everything that God has given us."

I really really really ok sorta tried to do better this week! I really really, honestly really wanted to do better this week! But so far, I can't get in the bed before midnight & since I get up 2-3xs with Logan every night, its a little hard to get up early, bright eyed & bushy tailed so we can start "on time". Hey, who decides what's "on time" anyway? Oh yeah, I do! Yeah! We are starting on time then! lol

Anyway, this week we learned how to be good stewards - not only with time, but with our money, resources, talents, & bodies. We studied telling time, clocks - how they work & how not all of them show the exact same time, & how to cut something into half & quarters. This was more for Makenzie. She thought it was hilarious that in the time it took to look at a digital clock, get the correct time on our Judy clock, & recheck the digital clock - the time had changed & we needed to start over again.

We don't have "official" school on Tuesdays. This is reserved for Keepers/Contenders of the Faith, 4H, Nature Studies, & oh oh oh - I'm so excited service projects. So Tuesday, we participated in a 4H field trip to the lake & had a nature hike.

Wednesday was Justin's 30th birthday so not only did I have to make his cake, but I had to run to town to buy it - yep, I forgot! No, I didn't forget his birthday, just the cake. Its not like I don't have anything else to do. Then, I had to run back out to town to pick up his present because it hadn't arrived (special ordered) when I was in town the first time. Side note: If you have ever been trying to get anything done with kids & have to interrupt it not only once but twice, you know just how much we got accomplished Wednesday afternoon.

Well, Justin was supposed to go out of town on Thursday for the weekend, so we took the day off to spend time with him. Thankfully plans changed & he didn't go, but we could have done school....oh well.

Like I said, its only the 2nd week. Hopefully, we will find that routine soon or my 6 week on 1 week off schedule will have to go if we want to enjoy summer!

Tales of a Homeschool Nothing ~ Back to School Part 2 ~ Obedience, Mother May I, & Lighthouses

After an insane beginning to our "back to school" week, Thursday & Friday were relatively calm. Since my schedule had already been altered, I decided to just focus on our Unit Study from Konos for the rest of the week.

We started out by studying obedience, authority, & light. The kids learned who to obey, why we should obey, & what happens when we do not obey. (Now, let's see if they can obey!!!)

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right."  Ephesians 6:1

For fun we played "Mother May I?". Of course the kids loved that part!


We also spent a lot of time talking about lighthouses. We learned how beneficial lighthouses are, how much hard work goes into keeping the lighthouse working, & how lonely life in a lighthouse can be.

The Little Red Lighthouse & the Great Grey Bridge
As I was reading this children's classic, God kept sending comparisons my way. The little lighthouse was proud of what he could do & how important he was until he fell into the shadows of a mighty bridge. I thought about how many times we get too big for our britches & then God shows us how little we are. Then when the bridge told the lighthouse that it was still needed, I realized that God still wants to use us.

Austin found a different similarity. He saw the parallel between the lighthouse showing ships the right way to go & how we need to lead sinners to Jesus. I just love the honesty & simplicity of children!

Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie
This is a true story of a young girl who has to grow up while her father goes to the mainland for supplies. During his absence, the stormy winter season sets in & delays his return. Abbie not only has the tiring job of manning the lighthouse, but she must also care for her sick mother & younger sisters. Call me sentimental but this simple little story brought tears to my eyes!

The highlight of our week...da da da dum...THE LIGHTHOUSE

We made a lighthouse out of a bottle, a 6 volt bulb, a bulb holder, a 9 volt battery, some wire, & a switch so we could cut it off and on.We aren't quite done with the "beautification process" but the idea is there. After a little trial & error, and some research, Austin & Makenzie were absolutely amazed that we could make this work. I can't wait until we get it finished.

The Worst/Best Dr. Visit Ever

We started reading The Best School Year Ever last week. I thought this would be a fun way to break back into school mode! I had forgotten just how fun it was to read about these crazy kids. Austin & Makenzie are enjoying it & are having a hard time realizing that there really are kids in this world as rough as the Herdmans. For that matter, I have a hard time remembering that there are kids out there like the Herdmans. Then, I'm drawn back to reality...

I took Logan to the Dr's office today for his 2 month check up. It was PACKED!!! I've never seen it so busy there. There were kids
e v e r y w h e r e! Some well behaved, quiet kids & some kids that just make you cringe. Some well behaved, polite parents & some parents that should have their parenting license revoked.

