Weekly goals

We are starting our second Language Arts block. We are also starting a weekly PE class at the local homeschool center. We also went to the local homeschool groups park day yesterday. I feel like we are in an expansion stage - which makes sense as it's Spring!

I've added an activity to the morning circle called "Strange Family." It is verse and movement used to introduce skip counting in a physical way. Since it's the first week we are working with this activity, we're only walking number 1. Next week I will introduce number 2, and maybe number 3. We shall see.

We have been working with bean bags as well to transition from quiet time to afternoon practice time. We toss and catch a bean bag to a verse. First with one hand for a full verse and then the other. We then toss to a math verse, but this time tossing from one hand to another.

I've finally found the place for handwork in our rhythm! After story, on day 2 we have form drawing, which is pretty intense. It didn't feel right to draw forms right after hearing a new story. Following story day 3, or recall, we have art. So day 1 had a huge gaping hole that hand work fills quite nicely. This week Brother started sewing his tooth fairy pillow again. We had set it aside for a while, but now it seems like Brother is more ready. Little bunny (formerly Baby) laced cards.

Older Kindergarten Week #3 Friday

Plans were canceled this morning. I took to heart the lesson I learned earlier this week. Replace the plans with homeschooling, the morning rhythm sets the tone for the whole day. So, we did another day of "lessons."

We were invited to join a couple of other like minded families for an afternoon of outdoor, old fashioned games. I did have to cut rest time short, so if this becomes a weekly gathering, I will need to pay more attention to the clock. Anyway, the kids had a great time! Brother watched some games and joined in for others. After the games, the kids played together, really well actually!

Wet-on-wet painting was pushed off until the weekend because we have a family birthday party tonight!

Older Kindergarten Week #3 Wednesday

Today we met a friend at Karkeek park. It is so beautiful there. We could hear the Hawks calling. For a while instead of watching the children, I watched a chipmunk feast on snowberries. It was so sweet. I love chipmunks.

We met in the early afternoon, and as we didn't need to homeschool this morning in order to meet our 3 day a week goal, I let the kids free play all morning. Big Mistake! I should have stuck to the rhythm and had a morning walk, circle and story just like usual. I paid for it with squabbles and melt-downs. Brother even said "We didn't have circle yet today,:" which is a huge clue to me! Blah! Now I know and I won't be so lazy again.

After we came home from Karkeek, the kids had quiet time while I spent too long on the phone. I did manage to squeeze in our project/activity of woodworking. We are making our second crafts board. I marked the saw lines off with pencil and Brother sawed one of the lines, we have three more to go.

And then dinner was haphazard and ran late. Darn phone!

But at least I am still on the path to meeting my weekly goals!

Exploring Rhythm

The new "school" year is right around the corner! I am exploring rhythms for fall now that Baby is a little over 2. He is starting to get interested in reading the same picture books over and over again. I would also like to lay the ground work for story time during first grade. My hope is that Baby will not hear Brother's fairy tales. This will require me to tell a silk story for Baby and a fairy tale for Brother, hoping that Baby will play with the silk story props while I tell Brother's fairy tale.

I am also really exploring food options. Today we made humus. The boys helped to smash up the beans! They also helped to grind up the cucumber for the taziki. Tomorrow I would like to make some Beet Soup. Yum! I can grind up the greens and put them in as well.

Thrusday

Today felt like we got a lot accomplished! The morning cleaning routine was completed and our morning homeschooling activities were completed. I changed the story order around and did Baby's silk story first. He was fed by that and went off to play leaving Brother and I alone to read his Enki Fairy Tale. We are still reading the Queen Bee. It was pretty cool to have Baby go off and play. I felt like I could see a little piece of the future. Very Exciting!

Our garden is starting to get cleaned up a little bit. I have four beds cleared now. Which is amazing. Everything was so over grown, with grass and blackberries everywhere. So far we have planted twenty two strawberry plants, with twenty one growing, and one blueberry bush. I cleared the spot for the second bush today and it will be planted tomorrow. Blueberries need acidic soil, so I am collecting a bucketful of pine needles from our "forest" and mixing them in with compost. Instead of fertile mulch, I am using fallen tree branches. It is so fun to use what our property has provided!

Meanwhile, it took a long time to clear the land, and I lost of track of time. So Brother did not do a craft this afternoon. This is also a result of my missed planning session earlier this week. It's disappointing, but we'll get there! He did do a self -directed craft this morning. Three days ago he made a "sticker" with a piece of paper by putting some colored tape on the front of the paper and then taping it to his chest. After it feel off he crumpled it up. Then he put blue tape all over it except for a small hole for his "friend micey" to climb in. The blue tape was the primer. He now has covered everything but the hole in tape of other colors. He loves his home made toy and "flies" it all over the house. So, he has done "Crafts" just not MY crafts. ;)

Monday - Co Op day

Today was Co-Op day. Brother actually participated in the circle today, which is quite an accomplishment for him. Its funny, because he knew the circle from watching, he just wasn't doing it. I guess that's proof of the Mirroring talked about in our Enki homeschooling guides. 

About three weeks ago, I had to face the reality that I had to decrease my work load if I was going to homeschool and parent the way I want. I have released my largest client. I really enjoyed working with him, but I had too much on my plate. I have kept my three small clients and am in the process of streamlining my work flow. I had to work this afternoon, so our rhythm was pretty disrupted. On the bright side, after Sunday, I should be able to really focus on pulling everything together!

Weekly Rhythm - Goals

This blog is mainly to notify family and friends of our homeschooling endeavors. I was an Accountant in my previous life and will try not to be too dry. 

But it is time for some housekeeping - 

We are in our first real year of kindergarten, so our goals mainly revolve around our home life.

Sunday - menu planning, grocery shopping and baking

Monday - Kindergarten co-op and baking if we didn't get to it Sunday

Tuesday - circle, story, clean one floor, craft, and social event

Wednesday - circle, story, and social event

Thursday -  park with friend, story,  and social event

Friday - circle, story and errands

Saturday - family day, yard work

We are using Enki curriculum, which I really love. I've been doing a lot of research for first grade, and it is leaving me feeling really good about what we are already doing. Here is a link for Enki.   http://www.enkieducation.org/  We also have a strong support group of other Enki homeschooling families and Waldorf inspired homeschoolers in our area. It is very exciting!