We're going strong with our summer schooling and it will be time for a short break in a few weeks.  In the meantime, I wanted to pass on a VERY simple form that my Aunt gave me, then I  adapted to fit our needs:

Rather than doing individual "Student Lesson Guides" like we do during the Fall/Winter, I've completely simplified our planning so that we have more creative freedom & more time to enjoy summer activities like swimming & other recreational activities.

Basically, as you see on the form, I have four rows listed with each student's weekly assignments.  We have more bookwork toward the beginning of the week, and more delight learning (like art, piano, sewing, etc.) toward the end of the week. Also, I prefer to schedule our field trips on Thursday or Friday so we get the school week off to a good start with minimal procrastination:-)


As I've mentioned before, simple planning makes a tremendous difference in our daily routine.  This form is in an Excel Spreadsheet so all I do is take approx 10-15min per week to update it, then print, then Viola....School is in Session.


Here's another form that helps keep the house running smoothly.  This one was created by my friend and we keep it posted in an easily visible location.  We've done very well keeping on track with daily routines by simple implementing a few time frames that we like to maintain:

If you want me to email a blank copy of the form, just drop me a comment :-)  (BTW, I'll post the more individualized student lesson guide in the near future.)

One of my long-term goals is to get in the habit of buying in bulk.  Currently, the only thing I bulk up on is our medicinal herbs.  After viewing my friends bulk storage here in Idaho, I can see the benefits of thinking BIG!

Here is a link to an article entitled "A Whole Foods Pantry," and it has some good ideas for healthier eating as well as bulk items. http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/wholefoodspantry.htm

After finishing a two week unit study on "Farming", our friends, (along with the Poppa's), managed a 2 hour hands-on experience at a 40+ acre farm in NewPlymouth, Idaho.

Our farming expert, Ms. Mattie, was extremely generous with her time & expertise as a lifelong farmer.  I managed to ask several questions, while the children managed to get a real taste of Farm Life.

Here are a few notes:

• Mattie's family farm has horses, cows, sheep, goats, geese, ducks, chickens, rabbits, & guinea pigs
  
• Currently, there are over 120 goats
  
• Their goat breeds are Alpine, Saanen, Nubian
• Milking Goats takes approx. 3 min
• Mattie currently milks 8 goats, 2x's day
• Each goat produces approx 1 gallon per day
• The "kids" can nurse on an artificial teat up to 6months
  
• The cows take approx. 10-15 min per milking
• Each cow produces approx 2-4 gallons per day
• Mattie's cows weigh between 800-1,400lbs
• "Heifers" refer to cows that haven't had a baby
  
• Playing music during milking helps calm the cows & prepares them for noise from visitors

I was surprised at the anticipation the children had regarding feeding and milking the animals.  Believe it or not, my children had more success milking than I did.  Plus, a few of them offered to be responsible for the milking duties once we get our homestead (that's a relief.....I don't think I have the patience to master milking....lol)

I must admit that our afternoon farm chores had us all really hot, sweaty, and much more grateful for our source of food.

There is no doubt in my mind that farming takes lots of hard work and commitment.  This field trip made me even more grateful for the fellow farmers out there like Ms. Mattie.

Have you hugged your local farmer today?? :-)  

P/S I'll work on uploading a short video of the farm experience & a link to my friends blog about the field trip :-)

We're in the process of getting organized & preparing our 6 month goals.  I wanted to pass on a form I compiled based on the annual records from our previous umbrella school in Tennessee (see below.)

• Curriculum List
• Attendance Records
• Grades
• Teacher Comments

(Just click image to upload the pdf file)

If you have any handy forms you'd like to share, please don't hesitate to leave a comment :-)

Here's a bit more from our family reunion earlier this month (keep in mind that I didn't have as much video footage as usual, but overall  I think it turned out well.)

If you missed the first video slideshow of pictures from the reunion, then you can visit here: http://www.joyfuljunction.com/1/post/2010/07/family-reunion-2010.html

Earlier today, Mariah was diligently studying her French lessons on the computer via our Public Library Resources. For years now, we've been strong supporters of our public library and I just wanted to mention it here again for those who may not take advantage of the wonderful services they provide.