One little boy ran through the waiting room & tackled Austin. Or at least tried to! Austin just grunted & looked down at him. This little boy couldn't have been more than 6 years old. (If he would have been bigger, I would have said something.) The mom was nearby & didn't say one word.

I saw a little girl wearing a simple cotton dress & dirty play shoes spinning dizzily in front of the reception desk. Next she decided to run in circles around a pole.

I could hear almost constant squeals of laughter (or torment - I'm not really sure) coming from another room followed by an angry impatient woman's voice. Then, out of this same room, a child would come streaking out of the door, only to return just as quickly.

Where in the world were all the moms (excuse me, parents - just so I can be PC) & how on earth did all these unruly children get scheduled for the same day?

Ding! Epiphany! Way to go Sherlock!

All of these kids were in the same family & the mother didn't seem too happy with the card she had been given.

As this family was leaving, the frazzled mom & all 6 of her stair stepped children, I heard a tired voice call out: "Is that all of them? Are there anymore left?"

I couldn't help but sympathize with the children of Woodrow Wilson Elementary School.

Midlife Crisis - I think so!

We all have wants & dreams. Sometimes we hold onto the same dream for as long as we can remember. From time to time, these dreams change as we grow & mature. Often times, we get some crazy hair-brained idea that sounds really good at the time, but in actuality, its anything but. That is the kind of dream I'm talking about tonight.

My lovely husband turns 30 next week ...... GASP!!!

Like many other people who reach an important milestone, he is um, evaluating, yeah that's the word.

He has had MANY (I cannot emphasize that enough) crazy hair-brained ideas interesting dreams. Some have actually turned out for the best, but a lot of them haven't. His latest obsession is a motorcycle. Yes, that's right, a two wheeled death machine!

When I was younger, I LOVED to climb on the back of a motorcycle with the wind in my hair & not a care in the world. Hey, guess what? I'm not young anymore & I have a lot of cares now. Life isn't just about me or him now, its about those beautiful children sleeping in their beds!

I tried reasoning - no luck. I tried begging - nada. I would demand if I thought it would work, but that's not my style. I have never told him what to do & I'm not going to start now.

So, to my dismay, there is a shiny new toy in our driveway just screaming to be ridden.

I better not see this again when she turns 16!

Pardon me while I go increase our life insurance.........

Tales of a Homeschool Nothing ~ Back to School Part 1 ~ A Party, The Cow, Hairbows, & Kindergarten

WOW! According to that title, we've been BUS-Y. And, yes we have, we always are! But, with all of my planning, things didn't go exactly the way I thought they would...... imagine that!

Makenzie's FIRST day of Kindergarten

We really made a big fuss Sunday night & again Monday morning about it being Makenzie's very first day of school. She was excited, we were excited, then it hit me..... I hadn't "planned" for the 1st day of kindergarten! You can't just jump right into working on the very first day of kindergarten!!! So I quickly adjusted & we played with new school supplies, read fun books, & talked about our upcoming year.  Then we got back on schedule.

The Cow
(you REALLY DON'T want a picture of this one)

During our lunch break on Monday, we found out that one of our cows would soon have her calf. Austin just lives for anything farm related & he has obsessed over this cow for over a month now, anxiously waiting & watching for this calf. So, being the wonderful, ingenious parent/teacher I am, I let both of them take off with the hopes of a life lesson being learned. Well, with life being what it is, she never did have that calf on Monday......

The Party

Our homeschool group had a Back to School Party Monday night. We ate, we socialized (yep, got that issue taken care of for the whole year- lol), we ate, we played in the water, & we ate. I think that they all had a great time!

Hairbows



This is just the 3rd -8th graders.

 I have been making hairbows for the East Wilkes Sertoma Cheerleading squad. This has been a HUGE undertaking
(60-some all together), especially with everything else going on plus a new baby. It has taken a little longer than I expected. So considering that the 1st game is Saturday & I wasn't done, we took Tuesday off. Yes, you heard me, the second day of school & already taking a break! Don't you wish that I had been your teacher in school?! hahaha
We ended up taking Wednesday off too! I told you, these hairbows were taking longer than I thought!


