Catching up

Let's see. A lot has been accomplished since I last posted. This year we have revolved around Christopher Columbus, Squanto, the Pilgrims, and now we're on Daniel Boone. Deacon is really interested in Daniel Boone. We've been working on multiplication for the past several months, but it has been slow going. I haven't found the right way to explain it to him so that he understands, but we'll get find a way. He's learned (and mostly forgotten) all of the sign language I can teach him and be certain I am teaching him properly. We plan to start Spanish this summer using Rosetta Stone Home School edition.

I know I am being scatter-brained with this post, but it is a lot to try to condense. Deacon continues to keep a journal every weekday. Each day has a different topic to write about. They vary from what we're learning about, to his family, his pets, to poems about nonsense. He has a reader and a read aloud book everyday, which for this unit he is reading both of them himself because otherwise he can't seem to remember what I just read when I ask him the discussion questions. He has trouble paying attention and staying on task, but he had the same problem when he was in public school so I am not worried about it since I can keep him on task and work with him one on one. He writes a definition everyday and a sentence about the definition from the Children's Dictionary. He also is supposed to try to use that word when he can during the day he learns it. The definitions are short and he likes learning about most of the stuff. We've stopped doing copywork, as it is just busywork and he gets his penmanship practice through his journal, spelling, and definitions. We work on punctuation while reading everyday, which he still has trouble with. I'm trying to show him the importance of reading like you speak to others...with stops, starts, and pauses. He tries to make it a continuous sentence, but he is getting better at catching it himself and correcting it before I have to correct him. He is also doing a lot of things this unit with the Original Boy Scout Handbook of 1911. We've made and played memory games already and will begin semaphore (flag code) and Morse code later this unit. Most of the things he does are around the same things they do in public school, just without the time restrictions and dress code, haha.

I have a lot of things planned for this summer that we have been unable to get done through the year, like visiting Jamestown, Virginia and Plymouth, Massachusetts. Also visiting and hiking a small part of the Appalachian Trail, visiting Cherokee, finding and seeing a honey bee farm and learning about how honey is made, and much more that requires some travel. I also have a few books and videos that I'd like for us to find and use this summer to expand on what he has learned about through the year. The thing I love about this curriculum is that is works through history. It starts with Columbus and the discovering of the New World all the way to more recent events as he goes through 5th grade. In 5th grade he will be learning about WWII and I am praying my grandfather is still alive and well to tell him all about it first hand when he is mature enough to understand and appreciate it.

In other news, Deacon has become very interested in music and instruments thanks in part to (I believe) the video games out like Rock Band and Guitar Hero. he loves to sing, but gets upset because he can't hit the notes properly. I keep telling him it just takes practice and a good listening ear to hear the notes they are hitting, but I am unsure if I am giving him proper advice. I don't remember having to "try" to sing on key, but he is struggling with it no matter how I tell him it doesn't even really matter if he can sing on key, just as long as he enjoys singing. I may try to find him a voice instructor if he continues to have this self consciousness. Daniel had voiced that he wanted to learn to play the guitar several months ago so I went and got him a fairly cheap (as far as guitars go) guitar to learn on. Of course he hasn't picked it up again since the first day that he wasn't able to make his fingers form the G cord...but I still have hope that he will learn. When I was younger my Dad got me a very nice guitar and I was interested in learning...until it hurt. I may try to learn again, but that is besides the point. The local music store offers lessons for $15 for a half hour session. I may try to sign Deacon up for guitar lessons if he continues to show interest.

Sometimes I feel like a bad Homeschool Mom because we aren't able to expand on what we cover like most others do. We don't take field trips or do all of the fun things that I read about. It is pretty much like regular public school in our living room on our schedule. It is frustrating to me to not be able to expand on the things he is most interested in so I write it down and hope to be able to do some of it over the summer months when it is warmer and when (hopefully) Calen is potty trained and Dallin isn't such a "I'm the center of the universe and I control all outings with my fit pitching" attitude. We struggle to go out to eat as a family, I'm not certain I am ready to take Mr. Paci to a Bee farm or all the way to Massachusetts. It's a scary thought to be honest.

Things Deacon would more than likely want you to know that don't have anything to do with learning...He has a new haircut. It's a very bright, cherry red Mohawk. It started out as me picking on him saying "Yeah, I think Deacon wants a bright blue Mohawk." And obviously it sounded good to him. Daniel says we should die it white and the buzzed part black and call him Pepe Le' Potter. Deacon, however, is not amused by this. He has a new pet. She is a leopard gecko named Jasmine. She eats crickets and crickets are nasty, nasty things. I'd rather be in a swimming pool with a water moccasin as opposed to having to mess with those crickets, but it doesn't seem I have a choice in the matter. He is taking a dance class, Hip Hop dance to be exact, and me being the forgetful mother that I am forgot that is was Monday on Monday so he missed it this week. We are no longer in Scouts due to reasons I'd rather not post on the Internet, but we'll say had a lot to do with me and nothing to do with him. We are considering joining Pack 77 in Dandridge this coming year. Daniel works with a guy who is a member of that Pack and he says it is a good one. Hopefully he's right. We'll see.

I don't think there is really anything else that I can think of to update you on right now. I know this has been a horribly long and poorly laid out post and I apologize. I'm trying to get it done before waking Daniel up for dinner then XBOX time with Deacon. I REALLY hope he doesn't choose a music game tonight. I miss the days of Lego Indiana Jones that didn't require talent to make you feel like a winner. *sigh* Goodnight, all.

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