A Day In The Life...Not Back to School Blog Hop week 4

Well, here we are on our final week of the "Not Back To School Blog Hop". It has been fun, inspiring and interesting to see what life is like for other homeschoolers. This week you will get to see a lot of posts of how other homeschool families do life everyday while they are learning. So cool and can't wait to see how you all do it. None of our days will look the same and I am okay with that. 

Here is a day in the life of the TenHaken's

Mom rises-6:30ish-8:00ish, physical workout (exercise) as well as spiritual workout time (Time with my Lord)

Boys rise- 8:00ish, breakfast and bible time(devotions, prayer, worship) with the Lord together.

Chore time-8:30-9:30ish- our boys have various chores other than their usual hygiene and bedroom responsibilities

Eli unloading the wash into the dryer.

For example: laundry

Both of our boys take turns doing their laundry. And I try to make sure they do that 2 times a week. The other child maybe emptying the dishwasher, emptying trash cans, dusting their room, etc.

9:30ish-boys do some exercise and get their wiggles out.

Ian doing his crunches on the exercise ball

 Gettin the wiggles out

9:45ish-The Pledge

10:00ish-Start subjects with bible time being in their first box.

Our boys are doing the Sue Patrick Workbox System and they usually have around 8-9 boxes each. On most days we are finished up by lunch time (12:00-12:30). By the way, this is our 2nd. year to use the workbox system and it has done wonders for our family. Thank You God! and thank you Sue Patrick.

Creating the Nina, Pinta and The Santa Maria

Christopher Columbus' voyage to America

Ian putting his Addition lapbook together

Some art work

After lunch the boys have free time to play with legos, catch bugs, and be creative. And we often take off and head to a favorite spot to go creeking.

Creeking at the Olentangy River

At about 3:00ish till around 3:45 we have a quiet time where the boys go to separate rooms and spend time with God, whether just looking at books or just laying and being still before the Lord. And mom gets some nice quiet time as well. AHHH...

After quiet time is over we get ready for Dad to arrive home at around 4:30 and then it's Daddy time while I prepare dinner.

That's a day in the life of our family. 

If you would like to see what other families are up to during the day click on the Not Back To School Blog Hop button on my right sidebar.

Blessings to all~

Not Back to School Blog Hop: Student Photo Week- And...here they are.

So this is our second week back to our official 4th year of home education. We have a 3rd grader and a Kindergartener this year. And here are our little sprouts. They are enjoying an afternoon of water fun after their morning of learning.

First one up is our creative little sprout who loves frogs, legos, creeking, and creating weapons out of whatever he can get his hands on. I never know what he is going to do next. Keeps me on my toes, that's for sure.

Next up is our passionate sprout. He has so much emotion and passion for anything and everything. I really get a kick out of his expressions and excitement for the simplest of things. He loves looking for bugs and collecting them and thank God he loves to learn...

Have a blessed school year.

First week finished!

Well, even though we didn't get started until Tuesday this week, our 1st. week back to school went very well. Thank You God...Couldn't have done it without Him. I am so looking forward to the awesome works He has for our family this year. Our youngest son is officially starting K this year, even though we did do alot of it with him last year. I just didn't push him too much. So now he is all gung ho about reading. What an answer to prayer. Our 8 year old really struggles with reading and doesn't really like it. But, I have noticed since his little brother is excited about it he has not given me much flack when it comes to doing his read aloud time. So thank You Jesus for answering this mommas prayer.

Blessings~

Our 2010/2011 curriculum choices

Well, here we are gearing up for our 4th year of Home Education. I thought this blog hop was pretty cool. And if you are having a hard time on deciding which curriculum to go with this should help. Seeing what everyone else has decided to go with is very interesting to me. Maybe it will be for you as well. To see what everyone else is using click here or the Not Back to School Blog Hop button on the left sidebar.

Our goal for this year is not strictly academic oriented. We are shooting for godliness and with God's help everyday we will see some added fruit this year. I am praising my Father in advance for what He has planned this year for us. Many are the plans in a mans heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

So here are the choices we have made for our 3rd grader and our Kindergartener.

Subjects that we will do together:

• Bible- Answers for Kids (Answers in Genesis) and MFW Adventures
• History/Geography- Adventures in MFW
• Science- Adventures in MFW and Down Load N Go Unit Studies
• English-First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind
• Art- I Can Do All Things 

Eli-3rd

• Math- MUS last couple of lessons in Beta then onto Gamma
• Language Arts- Spelling by Sound & Structure (Rod and Staff)
• Writing- Writing Strands Level 2
• Handwriting- HWOT 
• Lots of read alouds

Ian-K 

• Math- MUS Alpha
• Phonics/Reading- EZ Learning, Explode the Code Level 1, Abeka Letters and Sounds K
• Writing- Writing Strands Level 1
• Handwriting- HWOT 

Since we love this curriculum so much we will also be doing some various books from Five In A Row volume 2. 

Mother's Day blessing

Before I forget to post this, I have to tell you what a wonderful, blessed gift I received for Mother's Day. Well, to start with my 22 year old daughter lives in Los Angelos, California and we miss her greatly. She went to fashion design school out there and needless to say CA life gripped her and she is happy out there and is now graduated and working there. She is happy and we are happy for her. Just miss her like crazy. Now back to Mother's day. The Tuesday before Mother's day my mother came up to visit and when she came through the door I happened to be in the kitchen so I didn't see her. But, when she came in she announced, "Look what I found on the side of the road?" Well, I just assumed is was an animal or something. No sooner did she say that, when my precious daughter came walking through the living room right to me. I totally was in awe and started crying and couldn't stop. I grabbed her and held her so tight and cried and didn't want to let her go. She came home to be with me for Mother's Day. So blessed. My girl made my day and I was so blessed. Never have I felt so loved and adored by my daughter. Of course I know she loves me, but for her to go to the trouble and keep the secret totally knocked my socks off. We had a wonderful week together and then she left again. Oh, how my heart was so overflowing that week. I still cry every time I think or talk about it. God, I thank you so much for blessing my life with such wonderful children. 

MIA and catch up

I am still here. Just been too busy reading all of the other inspiring and encouraging blogs out there. And let me tell you there alot of great blogs out there. Thank you wonderful ladies for sharing your creative ideas, encouragement and days with us. You have definitely been a big help in our homeschooling journey.

To catch up a bit, we are about to take a little summer break. One more day and we will be done for the official school year. Although, we will still be doing some math, reading, writing and some fun stuff. Just not as much and not as scheduled. But, when August 2nd. gets here we will start our new school year. We will have a 3rd. grader and an official kindergartener. Our youngest just started reading his first books this past weekend and he is so excited he tells everyone he can read. It is so cute and we are so proud of him. Thank you GOD for giving him the desire to learn to read, especially when our oldest doesn't like it and struggles with it so much.

Just wanted to update you in case you thought I fell off the face of the planet. God willing I will be spending more time sharing our journey with you.

For HIM,

Lori

Masterpeace

God has so blessed my life with 2 little boys who love to be creative like their mommy. And most importantly, like our great Creator. As I sit here watching my little 5 year old painting his little heart out, I am reminded of how God paints us. He first of all, doesn't go about it aimlessly or quickly. He takes His time and does His best work. He has in mind a masterpiece...And that is what we are to Him, His masterpiece. A wonderfully, fearfully created masterpiece. Thank You Lord, for not settling for halfway work or second best. But, for making us in YOUR image. YOU are our Masterpeace...My Master of Peace. 

 

I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14