Happy Spring

Diary of a Homeschool Mom

By Jan Jennrich

Thursday 03-27-03
Kelsey (13) and I skipped her homeschool classes today since our 'boys' are sick with the flu and need help. Kelsey usually takes Kids Business, Middle School Science and Pottery with other homeschoolers on Thursdays. Ian (8) takes Around the World (countries & cultures) and Hands-On Science.
Kelsey made peanut butter cookies today. She is asking me to teach her how to cook. I think this is a great idea as she will be learning 'home ec' while also helping out the family.
Kelsey and I also went online to check out www.CriticalThinking.com (for a free catalog - call 1-800-458-4849). She likes their Word Roots workbook very much and is loving learning about Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes. We found out we could download demos of their companion software. We tried Editor in Chief, which is a grammar program. It was challenging and taught us both a lot! I think I will buy the CD.

Friday 03-28-03
I took Kelsey to the YMCA for her weekly 2 hour exercise class today. Ian is still sick, so he stayed home with Dad (Duane), who is recovering from the same bug. Kelsey had a blast swimming with her homeschool friends. Today the instructors taught them how to do "cannon balls" into the deep end. At first Kelsey only sat on the edge, but then she finally worked up the nerve to give it a try. She did great! The instructor said she is doing terrific in class. She has one more week of swimming and then the different aged groups rotate to try a new sport for five weeks. Kelsey will go to the rockwall next for rock climbing. Ian's group will go from gym to dance.
On the way to the YMCA Kelsey read me a story she is writing for her brother. Even though we have not formally studied fiction writing, she has written an exciting tale with a good plot, setting and characters. Yay for loads of reading and thoughtful unschooling!

Saturday 03-29-03
This morning I decided to get out of the "sick house" for a while today and go yard sale shopping (my favorite sport: sale-ing). I got Kelsey about $150 worth of nice clothes for $16. She was excited to have a whole new wardrobe from the Gap and Old Navy, and I was glad to find wholesome but cool clothing for her at outrageously low prices. I got myself some lightweight capris for fifty cents, so I am a happy camper, too.
In the afternoon I got outside in the unexpected sunshine and pulled some weeds in my flower bed. We're trying to sell our property, so I hope to brighten it up with some colorful flowers. I also spent some time scrubbing mossy green (yuck) film off of our patio tables. Getting ready for spring!

Sunday 03-30-03
Well, Kelsey came down with a cold now, so I am the only healthy one in the house. I am washing my hands constantly! Ian was causing a bit of trouble today, so he must be on the mend at last. He's been reading and playing with computer programs.
Duane is feeling a little better and is out on the John Deere mowing. We have decided our next property will have less grass and more forest. It takes Duane five or more hours a week to mow our pasture and front yard area during the summer. This property would be better suited to folks with horses or sheep...or a BIG tractor.
I spent a little time today online looking at properties for sale and checking out teacher and homeschool sites for lesson plan ideas. Later I made vegetable soup and vegged myself on some television.

Monday 03-31-03
Can it be the last day of March already? Seems like 2003 is zooming past me.
The kids are still feeling bad, so I am not pushing the educational stuff, but they did watch the Liberty Kids program on PBS and got some history anyway. Ian has been making things with K'nex (great building toys) and playing computer. Kelsey's hasn't read anything all day, so that tells me she is really feeling lousy. Poor baby. I feel bad for her because she will not be able to go to the library's Volunteer Appreciation Day tomorrow. She helped them last summer with their reading program and was looking forward to this event. We had also hoped to spend the morning at our local science center. Well, maybe next week.
I made some oatmeal cookies this afternoon. That cheered up the sickies (and me too). Now I'm off to take Ian to www.lego.com to play some online games. He's been wanting to do that all day!
Later: I think I am getting the cold. Rats, Rats.

A month later...
Tuesday 4-30-03
Yes, I did get that nasty cold last month. What a horrible bug! We were all sick with it for over two weeks.
Finally I am getting back to my diary. Big news- we have accepted an offer on our house! After 6 months of showing our house, we are thankful to be moving forward (literally!). We'll probably stay in the same county, but on a less expensive property, better suited to us. Maybe we are at last on our way to the semi-homesteading / more self-sufficient life about which we have dreamed!

Thursday 05-01-03
With everyone back to good health, we've had a lot of catching up to do. Kelsey and I have been planning her Silver Award project for Girl Scouts. She wants to find book donations to fill in missing series books (The Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, Trixie Beldon, Hardy Boys, etc) for our little local library. She plans on writing book stores for donations, asking at yards sales, etc. It will be a big project, but one of which she can be quite proud.
Yesterday we enjoyed a tour of another town's newly renovated library. Ian got a kick out of getting a free 'hard hat' to wear and bring home. The Cat in the Hat and Clifford the Big Red Dog lead about 15 homeschoolers on a neat tour. We hope to go back for the library's grand opening celebration in about a week.

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I hope this will give you a little look into our daily lives. I am not sure these were really 'typical' days, but they were our days!

Enjoy!
Jan