Monday, June 7, 2010

Summer Homeschool plan

Amber has been stoked all weekend long to begin our summer homeschool. I admit to being hugely flattered by her excitement because it means she is enthused to be with me learning what we decide to learn. She has been purusing a bk of science experiements and has already bookmarked 16 must do experiements. I've created a loose structure for the first week that leaves plenty of free time, includes already scheduled events, and provides some oppurtunities for serious study, learning new skills, and active play time.




8-10 morning routine - HS doesn't start untill her bed has been made, she is dressed, had bfast, and brushed her teeth and hair. We start at 10am so if she finishes these things earlier than 10 she has free/choice time to have 15 min on the pc a day, reading an hr a day, or playing inside or out.



10-12 morning homeschool or amhs -- mon introduce weekly theme and vocab list, tues pe either park playdates or yoga @ home, wed geography and history, thurs pe PT @ CDH, fri review of weekly theme and vocab, sat pe rollerskating, sunday spiritual either UUSG or TS.



12-2pm lunch free time -- after she has helped prepare, eat, and clean up she has free/choice time to have 15 min on the pc a day, reading an hr a day, or playing inside or out.



2-4pm afternoon homeschool or pmhs -- mon chess club @ WPL, tues book club @ WPL, wed handwriting practise (she can create a story, write a letter, or write in a journal), thurs math worksheets and/or pc games plus music (we are starting with her learning songs on her keyboard), fri is art and/or fiedtrips to local museums for the passport to adventure, sat & sun will be open due to potential run over of amhs and interruption by errands, visits, or parties.



4-6pm dinner free time -- after she has helped prepare, eat, and clean up she has free/choice time to have 15 min on the pc a day, reading an hr a day, or playing inside or out.



6-8pm evening homeschool or evehs -- mon pe Kyuki-Do, tues science experiement, wed pe Kyuki-Do, thurs science experiements, fri movie night, sat game night, sun no plan yet.



8-9pm B4 bed routine - shower, pjs, pickup and put away toys, bks, etc from around hse, clean bdrm floor, followed by reading for the remaining time b4 her 9pm bdtime. I am restricting her reading time this summer (I know it sounds strange) because if I don't she won't do anything else other than read or listen to audio bks.



Personally, I think this is is a way too structured summer day for an 8yo but in the past few weeks I've learned that Amber really enjoys having a game plan for each and every day. I've tried to make it as loose as possible to allow for changes, additions, and subtractions.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

rainy day reflection

summer's coming quick to chicagoland even if today's weather is proof against that statement. there are only 4 weeks left of the school year and it's so bittersweet. year 36 of my life is coming to a close.




s's job was put in peril this weekend. turned out to be an empty threat but it sucked none the less. thankfully, we didn't let it spoil mother's day. there was almond french tst for bfast and a morning spent planting flowers. we visited both sets of mothers followed by a late lunch/early dinner at 5 guys. then 2.5 hrs combing half price books for deals. we capped the day off at the picture show for a last chance to see Avatar on the big screen.



lately, I've neglected my blog, lj, and most online connections. sometimes, I just feel adrift and only just brushing the edges of reflection. altho, my paper journal has been well used and we've been doing tons of fun stuff. maybe, it's a privacy thing. having my own laptop w/access to all my files and photos made it so much easier to post, blog, or type into the void. doing so on a shared pc just isn't the same and it's hard for me to get into the right head space.



yep, summer's coming even if today is rainy and cold... I'm hoping to get a job this summer. there's a potential babysitting gig w/one of a's classmates and it would be a really long day. so, the offer would have to be decent. otherwise, I guess it's a server job for me. bleh.

Monday, March 1, 2010

pc problems

the loud silence in space is due to pc problems not lack of interest.  my laptop died in the early weeks of 2010 and there's no replacement in sight.  I am using a shared pc and all my files, pics, etc are still being held hostage by that deceased machine.