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.