As you may have noticed, we have been wrapping up some review products this week. We also had some beautiful weather the first few days this week and we took the chance to enjoy it (an unofficial early Spring break!). The sun felt so good and was just the thing I needed to lift my spirit this week. . .
. . .and to get outside and get a little dirty.
We also celebrated the Biblical New Year (confirmed with the finding of aviv barley and sighting of the new moon in Israel). Exciting stuff for us! That night, as we were walking out to the truck, we saw the new moon over Wyoming - it was so pretty - a crescent visible on the bottom of the moon, rather than the side like you normally see (like a little basket). So cool! This begins a time of Spring cleaning for us as we prepare for Passover and the Spring Feasts. Other than cleaning the house, removing the leaven, and keeping the Sabbaths as rest days, we have no formal plans for the Feasts. We will make unleavened bread and have a nice (simple) dinner for Passover. Last year it was very stressful and I don't want a repeat of that! I'd like to do a few lamb crafts with Mali and Elli and make some joyful music makers. Mostly, we will read the accounts of the Feasts in the Scriptures, from the Passover in Exodus to Yeshua's last Passover (Last Supper). We don't keep a traditional seder or haggadah - we just keep it very simple with unleavened bread and grape juice. Unless Father puts in on my heart to do more, that will be it and I am actually looking forward to keeping it simple and pure. (smile)
I have been ordering, printing, cutting, laminating, organizing and getting ready for a whole new plan for Mali and Elli. And my posting will take a little turn about as I am planning on schooling them together. I am actually very excited and can't wait to share what we will be doing - as soon as it gets here. I am excited to actually have something planned out for me for a change. I also decided to refocus our science plans. I still want to do lots of science, but I want to tie it in with our learning adventure and focus more on nature lessons, much like we did with Nature Explorers.
I really love this time of year - looking forward to next year, planning, wrapping up our plans for this year. Speaking of which, we will just continue on with what we are doing this year - since I have so much more that I want to do for Ancient History. Except, I will be adding in Story of the World - on CD - which will be perfect for when we travel to Montana and Idaho this summer.
I have been slowly eliminating options for Jordan for high school. In order to decide, I thought it would be easiest to just start crossing options off the list. So far I have crossed a few off. We will continue on with the Middle Ages after the Ancients; and then for American History, I am considering Sonlight and a few others. We began our homeschooling journey with Sonlight (Core 1, 1+2, 3+4) and I'd like something similar planned out for me.
I love to plan, and be creative, but sometimes it takes the joy out of teaching. I almost love the planning part more than the teaching part and that is not good. Plus, I spend so much energy planning, that I have little energy for pulling it all together. I need to change that. I want to just enjoy the materials like we did in the beginning.
My boys discovered that they can write on the windows with board markers. The cool thing is that they change colors when the sun warms it. (Yellow turns green)
A sunny window is their favorite spot to do spelling and dictation. (I can see that it is also time to Spring clean the windows!)
I have been busy around my little downtown homestead here in Wyoming. Luke has been busy on our homestead in the mountains of Montana (insulating), and I have several posts that I can't wait to share on my family and homesteading blog. So, if "Spring break" continues . . . you'll know where to find me!
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