Homeschooling on the Homestead

 I'll likely never feel like we have homeschooling all figured out. People sometimes ask me for advice, or what we do, or how we make it work...well, I'm always intimidated by these questions. Someday, when everyone has grown and I no longer feel responsible for what my kids know, maybe then I'll feel qualified to impart 'wisdom' on this topic.

As it goes right now, we are most likely 'unschoolers' if labeling came into play. On occasion we have a spare minute to sit and learn, but generally we're moving around too much. Sure, we try to make the most of 'learning' opportunities, but sometimes I irritate myself with the 'why's' and the 'did you notice's'.  Honestly, I'm in a spiral of letting go when it comes to schooling.

Perhaps Naomi is to blame, she has taught me a little boat loads about how learning doesn't have to look like what I think it should--as free-spirited as I like to think I am. And then there's Leviah, who will likely teach herself to read one afternoon in the hammock.

So, between chopping down trees, feeding chickens, adopting new livestock, training puppies, hiking, removing ticks, collecting tadpoles, catching lizards, building birdhouses, identifying wild herbs, gathering dandelions, planting trees, potty training sister, visiting new cousins, swinging, cleaning creek beds, dancing, gathering eggs, reading stories, occasionally fighting, feeding worms, emptying the dishwasher and sometimes remembering laundry we're often lucky to fit in dinner. As to homeschooling...well these days it's more of an all-hands-on-deck style of learning. We review our multiplication chart from time to time, throw in some phonics...that's about it.

(this girl is 2 today and needs no schooling in the art of devouring strawberries)

Not everyone is sailing along in the same 'homesteading' boat as we are, maybe because you're not called to it, or it's on the horizon, now that we're here on this plot it's obvious; more important for our family than the homeschool room (which don't get me wrong, I envy the notion) is the outside space, I know because the more time my children spend outside the more settled and content they come to be. Surely, as the NC summer heats up to unbearably hot we'll likely retreat and return to more regularly structured 'learning' time, but this spring, though at times overwhelming, has proven just how much being 'country folk' suits us. These kids are learning and interacting with the world around them so intimately--it's impossible to think that strapping them to a desk for any set time would benefit them more. 

Circular Perpetual Calendar

We made this little project yesterday and it was fun. The girls haven't quite finished theirs, and it's admittedly much too difficult for Leviah (age 4) who really enjoyed the cutting out portion. But, I really like what we ended up with and I think the visual relationship really helps them see how the Gregorian (modern calendar) and the Hebrew calendar and the seasons all interact.

The only small change I still want to make is to mount it to something more solid than just the paper, potentially with a pointer like this one I found via pinterest.

It's a good time of year to talk about calendars and time passing, etc.

We used three different plates as templates for the circles, and brad to hold the three together. I love rotating projects like these. I'm hoping to make a few life cycle ones--perhaps in the spring when so many life cycles are just beginning.

{these moments} a week in pictures

our traditional Rosh Hoshanah trip was monday

it was wet and really foggy. we hiked anyway.

this is about 200 feet from where Drew proposed--on a similar day in winter 2002.

i accepted--of course--and this is where it got us. down the road just a bit, with a few extra passengers.

and we got kittens. 2. and they've got fleas, so we bathed them.

a pirate was banished for a moment, and she suffered...

and this pirate practiced fiddle. recital coming on saturday!

{these moments} - A weekly tradition. A few photos - short captions - catching some moments from the week. For moments when we didn't blog--though extraordinary--on account of distraction, but never-the-less, we don't want to forget. (Adapted from Soulemama's {this moment}--happy if you'd join lifeasaschoolhouse and do the same--one picture is sometimes not enough.)

New House Schoolhouse

Learning is on--full speed. There was no official 'first day' or open house or ribbon cutting ceremony or what-have-you. Just back to focusing on helping each other embrace the unknown and explore the bounty. Out in the woods, by the pond, at the dining room table...life is returning to its schoolhouse style after about 1 month of complete distraction and chaos. It feels good to calm as fall rolls in. So good.

Winner! & Our Appliance Search is Done

Winner of the book giveaway, comment #34: 

MamaWestWind said...

