Our Homeschool Journal: Lighthouses, Laundry, and Lists

In our homeschool this week…

We didn’t do a lot of formal schoolwork this week, which is okay because I didn’t plan a lot of schoolwork!  We had a camping trip and then I knew I needed planning time.   We spent three days camping, then three days catching up on laundry.  (At least that’s what it feels like!)  At home I spent time checking items off my list of things I had to finalize for our 2012-2013 school year.  We did an hour of schoolwork here and there, accomplishing a lot of reading and even a little math, history and science.  Of course, it seems that everywhere we go learning opportunities follow.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

The area where we camped had another one of those great free summer-in-Maine activities!  We walked the nearly mile-long trek out to Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse.  Visiting lighthouses is a little hobby for us and we’ve taken our kids to quite a few.  (Very Maine-ish, don’t you think?)  I think it’s fun to pick something your area is known for and visit those places–like a tourist in your own state.  My kids get even more excited to go to a lighthouse because it’s a quest to visit a new one we’ve not seen before.  We also visited the Maine Lighthouse Museum (and bonus–it was free admission day!), a treasure trove of information–explanations, videos, and displays on the Fresnel lens and other aspects of a working light and foghorns, historical information on lighthouses and their use in navigation, and my favorite:  the stories of the keeper’s lives and job requirements.

My favorite thing this week was…

Camping is my favorite summer activity, and special time with Grandma and Grandpa for my kids made it extra special.

My favorite resource this week…

Last year we used a downloaded typing program with our 10-year-old with some success, but due to the operating system on the computer she’s using we needed another plan this year.  I was happy to find a free web-based learn-to-type program: TypingWeb.  In our early trials she and I are both quite happy.  That’s one more thing checked off on my planning list!

What’s working and not working for us…

Taking the time to sit down and finalize my plans is working for me.  It helps me feel relaxed to enjoy our last weeks of light summer learning and be ready to dive into our full-time schedule in September.

Questions I have…

My last thing to figure out is a morning meeting.  I want to have a morning routine that doesn’t leave me feeling scripted and too school-ish like the calendar time I tried last year.  I stopped that mid-year, but feel like we do need a little time together before starting individual work.  I would like to find a devotional book to use with the three of us together…any suggestions?

Things I’m working on…

I’m working on the last pieces of planning.  I’m at the point where I’m figuring out our daily and weekly schedules.  I have an idea for a weekly schedule for my 10-year-old as we work toward more independence.  We’re ironing out the details with our homeschool groups on some classes and groups for the new school year.

I’m grateful for…

All the amazing resources (often for free) at our fingertips as homeschoolers in the age of computers and internet!

A photo to share…

On our trip we ate at a quirky little restaurant with delicious food in Rockland.  After seeing this menu item–check out the first one under lunch specialties–I just had to take a picture.  I really wanted to say to the waitress:  “Yes, I’ll take Home Schooled, please.”

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!