In my life this week…

I have to say this has been one of the busiest week’s ever in our home. Brandon started his job on Monday, and so every morning I got up around 6AM (unearthly hour for me) and took him to work. Then we had to go pick him up each day at noon. In addition, we had to make two separate trips to a nearby town for him to get a pair of steel-toed boots and to complete mandatory drug testing.

The good news is that Brandon will be taking his driver’s test this afternoon! He’s waited a long time for this day, and I’m so excited for him!

On a side note, we made a quick stop at McDonald’s this week, and–you’ll never believe this–Kendra (our two-year-old) at 10 nuggests. TEN! And yes, we do feed her regularly at home.

In our homeschool this week…

We are eagerly counting down the days until school is finished for the year! Believe it or not, each child will be finishing on a different day. Please don’t ask me to explain how that could possibly happen.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

Heritage History is having a wonderful sale right now. If you are looking for high-quality living history books, this is the perfect resource! We use Heritage History along with Mystery of History, and it’s a wonderful way to bring history to life.

My favorite thing this week was…

…daily naps. No, I’m not kidding.

Things I’m working on…

I’m proud to say that I’ve been fitting in some extra cleaning and organizing recently. I guess the beautiful weather has finally inspired me to get some spring cleaning done.

A few weeks ago, Brandon repainted the master bedroom for me. I was finally able to find a new quilt that I really love, and this week I made matching curtains. The walls are still bare (I’ve been on the road all week, remember?), but next week I’m planning to decorate and make the room pretty again.

I also did a major overhaul of my sewing/scrapbook room. I still have quite a few photos and scrapbook supplies to organize and store, but with Kaylee’s help, I’ve made huge progress.

Next up: repainting and reorganizing the bathroom.

I’m praying for…

I’m trying to be faithful to pray for my children. They are growing up so fast, and I shudder to think of them going out into today’s wicked world. I’m so thankful that their salvation and spiritual success are not ultimately dependent on me. I know that, as a mother, I have to be faithful to train them and live a Godly life before them, but I can’t possibly do enough or be enough–it has to be God.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

If you do NOT live in a highly regulated state, you may not relate to this photo. If, however, you are homeschooling in Pennsylvania and preparing the required portfolios for evaluation, this is what the end of the year looks like!

In our homeschool this week…

I’m rejoicing because I got that overwhelming pile of papers graded and filed! Next week I will begin sorting through the papers I’ve already filed for portfolios, determining what will make the cut and what will not.

I’m already planning for next year–anyone else? I’m a bit unusual, I guess, because I actually love to research curricula and plan for the new school year. I’ve even gotten a few packages already–including a box from Bright Ideas Press containing Mystery of History Vol. II. You’ll be hearing more about this soon!

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

We took advantage of the beautiful spring weather to make a visit to our favorite little park. The little ones especially had a wonderful time! At first Kendra was a bit afraid of the slide, but when it was time to leave, she wanted to stay and slide more.

{Collage Friday}

Things I’m working on…

I’ve finally gotten started on some much-needed organizing. Who could ever imagine how much clutter and “stuff” can accumulate in a large-family household? The last two days I’ve been working in the laundry room: sorting, storing, and cleaning. And it feels good!

I’m also dreaming about doing some painting and simple redecorating. I’ve already given Brandon notice that there WILL be some painting to be done. Now I’ve just got to decide which rooms, what colors, and when the work will begin.

I’m cooking…

… Cheesy Chicken and Rice. And it was delicious!

I’m praying for…

My friend lost her husband to cancer this week. She is raising 6 children, ages 17 and under. I’ve been praying for their family. Sometimes this kind of tragedy doesn’t make sense, but I’m trusting that God knows what He is doing.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

My little princess, getting ready to leave for church

In my life this week…

It’s so true that moms don’t have time to be bored, isn’t it? I’ve been trying to find that perfect balance between working, homeschooling, and homemaking. I have to confess that I’m still dropping a few balls here and there, but if I keep tweaking my routines, I’ll eventually find a workable system. At least I’m hoping so!

In our homeschool this week…

We’ve been slacking just a bit in the school room this week. The little ones are still recovering from an extended bout with a particularly nasty virus (RSV?), and Kendra is still feeling tearful and clingy.

That doesn’t mean we’ve completely given up on learning, though. Several of the children have been spending some time with Time4Learning’s online educational program–and Kendra insists on sitting in on some of the sessions, too!

