Homeschool Mother’s Journal — 3/1/13

We are still in science fair recovery mode, so it’s been pretty low-key this week.

• In my life this week… it’s felt hectic and out of sorts. The school I adjunct for feels busy for some reason and I feel like I have so much to do and I can’t keep up. Another friend lost a beloved labby boy and I keep looking at my elderly and increasingly fragile girl and asking how she keeps moving. I’m grateful beyond measure that she does, but I am at a loss to explain how she’s doing it.
• In our homeschool this week… we have added a new friend. My laptop gave up the proverbial ghost last week and our desktop will be twelve years old this summer. It seemed time to get a replacement that the kids can actually use. Meet Mega Mac:

• Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share… It’s okay to take your time. I keep wanting to be done with  things and I have to keep reminding myself that we’re not on anyone’s schedule but our own.
• I am inspired by… Sam. She just keeps going and going and going. And it’s not like she’s in pain or complaining or desperate to be out of here. The worst fits we get from her are when I spend too long in the office (most people call it a dining room, but it has four desks in it and no table, so office it is) after being gone most of the day. She does not like a lot of separation from me and pitches gigantic fits until I spend time with her. Mind you, as soon as I am with her she settles down and goes to sleep, but I guess my presence is soothing (or I’m boring, either way, it works).
• Places we’re going and people we’re seeing… MOSI class this week. Just when I think it’s time to cut MOSI loose, they have a class neither kid has done before and that both were fascinated with. Light and Shadows went over HUGE with these two.
• My favorite thing this week was… we have to ask? the Mega Mac takes the prize.
• What’s working/not working for us… Working: art. The kids are essentially allowed in the art cabinet to take and work with what they want. Today it was clay. The two days before paper crafting. They’re having fun and learning what works and what doesn’t. Not working: not having a schedule for the week. I need to take the time to make a schedule for us so that we have some idea what we’re trying to accomplish. The all science fair all the time thing is no longer working (since science fair is over).
• Questions/thoughts I have…How would you go about convincing your pediatrician that the child who seems entirely normal when he’s in the ped’s office may not be entirely normal?
• Things I’m working on… The first day of Minimalist Parenting Camp. This is a pre-release thing for the book Minimalist Parenting. We’re getting assignments that are in some way related to the book and so far, it’s cool and thought provoking.
• I’m reading…

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown and Creative Thursdays by Marisa at Creative Thursday. Both are challenging me and we’ll see what comes of it.

• I’m cooking…

I made gluten-free granola this week. Of course, I have no yogurt to eat it in, but hey, I made the granola at least.

• I’m grateful for… the ability to replace a laptop on very short notice. for the impressive speed of this new machine and the fact that it makes it SO much easier to work in photoshop.
• I’m praying for… my friends who have lost their canine friends this last week and a half. Too many gone, too soon. My heart hurts for all of you. Also for the family affected by the sinkhole here in my neck of the woods this morning. Nothing like a reminder that, for all intents and purposes, the ground could swallow us wholesale at any time.
• A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

Katie with her shadow puppet:

This is part of the Homeschool Mother’s Journal blog hop. To see what other folks have been doing this week go here.