Reviving this blog! Update

Again a long time between posts!
So, this year is our year of Modern History, as well as the Lord of the Rings. They are our overall themes for the year, and it is going so well! Last year (2006) I was burned out from March onwards. I dont think it was our extra homeschooler, who left us in January. It may have been health related- not sure. By 4th term, I was just so exhausted.
But, this year, it's June and I am fine! Maybe it's just the mix- the curricula, the age of the kids, and the extra curricula activities- which keep the kids very happy.

Here are the activities we are doing:
Both kids- Hey Fever- a highschool homeschool social group accomodating younger siblings- they do Drama and Sport on Monday afternoons. It is great.
Latin class for dd13. However, she will be changing to using an online etutor for Latin in term 3. Not that the class is no good- she loves it- but it moves slowly, and I wanted to try this approach for a change.
Dd13 is doing French through an online course through a local christian school. She loves it and it is going well.
Dd13 is doing piano lessons- new teacher, loving it. More blues, jazz, ragtime.
Ds11 is doing Classical Recorder. Both do a guitar class together.
Dd13 does a sewing class and a watercolour class at the local art gallery. She loves them.
Dd13 also does a Science class with other homeschoolers, which is going well, and has relieved my anxiety about Science for her. She is interested in a medicine related career- we gotta get science right!
And dd13 also does a writing class with a homeschool dad, which is awesome.
And all 3 of us- two kids and I- are doing Karate! I am loving it, dd likes it, and ds doesnt want to leave playing with his street friends to come to it, but we make him. We like the respect it teaches.
But, this is a LOT of activities. Oh, I forgot the mos important one- SCOUTS! Dd is a Patrol Leader this year. Scouts takes up lots of time with camps etc, but for the cost, nothing can compare to the experiences they get from it.
I think we got the social mix right this year- for dd anyway! And ds11 just wants to play on the streets with the other boys- they play imaginative games, and the other mums are all good mums, looking out for all of the boys. Since we lost Daniel, the boy I homeschooled last year (actually, I told his mum no more, but that is another story), Jared reached out to the kids in the street and he is much happier. They are younger than him, so he gets to be a leader.

OK. Academics. I really wanted a lighter, more fun year for 2007.
So, Literary Lessons from Lord of the Rings is a part of every day. We are loving it. I started off doing it all- now we just do most of it orally. And it is enough. And wonderful.
SOTW4 Modern history is another theme. I am learning so much! Much of our literature relates to our Modern History studies.

Other than that, I missed Classical Writing and so I brought that back in, at a much slower pace. Jared is doing well with Homer A, Gen with Homer B. And, we skip the parsing and heavy grammar- we are doing Analytical Grammar instead. It is enough for what I want for them. AG is great- simple, direct, easy to do each day for 5-10 minutes. Much, much more grammar than I ever learned.

Maths-Last year, both kids struggled with Singapore maths. I decided it was time to let it go, although dd finished 6A. Genevieve is using Haese and Harris year 8, and is loving it and doing well! I am surprised, but it really seems to click for her. No maths stress this year!
Jared is using Easy-learn maths, written by a Singapore lady here in Australia. It is awesome for him. However, we had to start a fair way back. He is now up to 5A. Yet he still did so well in the state testing last year.

Latin- dd is still using Cambridge and i have no intention of changing that. She is about to start Book 3 with an etutor, although she loves the tutor she has had for the last 3.5 years, I feel she is ready to move at a faster pace.
Ds is still using Cambridge, but I relaly felt he wasnt grasping teh grammar. Si, he is using the Latin Prep program a bought last year. As well as Cambridge. Just moving at a slow pace. It is going well.

Science- Dd is going to classes which fulfils her social needs as well as academic. They are great. Meanwhile at home she is still doing Singapore's Interactive Science. I am also reading Science Matters aloud to her once a week.
Ds is doing Tiner's Great Science Mysteries. Finally, a science course he is engaged with. I have been concerned at his retention, but as time goes on, the retention is actually getting higher and he is proud of his test results- it is a motivation to him.
I am finally at peace with Science, yay!
So much so, we are even doing Nature Study once a week too! using a beautiful book called the Wonderland of Nature- an Australian living book. As well as nature walks, and hopefully setting up a Nature blog.

And, things are going well. We are doing some CM stuff too, or at least I am taking some inspiration from Ambleside, and we are doing Art Appreciation, Poetry Appreciation, some memory work, of course nature study..and as usual, read alouds. Also, i am fitting in some religious studies- at the moment, we are reading a Tich Nhat Hahn book (he is Buddhist) for children.

Rich, wholesome. The kids are cooperative. Last week instead of a strict schedule, I handed them both an assignmet list. They did it, and loved it because it motivated them to get their work done early. So, same this week. So far so good.

Yay for homeschooling!