I wish we could homeschool "for real"

I have been feeling like this for quite awhile now. I feel like we can't really experience homeschooling to it's fullest because I'm still running on a "school at home" mentality.
Our home is NOT school. Our home will never be school. Yes we learn at home but really that is where it should end.
We are missing the whole point by schooling at home. Nothing is being gained by sitting at a table and doing "school work", no joy is being had as we work through drills and worksheets.
Sure we do some fun stuff. In fact we do LOTS of fun stuff. But the little bit of mundane work totally ruins it and causes all sorts of grief. Not everyday but at least once a week. I guess it is easier to freak out on Mom though compared to some random teacher.
Of course the benefits of being able to freak out run both ways ;) I can also push them harder and insist they grasp a concept before we move on so they aren't getting left behind.
However, I digress.
So what I'm saying is that in order for us to truly appreciate the gift of learning at home and at our own pace we need to give up the whole school mentality and all that surrounds it.
That is the difference between us and someone who has homeschooled from day one or plans to continue until the end. Because I plan on sending my children back eventually I need to "keep up" with what the school system says is required.
Whether the kids are interested in learning those particular subjects or topics or not. That is school right there. Being forced and told what you will learn, when you will learn it and how.  Is that really even learning?
See the difference is when you don't have to keep up to some schedule the kids can learn at their own pace and things that interest them eventually learning and mastering everything they need to know to live in the real world.
Which has me seriously considering homeschooling Matthew and Jordyn right from the get-go. That is how I want to homeschool. That is ideally how most children would likely want to learn. I feel limited though and pressured to keep them up to par and not stray off the path of what the government curriculum tells us is appropriate and necessary for the grade level they are at.
Corey is pretty positive he wants to continue homeschooling for as long as he can. He certainly sees the benefits and feels he can do it here or *there*.
Kianne though wants to go to junior high. I totally don't  blame her and that was the plan all along anyway. I have to get her caught up in her math that the school failed so miserably on and on the same game plan so she can return seamlessly.  She is for sure making leaps and bounds in the math it is just sad though that we have to spend so much time on that when there are much more interesting things to look at ;)
Anyway these have been some of my random thoughts as of late.

We went on a really informative field trip the other day to the Manitoba Legislative Building. It was a great way to discuss different levels of government and architecture and history all at the same time. Kianne is totally wanting to dive into architecture. So even though I'm not 100% sure it's part of grade 6 Manitoba curriculum we are doing it anyways. I've put about 20 books on hold at the library and can't wait to dig in.

You'll have to excuse these photos. They were taken with my p&s and I'm having a real hard time with it lately. It's as if I don't how to work it :\

Operation Christmas Child

Every year I see this and think what a great idea but the kids usually do one through church or some other organziation so we don't bother. This year though I decided we would and I'm quite sure we will continue to do so.
It was so much fun shopping for the little girl and boy that we actually had to stop because everything we wanted wouldn't fit in the box. I guess next year we'll need more boxes ;)

This is what the kids had to say:

Corey- It was fun. We got to give gifts to other children and Matthew and Jordyn participated in the event too. I can't remember where the gifts go but it was across the Atlantic Ocean. I had a really fun time.

Kianne- It was fun. We put presents in a shoe box we went to the store to get things for a boy and a girl. The boxes are going to a boy and a girl who don't get presents and items. These boxes represent that people care across the whole wide world.

First Snow

Yesterday was one of the days where we really appreciated the freedom of homeschooling. The snow was flying and instead of being stuck in a classroom the kids were dressed in their winter gear at the crack of dawn playing outside. No worry of schedules or timelines just plain freedom to enjoy the wonder of snow.
They were so excited they thought they should decorate so out came the scissors and paper for some good old fashioned paper snowflakes.

Getting back into the groove

Well after quite a hiatus we are finally getting back on track. The kids learned about fractions while Jay was home because Lord knows math is not my forte. They are really catching on which is fantastic. Now that he is back at work though I'm not sure if I can keep it up :p

We got our new list for field trips and we are all so excited there is so much going on plus with the upcoming holiday season there is tons of excitement to go around!