Back to The Cow

... So, we waited on nature to take its course ALL day Tuesday as well. The vet was called, the cow was prepped for a c-section & a hysterectomy because she was so young. We wait & we wait...sounds just like a human birth! Late into the evening my father in law called & told Justin to get over there because (& I quote) "this is something that God has never seen before! Well, needless to say, this had us all curious. My first thought, honestly, was "what did a horse breed with her"? Yeah, I know, but it was so funny & I was in the moment! .... wait, wait, wait, wait (because I was at the house & Justin was at the farm) ... Long story short-ish = the calf was severely deformed. The vet said it was a 1 in a billion case & wished he had a jar big enough to preserve it. The momma cow ended up dying overnight & a life lesson was taught. It just wasn't exactly the one I thought it would be. That's what I get for trying to plan again!

Now, hopefully we can get back on schedule.

Tales of a Homeschool Nothing ~ Ready or Not

Can someone PLEASE tell me just what happened to summer?!?! It has passed us by in a HOT blur! Somehow, summer seemed a lot shorter this year than it did last year. Last year, we went swimming at least 2-3 times every week, we enjoyed the free movies in Jonesville, we participated in 3 library programs, we cooked out, we had friends over, & we went camping. This year, we still went to 2 different library programs & loved the free movies. My kids also enjoyed 3 different Bible Schools and they spent some time at the pool but for some crazy reason, I don't have a tan! Oh yeah, I remember, we added Logan! He pretty much monopolized ALL of my time. I literally went to the pool 5 times all summer long & 2 of those were at night! Not to mention, it was too hot to do much of anything outside most of the summer.

Well, anyway, as summer draws to a close, my thoughts turn to cooler nights, crisp air, colorful leaves, football, & school ......

Wait, did I just say school? Holy cow! Really? Already?

I have been planning & praying & worrying & buying curriculum & worrying & planning & praying & obsessing & researching & praying & worrying & planning & organizing & ... did I mention planning? What about worrying? Well, I've been praying too! (this is where my OCD / "CDO" comes in at)

We had a good year last year, so what did I do? I decided to CHANGE EVERYTHING! bwaahahaha Yep, I couldn't leave well enough alone. Not only did I change curriculums, but I am adding a Kindergartner & a baby! Gluten for punishment, I guess.

I really am excited about the upcoming year though & the kids seem to be too!

So, in a mad last minute frenzy nicely organized manner, my husband graciously helped me redo our bookcases. YEAH!!! We are really cramped for room, so we have to make do with the kitchen table. (oh, what I wouldn't give for a brightly lit, spacious room with.......oh sorry, I was dreaming again)

Ready or not - Monday here we come!

 

 

Our "current" bookcase.
This holds most everything that
we should need for this year.
We are also trying out
 WORK BOXES.
Hopefully this will help with
the simplicity & organization!



 



My Calendar.
As you can see, its still in the bag ~
Hopefully we can start soon!



I LOVE Brian Quest!

Thankfully, the kids do too!



  

File Folder Games

 



History





History & Science



Reference & Literature





Art



Flashcards

Why Does This Drink Taste Funny?



The kids got a little confused when
Justin asked them to load the
dishwasher because he was going
to mop. They  tried to wash the
dishes in the mop water.



I'm not sure about your family, but here at the Bauguess Manor, I am not the maid. Wait, let me repeat myself so that my husband & kids heard me..... I AM NOT THE MAID!!!





Hold up, who am I kidding? Unfortunately I get stuck um, blessed with the majority of the household duties. I'm sure its like that in most homes. That's ok, I really (choke) don't (choke) mind (choke). At least, most of the time, I don't mind. What I do mind is when everyone starts leaving their "stuff" laying around until I get aggravated enough to pick it up. Like I said, I'm not the maid.

Austin mowing for the first time.
His feet don't even reach
all the way down.

I do insist that my kids (husband too - hehe) help with the chores & when I really mean it, they really pitch in. Amazing.....maybe I should use my "are you mad" voice more often! It seems to scare inspire them to do things.

 So anyway, we do believe in child labor around here & it doesn't matter what our government says, there's no "law" against it! The big down side to all of this help is simply the fact that if someone else does the job, it might not be just exactly the way that I like it. Sorry, its that overly obsessive, controlling nature in me! The up side is that my kids are learning to be responsible, self reliant, & part of a team.....I HOPE!


Makenzie canning pickles.





Logan surpervising!