Monday, April 4, 2011

Homeschooling Highlights (and some decluttering)

One combined post today - bare with me, K?  Last week was a busy one and I was not feeling the best to top it off.  In the end we managed to conquer all the highlights, but that left me with little time to tell you about it or even take many pictures.

The highlight of the week for me?  Donating our oversized dining table.  Whew!  The dining/homeschool area is much more spacious now and easier to keep neat and clean.  I love it!  We are using a table that my sister in law bought us back when we only had one baby - love that table.  I now know that 36" wide is the maximum width table that will fit this space and still leave you with breathing room and room for homeschooling.  So now to find a long narrow farm house style table that I like, perferrably with built in leaves to use when we are entertaining.

The highlight for my Adventures girl?  Making quill pens!  This was a fun activity that we did to wrap up Week 10 and our study of the Declaration of Independence.
Thanks to Costco we usually have at least one type of berry in the frige.  We squsihed up some blackberries, added vinegar and salt, and wallah!  Berry Ink.  The kids had a lot of fun with this activity.

In kindergarten we studied out our five senses, the letter U, and how God has wonderfully made us.
--- Psalm 139:13-14 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."


As for decluttering, I'm chugging right along on my 40 Bags in 40 Days journey.  I'm at the point where I am going back over the same spaces again and again and pulling out more unnecessary stuff (that should tell you how much stuff we have!).  Love this journey.  Did anyone else take up the challenge?  Last week we tackled the homeschool materials and completely rearranged the dining area and worked more in the kids' rooms.  Even though I haven't been showing you proof in pictures, have no doubt that stuff is leaving my house.  On deck this week is my kitchen counter, the mail, and the kitchen cabinet.  This time I'll take pics.  At some point, I really need to face the garage.  :shudder:  Maybe next week...

Hey there fellow MFW homeschoolers!  Link up with us at Kathi's A Heart Like Water.  We would love to have you join us in documenting this joyful life.

5 comments:

  1. So fun! I love your posts. I was inspired by your 40 bags in 40 days but thought that would be too much for me, so I'm doing 30 bags in the 30 days of April (boxes actually). Husband jumped on board and so far we are 4 for 4.

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  2. We just started the letter U this week!Beautiful pictures!

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  3. The thought of decluttering is nauseating for sure...but such a great feeling when it occurs!! I could use a lot of that here too!

    Love the berry ink!

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  4. This is random ... aside from the fact that I love your blog and your children are adorable ... where are your mats from that you use on the table? We use state and world placemat maps, but yours are so darn cute. Will you share? You inspire me to want to hurry up to Adv next year! ♥ Erin Kate

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  5. Thank you Erin Kate (and Jenny, Danielle, and Kattie). Love your comments so much. Mwuah!
    Erin Kate - I bought those off clearance at Bed Bath and Beyond a couple years ago. Our table, pictured above, had a bad finish on it that never quite "cured?" and was always a little tacky. It made homeschooling difficult, thus the place mats. I'm so glad we donated that table in part of our 40 bags in 40 days. From one homeschooling mom to another, you can imagine how much of a pain it was to have a table that paper would stick to.

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