But there are always "diamonds" in any rough. I admit, some of these things are really mundane, and most of them have to do with work and schooling, because I tend to throw myself into work when I want to feel better. Whether it's the little curriculum gem that brings a new dimension to our dwindling school year, or the joy of finally getting something done...it's those little things that can make all the difference. Sometimes it's just those little moments or small things that ease a burden and make it possible to keep on keepin' on.
#1: Homeschool Movie Diamonds: Liberty's Kids and City of Bees
The Liberty's Kids series on Netflix has completely saved our study of the American Revolution. It isn't that I gave up on my own plans (all the books and timeline work continue) but these videos make the entire time period really come alive for the girls, and they have become our daily soap opera! They girls literally BEG for the next episode, and we end up discussing issues from the movies quite often. I know they are really learning and internalizing this stuff more than they would otherwise. Not to mention, it just gives me a chance to sit and relax with them, which I've needed lately.
We also checked out a movie on bees called City of Bees for our gardening unit. (The link here is for the newer version, but check the library for the original!) While the quality of the movie is certainly a deterrent (it's obviously old, and the narrator has a very thick European accent), the girls and I learned more about bees from this ONE movie than ALL the gazillion books we've read about bees since Caeley started Kindergarten. It basically follows a bee keeper (the European man) through a year of bee-keeping, and he gives a detailed description of the bees, the hive, the activity, etc. We kept pausing the movie, exclaiming, "I didn't know THAT about bees!" or "So THAT'S what the propolis is!" Great, great, great, random library find! Through all the yuck when we were sick, having these two bright spots in our week was really a God-send.
#2: Homeschool App Diamond: Mental Case
I have my friend Alexis to thank for this one. It's called Mental Case and it's sheer genius for homeschool parents that don't want a million piles of flashcards around. (I hear it is also a huge hit with college populations as well!) Basically it's a flashcard App that allows you to either take pictures, type in, or use voice prompts to enter the data for the front and back of the flashcard. That means you can either make your own flashcards, OR if you already have flashcards that come as part of a curriculum, you can take pictures of the front and back of the card with your iPad or smart phone and make the cards that way. Apparently you can also use it on your desktop to enter data, but I haven't used that feature yet. I have over 500 flashcards for Caeley currently entered in the App, and I can't imagine what these cards, all over my house, would look like. Using Mental Case prevents you from becoming a mental case. For sure.
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| Here's a bad picture, pulled offline, of what the flashcards look like in one "case" in the App. You can see it is being used to study anatomy. This is just the view of the case--when you "study the cards" in a case, they flash on the screen one at a time, just like you see a flashcard in real life. |
#3: Homeschool Random Book Diamond: The Story of Salt
It sounds horrifically boring...an entire children's book called The Story of Salt. But it's fascinating. I checked it out because it was listed in my favorite book about books, and almost didn't read it because I thought the girls would hate it. Not so! There is so much history, so many fun facts, so much cross-curricular connecting that we were hooked. Get it. You won't be disappointed.
#4: Day Date Diamond: How My Husband Rocks
I got a Facebook invitation from Ken to go on a date. While this sounds utterly unromantic, it was actually super cute. It was the kind of email I remember getting during the courting phase of our relationship. Utter sweetness. It was also special because the reality is that we have seen very little of each other the last couple months due to circumstances at work that have provided him with not one, or two, or three, but really four jobs. In an effort to make time with me, he recruited some students to babysit, sent his invitation, and we got to go see The Avengers. What a great movie!!! And how wonderful to think that Ken can still rock the day date.
#5: Spanish Diamond: Salsa Spanish Movies
Now it's just starting to seem like my kids have been sitting in front of the TV, but I have to mention this one, because it really has been filled in the missing piece of our Spanish curriculum puzzle. (And I have Alexis to thank again for this gem!) It's a series of Spanish videos put out by Georgia Public Broadcasting for FREE on their website. The videos use puppets, familiar stories, and repetition of certain vocabulary words and structures to teach children Spanish. Not only do the girls love it, but they are using the phrases and words on their own in real life, so the mission has been accomplished. In another life, I'd be writing an elementary homeschool Spanish curriculum using these videos...
#6: Work Diamond: Finishing Schedules for Next Year
I can't jinx myself and say I'm done...because I am constantly altering and changing our school schedules up until the moment we begin school, but for the most part, I think I'm done with planning for next school year. Caeley will be in 4th grade, and Meara will be in 1st. I'm thankful that I did a lot of work cementing my philosophy (in my head and heart) and schedules (on the computer) when Caeley was young, so that each year I just need to "kick it up a notch" and make adjustments based on the girls' current needs. But because the framework has been laid, each year gets easier and easier to plan. All that's really left for this summer (aside from minor tweaks) is a massive book order in July and planning our actual course of study for the Middle Ages.
#7: Friend Diamond: Loving My Neighbors
I would not be making it through these days without the friends I'm so blessed to have. Whether it's laughing through Saturday morning Bible study (affectionately known as BS) or ranting during tea time of the challenges of living virtuously, or discussing curriculum and educational theory during play dates, I've been lifted up mentally, emotionally and spiritually in so many ways these past couple months. I'm encouraged to grow more, think more, and love more through this little circle of women, and for that I'm truly thankful.
#8: Abundant Harvest Diamond: Eggs and Garden
When all else fails, when the ca-ca hits the fan, you'll find me picking slugs. Because no one comes out to the garden (they are afraid I'll ask for help) and slugs don't talk back. When the whining doesn't stop, or Ailin pees on the floor or in her pants for the tenth time in one day (just because it's "funny"), or when the noise in my head is too loud...thank you GOD for the quiet time I get to spend in the garden. The strawberries are coming in, the tomato plants have shot up with the rain, and the greens just keep coming. The chickens are doing their thing...our egg count for April was 255 eggs. I can't believe it. Where did all those eggs GO? It's nice not to feel quite so tied to grocery shopping, but more than that, it's nice to see the tangible blessings of the "harvest" when life's other blessings can be so much harder to recognize.
I am really, really looking forward to summer!