This week will be a busy week but I really want to get back to blogging and recording milestones and fun.

Self Doubt

Well it has finally happened.... I'm finally starting to doubt myself after weeks of success and good times. Yesterday and today have been a gong show. I understand Halloween just passed and the kids are hopped up on sugar and I'm feeling exhausted. I have a good network of about 20 teachers and they all agree that the week before and after Halloween is a gong show so I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

I seriously started considering looking for schools for the kids this morning. I know this will pass and actually just writing about it is making me feel better.
We finished up a full unit on the solar system last week that I know the kids really enjoyed and this week we are digging deep into Canada. It's history, stories, government, economy and I'd like to go province by province as well.  Now I just need to find the motivation :p

Not much point to this post other than to admit self doubt which I knew would happen at some point and which I'm confident will pass.

The "Right" Way to Homeschool

There seems to be division everywhere in life, even in the topic of homeschooling. HA I mean right there is division, some people spell homeschool and others prefer home school.  Either way I found it interesting that there seems to be a controversy about "how" to homeschool and what the proper and correct way is.
It seems there are a couple of different school of thoughts about this-pardon the pun ;)
-The school at home method-upon which most homeschoolers frown upon.  From my understanding this is what most people picture when they think of homeschoolers. A bunch of kids stuck around the table for 6 hours a day working through books and worksheets.
-Child led learning-This is a method where you follow the interests of the child. If they are really into bugs one day you run with insects until they feel satisfied.
-Unschooling-I'm not sure if I fully understand this yet but from what I have read, my take on it is basically that everything in life can be a learning experience and so there is no real formal education going on. You just learn through living life.
Eclectic-This is kind of what we are doing. It seems to mix all those methods and make them work.

There are many, many more including the Charlotte Mason  method, Montessori method, Waldorf etc.... I am for sure no expert and will never be one but I did find it interesting to see so many options and opinions on the different methods.

Homeschooling in itself is a whole learning experience and one not to be taken lightly.

Now for some fun stuff :)  We went to the Scarecrow Forest for some fall fun! It was a blast. We went through the scarecrow forest and saw the displays, played on the hay bale castle, found some furry friends, zip lined (even the little ones). It was a gorgeous day and we all had a blast!

 I totally want this to be the next wedding I shoot ;)

Thanksgiving Tree

Blog posting seems to have taken a backseat and there are so many things to blog about. Our Thanksgiving tree was something we started just a week before thanksgiving.
Kianne and Corey created a great big tree and they each cut out different shapes, sizes and colours of leaves. Each day we all wrote something we were thankful for on the leaves until we had a beautiful tree.
It is a nice reminder of the blessings in our lives.

Homeschool = Blessing

I must admit that I entered this journey of homeschooling with great trepidation. I had myself worked up to think it was going to be just horrible and unbearable. We started homeschooling as a little bit of a last resort and thought if this is what we were "stuck" doing for the year than so be it.
However, just over a month has passed since we started this adventure and I have to say it has been incredible! The kids are learning WAY more than I ever imagined and I hate to say it but I would guess way more than if they were sitting in the local public school as well.
Their interests never stop and they really are working quite hard. Of course there are times where I have to get after them. Plus the amount of time I have to commit is more than I first pictured but I do think it is all worth it in the end.
Keeping the little ones entertained while we try and accomplish something half educational is a whole other issue but somehow we are managing.
It is also WAY busier than I ever imagined. I really over scheduled because of the guilt I had with pulling them out of school. We are constantly running to field trips and homeschooler get togethers and as much fun as they are we are pooped by the end of the week.
These are all lessons I am learning though and I will continue to learn and put into practice.
Some benefits I didn't predict are how well the kids play together and keep eachother entertained. It is really nice to see them all outside together playing like they are friends ;)
How much we are all learning from each other and the time we can take to really work at a task and master it.
All this blabbing to say that as much as I felt like I had no other choice but to homeschool this year, I am confident that we are all growing and learning way more from the journey than I would have ever imagined and I feel blessed that I even have the opportunity to do it.