The older kids also continued with most of their regular assignments. We skipped a few subjects on days when things were just too hectic to get everything done.

On a side note, if you’d like to see how we use notebooking with Mystery of History, you can read all about it at The Notebooking Fairy. Thanks, Jimmie!

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

Our little homeschool group got together on Thursday. It’s always such an encouragement to chat with other homeschool moms! We even planned several field trips for the next few weeks. I’ll be sharing more about our trips later–if you’re looking for some great Pennsylvania field trips, you’ll want to check back in a few weeks!

My favorite thing this week was…

One of my favorite moments was seeing all my children dressed up for Easter Sunday. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any really great pictures–they’re all just kind of “so-so.” And because Weston wasn’t feeling well that day, he was opposed to all my photography efforts, which means I have no pictures of him at all. Here are the other six kiddos:

I’m cooking…

Tonight will be homemade pizza with our favorite pizza crust and Perfect Pizza Sauce–our family thinks this pizza is better than bought pizza!

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

“Schooling confuses teaching with learning, grade advancement with education, a diploma with competence, and fluency with the ability to say something new.” ~ Wendy Priesnitz

In my life this week…

It seems that I’ve spent my week on the road this week. That’s not a typical week for us.

Weston had a doctor’s appointment. Kaylee had a chiropractor appointment. We needed to return Devin’s broken unicycle via UPS. (Would you believe that the UPS office is only open from 8am-10am and 5pm-8pm? Nope, I wouldn’t have either–until I had to make a second trip!) Then Kendra got sick and I had to make a special trip to get her more ibuprofen.

Definitely one of “those” weeks!

I’ve also been thinking and working my way through the ebook Paperless Home Organization. I highly recommend this ebook–and I’m giving away a copy, too!

In our homeschool this week…

This week I ended up reducing assignments for most of the kids . . . more than once. I can definitely tell you that going somewhere every day of the week is not conducive to homeschooling.

We did manage to cover the basics, though. One of the highlights of the week for me was hearing Brandon say that his chemistry problems were “easy.” Thanks, Apologia!

The three older children started a new writing lesson (IEW). Although they tend to moan and groan, their writing style has definitely improved this school year. We’re moving on to IEW’s Elegant Essay after we finish SWI-B.

Weston is asking to learn to read, so I’ll be ordering him some materials this weekend. He is also writing all over–well, he has actually learned not to write on the walls. (The bathroom wall still shows some of his writing practice, though!)

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

The pediatrician. The chiropractor. The UPS guy.  Three pharmacies. Nothing exciting.

I’m cooking…

Hamburger Vegetable Soup–perfect meal for this super-cold weather!

How was your homeschool week?

In my life this week…

This week I’ve been keeping busy with Christmas preparations–I really, really want to avoid that last-minute rush! All the gifts that have arrived so far are wrapped, the cards have been mailed, and I’m planning to make a few final orders tomorrow. (Ordering gifts online is how we simplify Christmas shopping.)

On Saturday our family is planning to attend Search for Peace, a local Christmas pageant that presents the entire Christmas story. This annual event is one of the ways we try to keep Christ in Christmas.

Next week Kaylee and I will be ready to get started with our Christmas baking. We’re planning to make Date-Nut Pinwheels, English Tassies, Seven-Layer Bars, Frosted Sugar Cookies, and more. The kids are reminding me almost daily that it’s time to get the baking started!

In our homeschool this week…

We had a reasonably productive homeschool week. I say “reasonably productive” because we could have accomplished more, but really, we did enough.

Most of our homeschooling this week was straight from the textbooks–routine, predictable, manageable. And yes, that is enough.

A few highlights:

• Brandon is breezing right through the Apologia chemistry unit on balancing chemical equations. As a high school student, I always loved the challenge of balancing equations, and it’s been fun to revisit chemistry with Brandon.
• Weston is wanting to learn to read! He’s only four-and-a-half, but two of the older kids taught themselves to read at this age, so I think I’ll give it a try.
• Keaton is still loving Mystery of History. In his words: “This is the best history I’ve ever had!” I can’t ask for anything more from a history program.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

We had our monthly homeschool group meeting this afternoon. I always feel encouraged and refreshed after visiting with the other moms, and today was no exception.

Questions/thoughts I have…

How do you all handle the inevitable mid-year homeschool slump? I seem to be heading down that slope a bit early this year. I’m hoping that Christmas break will give me the energy I need for a new start in January, but I’d love to hear your advice. Please share!