Aside from the amazing children's programs, there are also several online services that can be accessed at the tip of your fingertips.  Here are a few of our favorites:

• TUMBLEBOOKS (ebook for kids; games/quizzes)
• MANGO LANGUAGE (online language-learning system)
• LIBRARY ELF (library account management)
  
• HERITAGE QUEST (family tree search)

If you haven't already, I strongly reccomend that you visit your local library & access some of their online resources.

And once again,  here's my a lil' gratitude for our Public Library:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjuLrbo55Jg

I am so blessed to have the ability and desire to teach our children.  I ABSOLUTELY enjoy nurturing their natural learning tendencies & sharing new information with them.

Our family is continuing to homeschool year-round and we recently resumed our lessons after 3 weeks of travelling.  I'm very grateful for the routines and systems we developed.  I

This week, I plan to do some assessments and set our next 6month goals. We're also going to participate in a library reading program and then conclude our unit study on farms by taking a field trip to a local homestead.

One of my "educator" goals is to continue with governmental studies, then finish it off with a tour of the capitol. I'd also like to invest in a piano program for Millennium, increase Mariah's French lessons, purchase some art & cursive books for Marissa, and explore more delight-learning for Maxwell & Madelynn.

Any thoughts or goals you'd like to share???(I bet I'd be inspired to hear from your homeschooling pursuits)

For those needing an extra push in the area of organization, you can check out my previous vid here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4LZJsld2NA

We have done so much travelling over the last 3 weeks and each of our immune systems have been compromised.  Now that we've settled here in Idaho for a season, the sickness set in and most of us are coughing, stuffy and/or fatigue.  On top of the wear and tear of travelling, we also are in a new region so we are adjusting to the local allergens.

My friend & I have been on patrol doing some serious immune system boosters (garlic pops, emergen-C, elderberry tincture, echinacea tincture, rest, sunshine, disinfecting, essential oil treatments etc.), and everyone seems to be improving greatly.

Here is the most recent project I made to help soothe sore throats and combat the coughs.  I also researched further and found out that this combination is a great expectorant or phelgm  fighter.  See this link: http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-animal-products/organic-honey/health-benefits-of-honey-and-ginger.html...

GINGER DROPS
Raw Honey, Ginger Root, Water, Cream of Tartar
(The consistency is more like peanut brittle)

This is the link to the original recipe I used, I just altered it by replacing the "horehound herb" with Ginger Root and I let it simmer & steep longer (since its a root vs a leaf.)  ENJOY:
http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/horehoundcoughdrops.htm

Tip:  Refridgerate the ginger drops so they don't get gooey at room temperature.  Instead, they will maintain a hard consistency, (suck them & allow them to absorb in your mouth vs. chewing them.)

Also, for more related posts, you can simply click on the "Health" category in the right column.

I'm so exciting about the projects we are embarking on in the next few weeks.  I thought I'd post a few here & possibly inspire you to get adventurous and try something new to add to your homekeeping delights:-)

• Wool diaper covers
• Sprouted grains
• Water kefir
• Mint Absolute oil (similiar essential oils)
• Herbal Balm (salve)
• Headcoverings for children
• Aprons
• Tzitzot cords/belts
• Persian Flatberead
• Knitting lessons
• Buckwheat pillows (see link: http://naturalmessianicliving.blogspot.com/2009/07/whats-all-hipe-about-buckwheat-pillows.html )
  

If you're interested in any of these projects in video tutorial form, just send me a message & I'd be happy to upload a video on YouTube.

I've just been introduced to a wonderful "new" recipe for homemade laundry detergent---It's super easy & I thought I'd share here.  I don't anticipate making another video for the recipe like I did previously ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n61sGB6efjY ), so here goes the directions:
INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Borax
• 1 cup Washing Soda
• 1 bar of Fels Naptha soap
• 1 cup Dawn liquid detergent
• 3 1/2 gallons water

DIRECTIONS:
Heat 1 quart (4 cups) of water
Melt the soap (don't add the dawn yet)
Disolve the borax & washing soda in the warm water
Pour this water mix into 3 gallons of warm water
Add 1 cup of liquid detergent & mix
TO USE:
Add 1/2 cup of detergent per large load (1/4 c for sm/med load)
Tip: Add a scoop of OxygenCleaner for an extra boost