Our Homeschool Journal: A Week Without Daddy

What a week!  My husband was away four days for a training, and our home just isn’t home without Daddy!  He’s a firefighter/paramedic so we’re accustomed to his 24-hour shifts at the fire station less than a mile from our house, but having him be in another state for four days was much harder.

In our homeschool this week…

In our R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey curriculum it was all about worms!  Our favorite activity was a lab testing worm senses.

We’ve continued with a focus area of insects and spiders for nature study.  Barb posted a fun notebooking page that had my kids thinking like a bug!

We were also busy with outside-the-house activities:

• My son had his first Boy Scout den meeting and is SO proud to be a Tiger Cub.  He looked so cute in his uniform!
• Our town homeschool group met and had fun crafting with Duck tape.  At that once a month meeting we’re also giving the kids a chance to make a presentation.  It was our first time trying it and it was a great experience for everyone!  The kids could share anything they wished:  an item that is special, something they learned, a poem.  It was a small, relaxed group and good practice speaking and listening for all the kids.
• My daughter had her first meeting of a new after-school book club at our local library.  Her two very best buddies that attend public school are also going…much giggling occurred in my back seat on the way.

Places we went and people we saw…

The day before my husband left we took advantage of the perfect fall day for our favorite fall tradition: pumpkin and apple picking.  We have a wonderful pick-your-own farm a short drive away and had a great time with friends picking pounds of apples and perfect-for-carving pumpkins.

I followed up later in the week with Hodgepodge’s apple chalk pastel tutorial.  Always a fun, messy time.  If you haven’t tried their tutorials you must!  All ages can produce hang-it-on-the-wall-worthy art.

My favorite thing this week was…

My husband’s return!  We all missed him terribly.  I missed his companionship and help with the kids and household…and his cooking.  The kids missed his wrestling, tickling, and cuddling…and his cooking.  They had a “welcome home” prepared for his late-night arrival.  My favorite parts were the balloon kids awaiting hugs and kisses.

My favorite resource this week…

We stumbled upon the Math Is Fun website while helping my daughter with subtracting negative numbers.  The Khan videos had explained how to do the problems but she still hadn’t grasped the why.  Math Is Fun had a real-world explanation that clicked for her.

We’re reading…

I’m still working through For The Children’s Sake by Susan Shaeffer Macaulay and still really enjoying it.  My daughter is reading Poppy by Avi for her book club and Sacajawea: Guide to Lewis and Clark by Della Rowland.  We’re reading Treasure Island and listening to Cherry Jones read On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  For poetry we’re reading through Julie Andrews’ Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies, a nice mix of verses with beautiful watercolor artwork.

In case you missed it…

I posted about our plans for a government and elections unit study.  I’m looking forward to starting it in about a week and connecting my kids with what’s happening in the news.

Thank you to the wonderful hostesses with fun link-ups on Fridays. Be sure to join the fun and see what other homeschoolers are up to!