One of my most important goals in going away for this month, was to make sure we kept a regular schedule of schoolwork. And because we’re in a warm place and somewhere we usually go on vacation … I didn’t want to get too lax in treating this as a full vacation.
We often have great intentions on our vacations of doing reading and workbooks with the kids … we always bring stuff along. And we pretty much never touch it.
So in that sense … I just wanted to make sure we didn’t slack off. I already know we’re great at vacationing … so when “talking up” this trip with the kids, all I pretty much stressed was how important it would be to listen to their “new teacher.”
So how’s it going, you ask?
Challenging. Frustrating. Patience draining. And …
Completely rewarding.
Here’s our classroom …
The girls teachers were all amazing in getting their work together and organized for us. Thank you teachers!
We start school right after breakfast, and take pretty much up until lunchtime. I was pretty naive in thinking it would be an hour or an hour & half. It’s been taking us about 3 hours or more. Hunter, of course, is done first. Then Wynter. Piper and Taylor take the longest. It’s crazy how much those two are so similar! Easily distracted. Messy. Not the most responsible in the group.
Cute sidebar … at home we keep the girls backpacks all lined up on the way to the garage. Inevitably, Piper will forget her backpack {despite numerous reminders}. I’ll send her back in the house to get it … she wanders out a decade later … without her backpack!
I recently read The Blessing and learned a very important key to raising successful children … speak words of encouragement or blessing over your children. For example, instead of telling Piper’s she’s irresponsible … change your “blessing” to, “Piper, I know one day you are going to be the most responsible person I know.”
Anyway. Hunter’s been asking for more work, so I’ve started copying some of Wynter’s projects and having Hunter do them too. And I’m also getting better at managing our time, so I’ll have the girls work in their journals {which they can do independently}, and then I’ll do flash cards or something extra with Hunter.
Then I work with Piper and her math while Wynter reads to Hunter. And I won’t begin to bore you with the details of Taylor’s 9th grade algebra!
We start school with prayer and a story from the Bible.
It’s not without it’s struggles, but I think we’ve gotten into a nice routine. I think most importantly, the girls respect me as their “teacher” right now … and that’s allowing us to work together and ultimately, is weaving our bond tighter. I don’t think they’ll forget this experience.
And seriously. What could be better than being in a place that combines learning with our environment?
Wynter’s theme the first week was Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and one of her activities was a number tree … I made a copy for Hunter, so we had two coconut trees. The girls each found a coconut, colored faces on them, gave them hair … and boom boom … a natural tie-in!
And where else can you come to class dressed like this?
And bring a friend like this?
And I got an awesome chuckle out of these two things:
Wynter’s note to her bestie:
dear audrey,
i miss my old school too. and there’s like no other friend at my school here. it’s like having no friend only my sisters.
i miss you a lot. i miss madeline too. but every time i go to school, i think of you.
love, wynter
{note from wynter’s mom :: wynter goes to “school” in her living room and i’m her teacher!} ;)
And then two of Piper’s journal entries:
Translation:
Entry #1: School is very hard but I’m geting used to it. Sumtimes I get to work in my own little room.
but I still get dasrackted. Sumtimes we get a drink, I’m usually thh second last wun done.
Entry #2: yesterday I had a day off of school. now today I have more work!
and I’m not reddy for more work. I feel like haveing fun. not working in a dark littel room.
Whadda think? Anyone want to join our class?
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