Awesome! We love these books and have a couple more to collect yet. Thanks so much!

Thanks everyone for entering! I encourage you all to run off and read some of Reg Down's collection of children's books. They are fantastic!

Here are a few images of the house. Right now it's MUCH closer to being home. We finished up installing our oven just a little bit ago, so now there are no more excuses to not have good dinners--so I'm told. Here I'm  going to run down the appliances we got because they are SO difficult to pick and someone somewhere may be looking for suggestions. Skip it if you have no interest...If nothing else you may find some inspiration to save on your next purchase because, while we spent a lot, we saved in several ways too. My original plan was actually to get a vintage stove and fridge, but while there are several great places to find them refurbished, I couldn't justify the nearly 4x usage of energy it would take a year to power them. Bummer, 'cause they would have been amazing...

Fridge--this is the one I'm a little less than thrilled about. I wanted a smaller one, and we even bought one, but it was broken when they tried to deliver, I suppose on of the risks of shopping at the Sears Outlet. Anyway, I thought it'd be a more efficient use of the space and keep us from letting things go bad if we stuck to under 20 cubic feet, but alas, when it came down to it we couldn't wait for the one we wanted to be shipped up to 4 weeks. So, one morning I packed up the kids and went fridge shopping at the local H.H.gregg. I did save a bit because of a sale and because it was an 'open box', but, having gotten the fridge from somewhere other than the outlet I feel safer. Fridges have a lot of breakable things and parts that seem irreparable...Oh, and first tip on saving money. Haggle--nearly every place selling appliances or anything for that matter can haggle. Can't hurt to try, and I saved us about $200 just by asking.

Dishwasher--Now, we got a lot more than we bargained for on this. We've had it lined up for a few weeks, but we had no idea we were getting the Cadillac of dishwashers. Being from the outlet, sure there's the nagging feeling that anything and everything might go wrong in an instant (i.e. first fridge), but the price was less than 1/4 the sale price and there is a warranty, not to mention we went for the extended plan, so we're good for at least 5 years. And, this puppy is CRAZY quiet. And, it beeps and bops and shines lights in places I didn't know possible.

Oven--So, before we even moved I knew I wanted a Jenn-Air because I'd read they make models that have a dehydrating feature. Well, Sears Outlet had one, and we went back and forth on it because even though it was 30% off retail, it was still way more than we'd anticipated, especially since I'd been considering used/vintage pieces. Well, it came down to not having time to shop around elsewhere on this one, and boy am I glad it did. The girl at the store said it didn't have the dehydration feature--she was wrong. The girl didn't mention a built in meat thermometer--wow. It's got convection, which we knew we couldn't live without, and though we've only used it to warm leftovers so far, I'm really stoked. Oh, and it's got a modular cook top and a downdraft air vent. I'm not sure about the air vent, but the modular cook top--I'd forgotten, but it's just like my Grandma's. There's a grill attachment, a griddle attachment, you can get a smooth top and coil top cooking eyes. We can't run out and buy them all right now, but Grandma has had her Jenn-Air for over 30 years. Seems like a good investment, after all, unlike our last house, we know we will likely be here a while.

So, all these things in place really makes me want to bake and fill this house with warm homey smells. And, there's a hinting air of fall lingering about that excites me. Time to get some mums and gourds, time to prepare for the fall holidays, and time to really start in with some 'school' time. That's right, eventually these kids will need some sort of instruction from me, beyond 'empty that box' or 'go feed the fish'. There is some learning going on here. Lots. In readjustment there is so much to learn about ourselves, from our new surroundings, and about what's important to us and why. We've purged so much over the last few weeks, I can see even the girls reconsidering what they have as they pull it from a box that's been sealed and forgotten. We're all doing a lot of that, and taking breaks with a fishing pole...

More than Just a House

It's easy to get caught up in the house right now. So much to do--the list keeps growing, and our wallet keeps thinning...anyway, I need a little break from that. So, I'll share a bit about the outside--which is what charmed us into this 'ranger station' in the first place. 

there's been some fishing.

and some catching

some discovering 

(really excited to see this full grown praying mantis since we hatched them in the spring--this guy is probably more than 1 year old)

and some squirming...

