8.14.2011

Another Crazy weekend!

Just finished the weekend, and now trying to spend the last little bit of quiet time. I'm ignoring the fact that I'm tired, and enjoying the fact that the kids are all asleep. The espresso ice cream really helped with that.

Thursday the family headed to Six Flags over Texas...most of the family. I stayed home with Talia, Nathan and Breanna, which saved me from stress, and allowed the kids to have fun. Zane just doesn't see all the scary, unsafe things that freak me out. The kids have survived this far, so i need to relax. But I don't. I think that's on the mommy gene. While they were gone, I sorted and organized stuff for the girls' cooperative classes, and tried to get some of the learning room sorted. I got about halfway without the help from the girls that I usually get lol! I finished up Friday while they were all home relaxing and recovering their sore feet. It's looking pretty good, and my resources are organized so I can go through and set up things for easy access.

It takes a lot of energy to homeschool in a way that is fulfilling and not stressful. I like the kids to be learning all the time, and that means strewing information and toys and kits around the house. On top of that, I like things to be clean and organized, so that's double the pressure on me. :-D  I love unschooling, even as the older kids are moving towards more organized learning methods, it's wonderful to still be focussing on the younger kids. I have always love the Montessori methods, and they incorporate so well into unschooling. I think that a lot of Charlotte Mason does as well, and I've spent most of this year reading more about CM. I've been trying to plan this year a little bit while taking her suggestions into consideration, and I think we're heading in the right direction. I especially love handicrafts and nature and the focus on living books and reading. Again, I think that fits in so very well with unschooling and being self directed. The difference being that I feel that it's good for our family to have the expectation that we can try new things that someone else suggests, at least one time, and then move on if we don't like it.

I'll take some pictures of how the rooms have changed and upload them next week. I meant to take pictures today, especially since my cutie-patootie niece Delaney was playing down there and having a great time!

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