Weekly Report (Sept. 21 - 25)

This week was a busy week for us. Monday is our PE day so we have to go to our PE coop in the afternoon and let them play soccer with other kids their age. We don't get to accomplished a lot school wise in Monday but we try to do more the next day. This week with my kindergartener, he is starting to write his letters and numbers really well. I make him write his 1 - 10 numbers in a separate sheet of paper to practice daily. Reading is going well too. With my eldest, everything is kind of slowing down. He is in the age where he is starting to question everything we do and everything he needs to do so everyday is a battle for now. His answer to his problem is to work slower and maybe( with hope) his mom will just give up and let him do his thing. BUT I am not about to give up when I know how smart he is and he is just growing up and starting to mature. I can live up with those changes and maybe he will too.
Wednesdays and Thursdays are regular school days for us. Wednesday night is AWANA night for us. Kids love going to their Awana. And I am glad about that. These two days are days when we can catch up in our lessons and readings. But this Friday, my husband's work sent him to Sacramento and we decided tol go with him and explore the city as our fieldtrip. We had so much fun. We did a lot of walking and the kids were in their best mood. We were able to go inside California State Capitol Building and it was beautiful. They were able to go inside the Governor's office, and I took pictures of them. In the afternoon, we went to a Train Museum and the kids and I had a blast. Seeing those huge old trains that used to travel along America. We were able to see how they are inside and they are beautiful and amazing.
That was our week worth of homeschooling. It was busy for us. But next week I think it will be a relax week for us and I am hoping we could do more Science experiments.

Book Challenge

Well, since I started homeschooling I am not reading as much as I did before. I still read a lot but not for me but for my kids. During summer, I happen to stumbled upon the Twilight Saga books and started reading them. Believe it or not I read 4 books in a week. I realized I have missed reading so much. So this school year I promised myself I will be reading again to myself and enjoy everyday on the couch even just an hour each day to relax and do one things I love to do. Sometimes being a mom and a teacher at the same time keeps me so busy and never find time to just sit and relax. Most of the time after lunch when school is done that's the time I start doing my daily chores and at the same time plan my curriculum or make notes of the changes happening to correct them or find ways to improve stuff. Hours upon hours, it's all about chores and school planning. Then I get so tired and I become moody and just easily irritated. I don't want to be this way to my kids so lately I have been reading and I found out it relaxes me and made my everyday easier to deal with. So now I decided to do a Book Challenge. I have to read at least 2 books every month. I hope I can keep up. We'll see how it goes and I will tell you what book I am reading and tell you how I like it.

This is my 4th year of homeschooling!

I was sitting on my couch the other day planning our fieldtrips this year and I stumbled upon school papers dated 4 years ago. I can't believe it's been 4 yrs. that we've been homeschooling. I remember vividly how panicked I got planning everything for my 6 y/o then. I thought every curriculum I have chosen is wrong and I put too much time reading homeschool links online. I joined every possible yahoo groups I could fine and still I thought to myself I would fail. Now remembering those days give a smile on my face and a pat on my back that I did quite well. Not expected but well. Just the experience of teaching a child to read is an experience of great accomplishment. I thought it will be the hardest part of my day. But I was wrong again. I had the greatest fun though teaching math. First, it was my favorite subject growing up and next my then first grader had a quick learning for it and I enjoyed the experience with him. Now, I can't believe he is doing Saxon 7/6 at his young age. My husband always reminded me that my children are doing great because I am there for them at all times, sitting with them in every step of the way. And that is the greatest blessing and opportunity they could ever have growing up. The ability to go places, see things, experiment and interact with different people in the community. Now I am more convinced that the cliche of "lack of socialization" among homeschoolers is downright wrong. I know we stay home a lot and do school at home, but we also go places that most kids never get to go visit because of "school time". I can see that my kids are very comfortable talking with adults and asking "good" questions when given a chance to speak. I enjoy the sound of their laughters everyday and (sometimes) dislike the reasoning skills they have at a very young age. I love to read and the most special part of our school day is sitting on the couch together, and I staring at their curious faces waiting impatiently for the story I am about to read to them.
"One more, pls!" is almost an everyday request. I could read to them for hours if I can but of course I am still a mom and a wife and I have tons of chores to do.
I am not saying homeschooling is always fun. We also stumble upon "bad days". When kids wants to do something else and important stuff must be accomplished and you can actually hear the silent complaints in their actions. "School is not all fun" I always reminded them. There is a lot of work that goes with it. And I try to remind them again and again why we homeschool. To give them the best education they could possibly have. A privilege that not all families get a chance to have.
Four years passed and my second child is in Kindergarten this year and I am starting again. I am actually proud of myself, I am not scared anymore and I am more confident this time around. And I think that is a good thing. My kids are blossoming, they enjoy doing school with mommy and I am happy. What God put upon my shoulder to carry, I am more than welcome to embrace it.