Homeschool Journal - 9/22

    

In my life this week...

I have been trying to get a few extra things done - putting away summer clothes, getting out winter clothes, preparing our wood stove for winter use, and I am hoping to put out my sweet fall decorations today!!!

In my homeschool this week...

We had a fairly routine week of school this week - nothing unusual, just continuing to press on and still enjoying the relaxing school routine that has come through implementing Charlotte Mason's methods in our schooling.  I did introduce the kids to the famous composer Mozart and his work The Magic Flute.  The kids loved listening to the Classical Kids CD, and we are delving into a short biography of Mozart as well as listening to some of his other works throughout the day. So far, the kids have been fascinated by it, and we have heard many new "opera" voices throughout the house! :)  This music mommy is happy!

What's working/not working for us...

I finally enjoyed an entire week of a decently clean house.  A clean house is important to me.  I feel like we cannot learn in a cluttered, dirty area. It's just the way I work, I guess.  I was struggling to keep it all together, and I finally decided last week that I would begin spending Saturdays doing all of the major housecleaning.  This gives me a clean house at the beginning of the week, and then, by assigning every one little clean-ups throughout the week, we were able to maintain it.  It's not the way I wanted to spend each Saturday, but it worked!  I also found the evenings during the week were not as tiring because I was not cramming house chores into every extra minute I had.

Things I'm working on...

I am still working on that thing called self-discipline.  I find it difficult to find the balance between sticking to something for the sake of self-discipline or calling it quits because it just isn't working for us.  For example, our entire household seems to function better when I let the kids sleep until 8 or 8:30, but something inside me keeps saying I'm raising lazy children if I don't help them learn how to get up earlier.   I also fell very short in several of my goals this week due to lack of self-discipline.  I am thankful that God is not finished working in me yet, and that, with His grace, I will keep improving.

I'm reading...

I am still reading in the 90 Day Bible Reading Challenge, and I am still...behind.  I have decided to stick with it and even if I am not able to finish it in 90 days, I will finish as much as I can in 90 days.  I also just began reading  A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola.  I have been surprised by how much I have enjoyed it!  It is a much easier read than I was expecting it to be.  I have only read the first few chapters, but I feel it is going to be extraordinarily helpful in further establishing our Charlotte Mason schooling.

I'm cooking...

My father-in-law planted a summer garden this year, and even though he did all the work himself, he has been so generous in sharing their abundance of tomatoes (and other yummies).  I made a delicious lasagna with those home-grown tomatoes and have also cooked and frozen a couple of batches of my mother-in-law's famous spaghetti sauce!  We're soaking up the Italian food here! :)

I'm grateful for...

This week I am most thankful for my sweet Mr.  Even though he believes I bring most of my problems, dilemmas and stresses upon myself (and he is right), he always helps me out of them.  By Friday, I was just plain exhausted.  The newbie has been cutting teeth and not sleeping well at night.  At 10:30 AM, the house was still not in order, the newbie had been screaming all morning, the other children were fussing at each other, and my little world was falling apart!!!  I gave the Mr. a very rare call over to work (he works just next door and has a flexible job, but I try hard not to take advantage of that).  He came home, put all the children back in order and even took the newbie to work with him for the rest of the morning/early afternoon!!!  Once we got the house in order, the kids and I finished school in 1 1/2 hours!!!  Maybe I should look into someone keeping the newbie while I teach! (I still laugh every time I remember the lady asking me who would care for my little ones while I was teaching the older ones!) I definitely am thankful for the Mr. who helps me - all the way from separating the frozen hamburger patties (which I worked on for 10 minutes with no success!) to taking the kids out so I can have a little space!  I love that man!

I'm praying for...

This week the kids and I each shared the one big thing we need to work on - self-discipline for me; attitude for another; getting along with a brother for another; not whining for one; and self-control for the last (not in any order, just in case you try to identify :) ).  We are all praying the newbie quickly cuts his teeth! :)  We found Bible verses for each problem we need to work on, and we are all praying for each other in these specific ways.  

A quote to share...

Be sure that your children each day have something or someone to love, something to do, something to think about. ~A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola

I am off to clean the house from top to bottom and possibly put out my fall decorations, but best of all I have a date with a wonderful man tonight!!! :)  Happy Weekend!