Homeschool Coffee Break: Homeschool Mother's Journal

In our homeschool... so much for taking a summer break! It turns out that we are more or less back to doing school year-round. Years ago, we had a habit of starting school around the second week of August, but stretching it out so that we didn't really finish up until about the end of June. It was nice to have the relaxed pace and take those vacations in the fall and around Christmas, but frustrating to not be able to finish earlier. So for the past several years we've been doing a pretty good job of sticking to the schedule so that we're finished within a week or so after Memorial Day, and pushed back our start date to about the last week of August. Now with needing to work on the Schoolhouse Crew review products, we're doing more schoolwork during our "summer break" again. But with one important difference that helps with attitudes (mine and the kids'!) - we start the new school year in mid-June, and are able to finish (mostly) by the end of May.

Landon and Kennady are both working on English/Language Arts for the 2014-2015 school year. Kennady has been working on a literature study on The Hobbit from Moving Beyond the Page, and Landon just started working on Analytical Grammar. Both are products we are reviewing.

Kennady got started on her new Science as well, since we also have the Weather and Climate study from Moving Beyond the Page for review. She had asked to study meteorology in her Grade 8 year, so this is a good introduction! Biology is the one subject that Landon hadn't quite finished by the official end of the 2013-2014 school year, so he is getting it done now.

We've decided that Kennady will continue with piano and guitar lessons through the summer, and she is also trying out an online piano instruction (yep, another review!) from Homeschool Piano.

In other news... Kennady's softball team had an undefeated season and won the championship. The second-place team was their sister team from the same town, so that made for a fun championship game!

I had a frog land on my back a couple nights ago. LOL I stepped out onto the deck so I could watch the lightning with hubby, and a little tree frog that must have been on the outside of the French door plopped on my back, then my butt, and then back onto the door! I didn't figure out what had happened until we were going back inside and saw the little guy.

And I have a funny quote to share. Landon posted the following on Facebook last week:

"You need to do school so that I have stuff to put on my blog." ~Mom, telling Kennady to do school.

I actually did say something eerily like that!

Some of my favorite things this week... the stars, the sounds of birds and frogs, sunsets, and shopping with my boys.

I recommend... the Schoolhouse Crew Round-up of Independence Day resources:

Also, you may want to check out a review the Schoolhouse Crew members did back in March - Motivated Moms. These calendar/chore planner combos are available to download and print, or as an app for Android or iPhone/iPad/iPod. You can see my review HERE, and some of the highlighted reviews on the featured Pinterest board. Why am I mentioning this now? Well... because I recently printed the pages for the second half of the year, so this is a review product I am still using and finding helpful; and because I noticed that the 2014 planners are now on sale for half price at the Motivated Moms website. So if you're looking to get into good household routines during the summer, check out these deals! review by Homeschool Coffee Break

On my blog this week...

On the bookshelf...

Sinner's Creed - Scott Stapp
The Shadow Lamp - Stephen R Lawhead
Loyal in Love - Jean Plaidy

I just finished (as in just today!) Rekindled by Tamera Alexander, and recently finished Appalachian Serenade by Sarah Loudin Thomas (Read my thoughts about this book on my book blog, Just A Second.).

A parting shot...

This post is linked at Managing Your Blessings, at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers, and at For the Display of His Splendor - see how other homeschoolers welcomed the first day of summer!

Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to Homeschool Coffee Break by Email!

©2006-2014 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/