Forces, Friction, and our Awesome Library

Well, I feel like school's in full swing now, but no history got done. I just don't know how to make time for it yet.

I'm starting to learn how to cope with things that were "freaking me out" at the beginning of the school year.

First of all, Abraham.  It's still hard, but I have learned how to nurse and teach at the same time, and just put learning on hold for the moment to focus on the littlest member of our school.  Having his bumbo chair in the middle of our school work helps his moods.

William likes to draw while his brothers write and he loves to be in the middle of the action, and hasn't been more exasperating than usual. Except when he empties ALL of the cereal.

I've decided that I have to condense my tutoring. I just don't have an extra eight hours a week for other children.  But I can't NOT teach them, so I'm teaching then all together=two hours instead of eight. Better than nothing.

And Hyrum got his cast off. He still can't walk properly or be in gymnastics, but things are progressing.

I have now done two weeks of science.  The first week was our introduction to physics. We learned about forces and gravity. We learned all about "push" and "pull" and as part of this, we had a tug-of-war.

I have more kids in my club than last year. We even have a couple girls this year. I don't think they've noticed they're the only girls.

This week we learned about friction. I was thinking that maybe next time around I'll teach inertia first. That makes more sense to me. The friction/lubrication lesson is always one of my favourites. We had kids pulling each other around the floor on sheets, and we skated on shaving cream to show what happens when you get rid of friction.

Last time around I did this inside, and it ruined the finish on my floor. This time I did it in the garage and some kids got bonked on the cement. Maybe next time I'll do it on the grass….

I haven't gotten much history done, which bugs me. I have had a lot of mental space still going towards this dumb political nonsense. We've also been actively trying to inform our community through things like flyers, and that's taken up a lot of time.

Blah….and it's not over yet.

Thank goodness my community ended up teaching my kids social studies this week. We went to an awesome story time. (Our library always has awesome story times.) The native Blood Tribe came and the elementary did some dances and the middle school preformed some songs. This was PERFECT for history this month. Serendipity is wonderful.

We've also had culture days here. Some of my friends put together an awesome Guatemala experience. Here's my nephew at one of the booths.

Also, the alternate school has started their co-op.  In addition to gymnastics, Crystal has been teaching the kids book making, and Heather Burton has been doing creative writing. The creative writing especially has filled a hole in my kids education. So grateful to be a part of this group.

Yes that is Hyrum with his tongue stuck out. Yep.

Politics-----ugh----and Native Americans

Remember this post? and this photo?

Yep, Things are out of control again here in our tiny town.

A few years ago, an employee of Dustin's said "I'm so glad I wasn't homeschooled because I wouldn't have learned how to deal with bullies." Dustin just laughed at him and said "Yah, but who bullies as an adult?"

Well, we've learned who bullies as an adult. We've apologized to that former employee and told him he was right.

Last year when politics blew up, I got severely depressed. I knew I needed medical help it was that bad. But right when I was about to go to the doctor, I found out I was pregnant. This kicked my psyche in the behind.

I was not cured. Not by a long shot, but I was much better than I had been. I knew that I needed to pull it together for someone other than me.

This time I've hardly been depressed at all. I can't sleep, but whatever. This time I have just lost so much respect for some people that they can't hurt me like they once did. I'm sad, not hurt.

I'm sad, and quite a bit furious. I want to shout from the roof tops all the hypocrisy, lies, bullying, and power grabbing, but Dustin coaxes me back down to the ground and helps me realize how it will solve nothing. Eeeerrrrrr I wish he wasn't right. It would be so fulfilling.

Because of politics, I've had a one track mind, and school has suffered.

We did get almost all the reading writing and arithmetic in. William is liking it that school is back in session:

No science. No devotionals. No Robotics.

But we did do a bit of history. We learned a bit about the early native americans. We made totem poles and tepees. My sister-in-law has moved into our basement, and is joining us for history, and it makes it twice as fun.

Maxwell made the biggest tepee, check it out:

So---NEXT week I'll be in full swing------I hope.

Slow but Steady Beginning

Well, This week was not the amazing Full-Blown first week of the year that I would want, but it was what it was.

In fact, I hardly have any photos. While  we did read some history, I ended up not getting to the activities. So no photos. Also, even though I got ready for science, when it came down to it no one could come, so I happily cancelled it.

We DID do reading, writing, and arithmetic. That felt fulfilling. We also did devotionals and EXERCISING! I was so proud of myself.

A friend of mine was saying how when she talks to public school teachers, they admit that it takes a couple of weeks before they are going strong. So there.  I have an excuse.

The homeschool association had their annual track and field day.  I almost didn't go. Hyrum has a broken leg, Daniel's too young, and Maxwell....Maxwell's not really excited about athletics. But in the end, it all worked out wonderfully:

Maxwell was a crack up. He comes up to me and says "I got a second place and a fifth place, now all I need is a third and fourth place." He had a blast.

Here's something cute: Three years ago, I took this first photo and I thought "humm I don't know those two kids very well, but whatever." and this year I took the second photo and I thought "those two kids are so awesome, I'm so glad we know them so well."

The homeschool organization was so sweet and totally included Daniel in the first grade group. He felt so accomplished.

And HYRUM!!!! Hyrum trumped them all. I wish he was wearing shorts so you can see how huge his cast is, but cast or no, he was amazing at the obstacle course. Check it out!

So that was our first week. Last but not least, Dustin and the boys convinced me to let them buy a kitten at the country fair.  Yippee (I say VERY sarcastically.)