But overall, this place is full of treasures we couldn't have imagined. A pond and it's ecosystem weren't something we set out to find, but now I am so glad we did. It's a schoolhouse of its own with learning that only the wonder of nature can inspire. 

As the house transforms we are more and more grateful  for the disappointment we faced a few months ago; this is no old farmhouse but I'll trade that house for the squeal and giggle from a girl who's dangling finger has just been nibbled by a tiny turtle. I'll trade it also for the threats of friends and family to be around more often. Or the unending opportunity to have animals, a few hiking trails, unending plants to discover and wildlife to investigate...I can deal with this ranger station. I'd dreamt to small.

p.s. looking for recommendations for the best plant and bug identification field guides.

p.p.s. enter to win.

Butterflying

We had a great field trip to the local butterfly farm. It was a wonderful homeschooling adventure, lots of learning and exploring. The information part was nearly as good as the learning, plus we picnicked and enjoyed field games. We highly recommend it!

before we went we made this pretty butterfly craft.

ours turned out great!

Homes for Crickets and Toads.

There are many things to share from our week long Sukkot camping adventure, but to delve into it all is a little overwhelming. So, I will pick one thing that actually calms me just thinking about...

We built a village. The little ones napped and Drew, Naomi & I sat in the shade 'round a mossy spot and used sticks and stones and pine needles and acorns and leaves and built a little fairy village. It was utterly relaxing and a great way to open Naomi up to ingenuitive thinking.

It surprisingly nice and simple and only one of the very fun times we shared through the week, but as I look through the pictures (it was well documented, Drew & I took turns trying to capture it perfectly) I feel the calm of the process...

I can't think of a better way to encourage imagination. Perhaps there's a cricket or a toad making themselves cozy round the fire right about now. This will be a new tradition to help us sit and enjoy our days outside. I think we may start treating them like GeoCaches so others can look for them--wouldn't that be a fun thing to treasure hunt for? And add to? This article triggered my memory of making them as a kid. And of course, Magic Onions always has inspiring fairy garden ideas!

Las Mariposas Senoritas Pinturadas

Because I have a minute while everyone is resting...

We just released butterflies from our butterfly observation kit. Painted Ladies.

Here are some of the last one we released, it took a bit to fly away and it was bittersweet. Naomi wanted to keep it and let it go all at the same time. But, she is comforted knowing they may return...

*if you click on the photos you should be able to see more detail.

Homeschooling Together

One major thing I've learned about homeschooling this--our first real--year of doing it, is that support is essential.  There's more support now than there ever has been, it's abundant on the internet, in the library and fewer and fewer folks look at us cross-eyed when we answer the question, "where do you go to school?"

even the youngest take a lot from it. It's a very one-room-schoolhouse experience.

Most of the naysayers on homeschooling have an opinion about socialization, which probably would have bothered me about homeschool kids when I was in 'normal' school. They always seemed a little quirky, a bit odd, a little un-the-same. That is something I've come to cherish about the whole experience. I don't have to expect my daughter to run home begging for the latest Disney channel craze covered apparel, and sometimes I have to remind her that not EVERYONE her age is familiar with Laura Ingalls...

This year we have been fortunate to participate in a Charlotte Mason group that meets about every 2 weeks. It's been a great resource to encourage the kids in studiousness, and an outlet for Naomi to see that homeschooling isn't so abnormal.

Here is a break down of the term that ended Monday:
Every semester we have a theme, for the past 10weeks or so it was farm animals. Each week we studied one animal, one of Grandma Moses' paintings, the folk song This Land is Your Land, one composition by Aaron Copland, the notion of self-control, and each child recited a poem at each meeting. There were field trips to meet animals first hand, nature studies to learn more about them, games, poetry, and overall a lot of good learning by kids and parents.

following directions--part of the Self-Control exploration. --it's been GREAT having this term defined for Naomi. 

 some of the chicken studies

 

Naomi reciting her poem (although, it's better if they can have it memorized)

 

studying July Fourth by Grandma Moses

(sorry about the not-so-hot pics. the iPod just doesn't work as well as my normal camera!)