January took Dennis and I to a homeschool conference in Orange County where the topic was on finances. It was very challenging and humbling and led us to make some serious decisions in this area. We had decided that the kids would not be able to attend the 2nd semester of Friday school and that we would need to cut back on field trips and activities. God made a way for the kids to continue with Friday school, which was a great blessing as well as a wonderful lesson for the kids.
We went on a field trip to the Kidspace Museum in Pasadena in January.
Artwork
Before the homeschool conference, we had signed Ellie up for guitar class at church. She paid for her guitar with her own money and we paid for the class. While it may not have been wise financially, it turned out to be a great thing for Ellie. She picked it up quickly and it even led her to begin playing the keyboard again.
There was some very nice sibling bonding taking place this quarter.
In February, Ellie got invited to a skating party for a friend in her Friday school class. It has been some time since she was invited to a party. It was very nice to see her with a group of girls having a good time. I enjoyed getting to know some of the moms from our homeschool group. Her friendship with the birthday girl has grown and they look forward to seeing each other at park days and Friday school.
In March, we did a field trip out at Forest Lawn in Glendale. The program was a visit with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. We also saw a presentation of two paintings - one of the crucifixion and the other of the ascension. We enjoyed the museum where we found a display of Lego lamps and furniture. This field trip turned out to be pretty neat.
As far as curriculum, we made good progress. In Bible we finished our book on Genesis chapters 3-11 and began studying the life of Abraham from Genesis 11-25. Ellie read "Meet Addy" and Josh read "The Courage of Sarah Noble". Math is math, but Ellie did well with fractions and actually likes working those problems. Josh began multiplication. We got up to the semester test in history; we are a quarter behind! We covered many of the prophets from the Bible; more about Greece, including the Olympic games; the fall of Israel to Assyria; Hinduism in India; and the Native American mound builders. In science we learned about sharks and rays, crustaceans and mollusks.
We ended our 3rd quarter right before our Easter/spring break in March. It was very early, but we followed Dennis' school schedule.
I really enjoyed the pleasant days when the kids were getting along well and coming up with fun things to do together. I saw a lot of creativity in both of them. We had good discussions about courage and bravery. Several times Ellie caught herself "doing math" when trying to figure out real life problems. I am ready to finish up the year; but I am also so glad for these days we have together. We'll never get this time again. They may not be going on school trips or playing sports year round or earning awards; but my kids are learning and growing in a relaxed and loving environment that gives them freedom to create and explore at their own pace and leading. In spite of the character flaws I see more often than I'd like; I can see growth in weak areas and strong areas being solidified. They are learning how to depend on the Lord for His provision and to be grateful and content with what they have. I too am content and fully satisfied with this season. God is so good to us!
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