Our Homeschool Routine lately

For those who are interested, this is our homeschool setup as of late. A loose interpretation of the Workbox Method.
Basically, the big kids have a color & tag type, and work through their boxes every school day. In their boxes they have work assignments that they can do on their own. The little kids have one box each with a few activities to keep them busy and teach them basic things like phonics, counting, handwriting, etc. There are reading times every day that we do together, and other tags for piano practice, chores, etc. I'll also include fun activities like a puzzle, outdoor activity, or online educational games to keep it from getting boring. This has been a life saver with a newborn! I know once I start working at the farmers' market again that this system will keep school going smoothly.
Here is Sophia working through a folder that has pictures of simple words and letters to spell in both lowercase & uppercase:

When they boys finish a workbox, they put the number back on this grid. It's a great visual for them and for me on how much they have left to do.
Of course, one of the beauties of homeschooling is the spontaneous learning that takes place. Yesterday we got to learn all about the Pileated Woodpecker, when a pair of them showed up in our backyard:

Our Turtle Friend

Yesterday a little box turtle came to be our first homeschool nature study of the year! We pulled out the Comstock Handbook of Nature Study and learned all about turtles, and this turtles habitat. Pictures were drawn, habitats learned, and fun all around;)

Atlanta Fun

We just got back from Atlanta, where I got to attend the Southeast Homeschool Convention with our dear friends, the Letaw family. The kids had fun at the lake and the pool with the dads while the moms went for some conference fun. Charitable debates, and lots of fun!

Jonesborough Celebration of the Child

We recently drove to Jonesborough, TN, the oldest town in Tennessee, and went to a little festival called the Celebration of the Child. Lots of fun activities and free candy! We went to a story telling time at the International Storytelling Center:

Every year there is a big Storytelling Festival, which is quite costly. The best storytellers from around the nation are there, telling fabulous tales. This weekend was focused on the children, and much simpler. Jonesborough is a quaint town, with lots of fun shops to browse. If you go, I suggest staying out of the all glass shop if your children happen to be with you. We had a close call!

A Day in the Life of Me...Inquiring Minds want to Know!

I have people say to me all the time, "I don't know how you get it all done!" "What do you do all day?" "How do you do it?". Well, today I decided to write down what we did, as we did it. True life today. This is a good day on the scale of productivity, some not quite as much as this. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow too....

A Day in the Life of Me:

6:30 wake up Morning Routine
7-8 Walk (Frank wakes up with kids, breakfast and their morning routine)
8-8:30 Bible

8:30-9 Math Toby & Zane, Sophia Preschool worksheets
9-9:15 Astronomy Toby, mom checks emails, Zane free time
9:15-9:30 break time, mom on computer tasks

(Jude and Sophia playing with activities while we are doing more school)

9:30- 9:45 Zane phonics Toby independent history reading: The Columbus Story Alice Dalgliesh Narrate
9:45-10:00 Wind in the Willows Reading with mom
10-10:30 Snack & Morning Chores (Me Load of laundry, Toby load dishwasher wipe table, Zane wipe bathroom, Sophia bring toys upstairs)
10:30-11 First Language Lessons Toby & Copywork Zane too
11-11:15 Piano Practice Toby
11:15-11:30 got an eBay customer-kids played Wii Mario Kart
11:30-11:40 Phone Call with Mortgage Person
11:45-12:15 Outside play-kids Mom-schedule an eBay listing
12:15-1pm Lunch outside, play outside, clean up
1-2 Quiet Time
2-6 Leave for town to run errands (not that normal for a Wednesday, usually I get to stay home all day! This time usually spent with more quiet time, and a walk to the park or a show on TV) Paid ticket at courthouse, shipped package, went to Lowe's, Home Depot, Wal Mart, Starbucks, picked up Frank in Bristol
6-7 Home, Outside chores
7-8 Cook dinner & eat
8-8:30 bedtime ritual
And tonight I went out and bought the Wii Fit while Frank was performing said bedtime ritual. Crazy, but true. One for me, some to sell on eBay.
11:30 blog all of this
11:40 fall asleep! Usually in bed by 11....Good night!

A day in Saltville

We are going to be exploring our area a little more this year, and venturing out to learn more about our region's history. Our first stop was Saltville, VA. It is approximately 25 miles from Damascus, and is full of history and unique traits.

Saltville was the main source of salt during the Civil War for the Confederate Army, which made it a target for the Union forces, with 2 battles being waged here. The most fascinating thing about Saltville to me is the mascot: A wooly Mammoth.

Because of this area's salt reserves, a very diverse crowd of animals was attracted here. It created a salt marsh environment, that at spots is saltier than even the ocean! Because of this, the wooly mammoth, giant beaver, and early Native American tribes have all traveled and lived here in these mountains. Rich indeed! Many fossils have been found, as can be seen at the Museum of the Middle Appalachians. We had a great day in Saltville, and will be reading some local books with the kids this week to study the history and unique nature of this area.

This giant beaver is one of the largest rodents that has ever existed....ewwww:There was even some love for our dear friends:

Homeschool Fun

Today we were studying the artist Rembrandt, who practiced his technique by making faces in a mirror and drawing them. This is our version:) Here are Toby's results:

This is the book we use for our Artist Study, we love it!