Last Week = Gong Show

Last week was by far our hardest homeschool week so far. We made it to one month but barely had time to celebrate because we were SO busy.
I was worn out and so were the kids. Corey even said we had been doing too much and he always likes to be busy so I know it must be true.
Between a million get togethers and field trips there was just so much on the go that we barely got any school work done.
It was disappointing because we were in such a good groove and then it all got upset. I guess that is just part of the process though and the learning as you go.
We still have other events and things to blog about but I wanted to throw this out there. It is so easy to get  busy, over scheduled and bogged down with stuff that as much fun as it is, it can really wear you down.

Sunset Goose Flight-Oct 6

On the evening of October 6th we went to the Sunset Goose flight at 5:30 at Fort Whyte Alive. We learned about the goose and their natural habitats. We watched thousands of geese land in two ponds. There were some seagulls as well.
We watched them all fly and they whiffled as they landed. Whiffle-moved right to left and would land and tuck their wings in.
There were lots of plants and need exhibits at Fort Whyte like the honey bees and butterfly wings.  Burrowing owls were adorable.

(written by Kianne and Corey)

Field Trips-Stonewall Quarry Park

Last week we went to Stonewall Quarry Park where we walked around and learned about fossils, iron and sandstone.

We learned that they cooked the limestone to make powder for chocolate and toothpaste.

We also learned how fossils are made and formed.

Like a busy busy bee

We have been so busy lately I can barely remember all we've done in the last little while. I know I have pictures to post but that will have to wait until another day.
We went on a field trip last week to the Stonewall Quarry and saw some fossils and learned about different rock formations etc... my goal is to put up the pics and actually have the kids write the blog post in regards to what they learned that day.
We met up with some old but dear friends who are also homeschoolers and it was so fun to reconnect that way.
The kids have been having fun learning french and working on math facts including multiplication and division. We were going to start a new unit on the solar system but I think it will have to wait until next week because this week is just to packed already.
Tomorrow morning is a play date with some local homeschooling kids who are all around the same age as the "big kids" so that is fantastic!
This evening we were at Fort Whyte Alive to witness thousands of geese come in at sunset. What a sight. I totally recommend doing this with your family. We were lucky enough to be part of group to get a little intro to the sights and sounds and lifestyle of the Canadian Geese before we watched the big show.
Hopefully tomorrow I'll get the blog post up with all the pics over the last couple of days.
For now though, all the kids are in bed and I need to get some work done :)

No "NEW" math at this house

Anyone who has dealt with school recently has most likely encountered "new math". Likely one of the most complicated procedures I have seen in my lifetime.
As someone who struggled in math I can relate quite well to Kianne who also struggles in math and has since day one. There have been many tears and frustration and lack of help from me because the way she was learning in school was not the way I knew and really couldn't understand the "new" way to be of much help.
It was really quite awful :(
Well, now that we are learning here at home there is no need for "new" math! Good old, tried and true math is where it's at in this house ;) And you know what?!?!? The girl was doing long division today!!!! I was SO proud of her and I think she was pretty darn proud of herself as well considering she could barely multiply at the end of last year. (As an aside, multiplication was something the public school thought should be mastered in grade 4)
Poor Corey is super sick today unfortunately so he didn't get much done but that's okay. He has had lots of rest and hopefully will be feeling better tomorrow.

Great Weekend-Rough Day

We had a fantastic weekend and even managed to squeeze some "school" in.  With church and swimming lessons on Sunday it was already a busy day but with the gorgeous weather we thought a drive and visit to the Narcisse Snake Dens would be interesting. Jay has been wanting to take the kids for quite some time and with the snakes now heading back into their dens to hibernate we thought it would be a good time to see them.

Now I can admit this was not my idea of fun!  In fact I was pretty squeamish the whole time but Kianne loved it! I was honestly surprised how much she was into this. You'll notice though there are very few pics of my boys. I guess they are squeamish like me ;) 

Today though was a little harder. Kianne told me she wanted to go back to school. I was a little saddened because I thought we were really having a good time and she always tells people that she likes it and we do so much more and have so much fun.  We talked though and she was just feeling down and out of place a little.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.