KIA[6]

Me, Ki, and the Cat. It's a small family these days with 3 of our members away on a trip.

Ki and I are having Adventures. This little blog is about Day #6. Monday.

I like this little pace to our days we have going.
He made his breakfast, I made mine- whenver we wake up. He does his morning chores. I wash some dishes.

We read or play on the computer a bit, talk about lunch plans, go for a bike ride, do a little cleaning. I hung my laundry. WOWSERS, opur laundry and groceries are almost non-exsitent compared to when there are all 5 of here!

We do our own lunches, too. We clean up from lunch then I was on the phone making toomany phone calls while Ki went out back to make a fire in the wheelbarrow again.

He used this fire to warm the PVC pipe he was working with:

A little later he made a yummy treat for us. He toasted some almonds and then melted some chocolate with sea salt for a yummy bark snack:

I was on the phone more, read my book I styarted a long time ago and had to back track a few chapters, then Ki and I cleaned our bathrooms. It was his idea. Yesterday he said "We should clean our bathrooms on Monday." So we did.

After that we read in his Science book. We were reading about muscle types. Skeletal Muscles, Smooth Muscles, and Cardiac Muscles. I read from the book; "Cardiac Muscles is only found in one place in humans. Time Lords have Cardiac Muscles in 2 locations."

I Ad-Lib when I read to them. And, yes, I still use silly voices when reading to my high school age boys.  The section kept talking about our SUPERSTRUCTURE and I always said it like a super-hero with a deep voice speaking in a tunnel....

Ki helped me pick flowers to put in my vase then he got started making dinner. I ws going to make dinner myself, but I had told him my plan for dinner and he thought it ws fun, so he got to work on getting things ready. I was getting hungry I guess. So we both did our part to create tonight's dinner:

Compartment Cuisine -->

Ki arranged them around our centerpiece and asked what game I wanted to play. I chose Fluxx.

 Ki has his cake decorating class tonight. I'll post a picture in tomorrow's blog.

(to read about previous days: click the following links:

Day 1 and Day 2 and Day 3 and Day 4 and Day 5)

ABC's of homeschooling

But I saw this at Homeschooling for His Glory- so I have to say I am taking it from Joelle, not from 5kidsandadog. Credit where Credit is due- and that is in 2 places this time.
I will be doing a couple of letters at a time, because I am not consistent enough to do them on schedule.
A is for Autodidact- That is why I homeschool- to help my boys become autodidacts; someone who is self-taught. For us that means allow them the freedom to follow their passions and interests, to not let 'school' get in the way of learning. I may not have taught my boys everything from the long list of 'Facts taught to kids all throughout school'- but I taught them something more important. How to learn on their own. How do decide what they need to know and then teach themselves. Elementary Years are easy. They boys are little sponges learning everything and asking about everything. The Junior High years are the ones that make you doubt as they chill out and just... exist.... but now that they are in the High School years, I am seeing it all come together. Well, Ki is still in the Junior High phase, but he has always been the more 'self-directed' of the three.
I bought them these T-Shirts a few years ago....."I can't go to school.... I'm autodidactic."
Things brings me to thought of discussing unschooling- but I'll leave that for "Q"OTHER A's: Amtgard. Animals. Art. Advice (we all seem to get a lot of that as homeschoolers, LOL)

B is for BOYS- because I am homeschooling 3 boys, it seemed like a good choice for this 2nd letter in the alphabet. I am surrounded by boys. I am teaching boys. I assume this is a different ball game them homeschooling all girls. Our days are filled with Making their own Ninja Throwing Stars and a target board- in the back yard. Dissecting Cow Hearts.... in the back yard. ParKour practice...in the back yard... Making & Wielding Renaissance Weapons.. in the back yard... Hmmm this is why I often have the gardener skip doing the backyard.....
Maybe "B" should have stood for "BACKYARD"
We also have less violent things happen in the backyard. Gavin grows strawberries. Ki collects Mosquito Larvae for his tiny froglets. Connor lays in the sun and pets his cat. I lead Nijna Training Exercises.

I love having boys! I'm more of a Hiking in a creek, catching newts, and dissecting cow heart- kinda girl than a ruffles, bows, and pink kinda girl. But I guess if I had a girl she'd not be too into pink and ruffles anyway.
My boys have been good at insisting they learn when they are ready- regardless of it it lines up with my timing or a schoolbook's timing.
some were doing basic algebra at 6 and some didn't read till 5th grade.... or at 4 yrs, but refused to read around me until much much later- when they were ready for me to have confirmation they could read. Some refused to count to 6 until they were 6 years old.
That makes it sound like I have 5 or 6 boys.....no. Just the 3 of them.
and I can't imagine them having nearly the success in public school that they do here and now. I am thankful we get to let them learn their own way.
OTHER B's: Backyard, Biology, Bible, Bored, Books, Blog, Blessed


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Looking Ahead, but not very far.

Sometimes, Looking Ahead starts with a little Looking Behind. Like remembering when the kids where younger and I had more to do to herd them daily, but a lot less to do on my calendar. More to Juggle IN THE HOME, but a lot LESS to juggle outside of the home. Neither way i s better or worse. Life is just a series of trade-offs and changes.

Gavin is registered at a student at the local Community College. He's in 11th grade. Here (and many other place) upper High School kids can take college courses that count at college credits (so the are a few steps ahead of the game when they graduate high school) and that count as High School credits. And it's usually tuition free. (but other fees apply, of course. Like books and art supplies)

This new endeavor will have us booked every Monday and Wednesday morning. No more deciding to skip off to the beach on a Monday Morning or fit his dentist appointments in on a Wednesday morning.

Connor and Ki will be taking Wednesday Afternoon Theater Classes. So no afternoon beach trips on Wednesdays.

This concept of having to fit our lives around school is something we are not used to doing. We have done it for a short time a couple times, but it's always a huge hassle. But, then, so are lots of things in life. That's just how it goes.

Gavin is taking an Art Class at Allan Hancock College. I figured it'd be good to start off with something easy; esp since he'll miss the first day of class because he'll be out of state. Though he is a registered student, he has not enrolled in this art class. "College Now" class enrollment starts Aug 9th. This is the day before he leaves on his trip. Nothing like cutting it down to the last minute. I thrive on procrastination. That feeling of having "NO MORE time left, so gotta do it NOW!"

I really should start thinking about their other learning adventures; math, science. history, grammar.... But it's not down to the final hour yet, so I have plenty of time until that Window Of Motivation.

***** Subject Change *****

I have had 4 acupuncture appointments. 2 worked GREAT, one NOT at ALL, and this last one has not had migraines afterwards, but I'm headachey. But then again, I don't think I'm getting enough protein and my water and glucose intake or not optimal.

But I'm also learning some acupressure that I can use with Ki, too.

***** Subject Change *****

Here i a fun little game that has you building a cell and fighting of viruses and looks like maybe splicing DNA in the future- all why teaching what the different parts of the cell do and how.

CELLCRAFT (click to play)

***** Subject Change *****

I knit a couple Coffee Cup Sleeves. I wanted to learn to use DPNs. Double Pointed Needles.. I found that it is easier to use 5 than 4.

***** Subject Change *****

The summer is a time of less structure. Less structure is a time of more Sensory Meltdowns. Ki's meltdowns and outbursts have been getting more frequent and more..intense.

When I plan the upcoming 'more structured than not-schooling', I'll be adding some occupational Therapy for Ki (his brothers will join in).

This will include, but it not limited to, Obstacle Courses, Brain Gym, joint Compression. Yoga, and maybe some massage.