Homeschool Dec

December Homeschool is so cozy and lovely. I intentionally didn't assign us specific topics for our Family School because I wanted to take our time this month for holiday baking, Christmas book reading, gift making/wrapping, and just being together. The slower vibe of our homeschool balanced with the busier nature of December in general. There are always so many activities, events, parties, etc... and it's so fun, but sometimes feels like a lot. 

This was the perfect balance of cozy at-home time and Christmas festivities: Snuggling in our jammies, reading Christmas books, doing bookwork - but doing it by the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree. The kids REALLY wanted to make a gingerbread house, so we made gingerbread dough, but I couldn't find the house cookie cutters that I had planned to use. We ended up just cutting out some basic rectangles and trees, and gingerbread men, and then that very day our lovely neighbor Sister Roxanne Becker brought us over a gingerbread kit with some extra candy decorations. A tiny Christmas miracle! 

We also kept up with our co-ops and other homeschool classes. Utah History (learning about early pioneers and how they settled communities and built temples), Ski Bus for Lydia and Austin, Lydia's World Civ showcase, and finishing up my Quilt Service Sewing Class for the middle school coop. 

The kids had their Christmas Piano recital and all did a great job. We love Stephanie Lewis - she's such a great piano teacher and I'm grateful for the talent, effort, and love of piano that she is instilling in them. 

Some of our Christmas adventures: 

-Christkindlemarkt. Lucy said "This is my FAVORITE Christmas Traidition!" 

-Seeing the Giant Gingerbread house and the Christmas Windows at the Grand America. 

Christmas Around the World performance at BYU

And some other field trips from the month: 

Pioneer Museum SLC

Exploring the Tree Fort Forest by Utah Lake in Saratoga Springs. 

Going on a sled/hike in American Fork Canyon. First we walked along a path by Tibble Fork and explored the area, then we went to  Roadhouse Picnic Area to sled. I was standing at the bottom of the hill while they were going down over and over and over because there is a small river and I didn't want them to slide into it. They weren't even getting close. But, I have a video of me Marco Polo-ing my friend while the kids were sledding and there is a clip where Lydia gets a burst of speed and heads right for the river. The video captures me jumping on top of her to stop her momentum. We have watched that clip over and over and over again - laughing all the while. 

It was a beautiful December and the perfect Christmas School for us. 

Homeschool Nov

We've lost some of the "start of year" energy and haven't been sticking to our schedule quite as much as we initially were. But this truly has been my favorite year of homeschooling yet. It's such a beautiful lifestyle to spend our days together, learning, exploring, playing, living. 

November Family Studies:

Country - India

Nature - Rocks

Creation - Plants & Dry Ground  

We are still reading fairy tales on Monday mornings, but have pretty much dropped off doing poetry on Thursday mornings because the rush out the door to coop is just too much. (We could do it, but I found out that I prefer letting the kids sleep in just a little bit longer on that day.) I feel find about that, we are having a great experience with our family studies and that's the value of homeschool, is being able to be flexible in what we are doing to fit our needs. Here are some photos of the month: 

-The kids asked if we could play a card game in the morning before family study and David grabbed this picture as he was walking out the door. 

-Working/reading together. 

-Taj Mahal art project (Lucy loved learning about the Taj Mahal and now everytime we see a large white symmetrical building that is not a temple she says "It's the Taj Mahal!")

-Rock Activities: identification/rock cycle, making rock candy, reading about rocks. 

Caleb has been working on his reading skills and I love when he reads to me. 

Austin is trying to learn how to solve a Rubik's cube. It's hard! 

Makerspace

Austin had his mid-year Makerspace show and we got to see some of the cool things that he has been working on. He asked if David could come, and I said "probably not", because I knew David was busy and the openhouse was just pretty simple. I should have known better though, because Austin asked David and of course he came. He is such a good dad and so supportive to these kids (and to our homeschool in general). Austin was SO excited to have him there. This class has been so good for Austin this year.  

Utah History

Learning about pioneers, building covered wagons, following their path across the states. 

Coops

I'm still teaching a sewing class at Lydia's middle school coop and it's been so fun! Lucy has been feeling a little resistant to her coop lately, and one of the times I brought her with my to Lydia's coop while I was teaching because she just really really didn't want to go. It wasn't a great decision, but it worked out. The boys love their coop. Miss Molly (Molly Thomas, the facilitator) is fantastic. Lydia has also been enjoying her coop and is learning to navigate the middle-school dynamic. 

Field Trips

We had to cancel our first Utah History field trip (I hate doing that so much!) - but we made up for it with this awesome field trip. We hiked to the top of ensign peak then discussed what it would have looked like when the pioneers first arrived to the valley. The kids then drew pictures of either what it would have looked like or what it looked like now. 

We had the Haderlies for cousin weekend, and after the hike we went to a park to eat a picnic lunch (it was a beautiful day!), then we decided to go to the Church History Museum in Salt Lake and walk over to see the construction on the foundation of the temple. By the time we got home, little Molly was pooped! She fell asleep on my chest and I soaked up getting to hold such a sweet almost-baby because my babies are all growing up! 

Thanksgiving Point 

There was an India Display at the children's museum and I loved being able to connect the things that we were learning in our country study to the things we could experience there. We watched a scene from a Bollywood movie and danced with them, we "rode" in a tuk-tuk down a busy street in India, we explored their kitchens and market. (Mostly, the kids wanted to play hide and seek through the exhibit, but okay.) Lucy loved the giant mural of the Taj Mahal. And of course, the kids trying to convince me to buy things from the gift shop at the end. (But the "let me take a picture of it so we will remember you want it" really is effective.) 

Children of Influence (200 Temples!)

In November, I did a presentation for all the primaries in our stake celebrating the 200 temple mark. I had the opportunity to teach the same celebration/class to our COI group. I made it a little extra fun by doing the presentation and then letting them build temples out of marshmallows. 

November was a great homeschooling month! It's not always easy, and definitely not always perfect. Lydia is struggling with feeling overwhelmed and I think part of that is because at the beginning of the year we decided to be a little less structured with her core tasks in the hope that she will find fulfilment in the things that she enjoys (writing) instead of just doing a workbook curriculum, but the lack of structure can feel overwhelming. But we are working through it and I know that she's learning and growing in the ways that she needs to right now. She's doing amazing, all the kids are, and I'm grateful I get to be both their mom and their teacher.