What a difference a month makes, right? That’s probably the understatement of the century! Last month in Fanatic News Flash, my typical newsletter took a turn to the topic of time. In light of the clocks moving forward, I mentioned how I felt like I had been springing forward on a daily basis for several years, and we’re not even as busy as most families I know. I also wrote about how to get back a million minutes in the life of your child by choosing to homeschool. And here we all are!
This is a special edition of Noticing Nature! In a time of social distancing, practically everything is closed, and people are going stir crazy – I’ve got the perfect outdoor activity that can meet all the requirements for everyone’s new normal.
Would you believe there are millions of treasures hidden all over the world, just waiting to be found? What if I told you it’s very likely some of those treasures are right near you at any given moment? Keep reading, because I’m going to tell you about the ultimate game of hide and seek that anyone can play as well as another new extension of geocaching that we recently discovered!
At my last check, 45 states have closed schools, affecting more than 50 million students. I never thought I would see that in my lifetime! I am a strong advocate for homeschooling, and it’s no secret I wished everyone would homeschool, but not under these circumstances. Personally, I can’t imagine being thrown into a totally different world as many of you have this week. Homeschooling was a decision my husband and I made long ago, and it took time. Some of you may have entertained the thought, but to be forced to do so is no doubt overwhelming! Every year, it takes me months to plan and prepare for the year ahead. Truth be told, I still fly by the seat of my pants some days!
Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
I absolutely love using games to teach! Games are especially a fun way to learn geography. If I could do it all over again, I would probably plan our entire homeschool curriculum using only the Bible , maps, several science labs, and board games. You can imagine my excitement when chosen to review Continent Raceby Byron’s Games!
Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
Reading aloud with my kids is something we have enjoyed for several years. Now that they are both teens, when asked about books we have read aloud over the years, they always mention one of the missionary stories from the past. Many have been from a long time ago, and they still remember! When Venturing with God in Congo published by Conjurske Publications was available to review, I signed up with hopes of another memorable book to read with my kids.
My monthly newsletter was almost ready when it took a whole other direction. Since we are “springing forward”, I turned my direction to clocks, and my normal monthly newsletter evolved into something I thought was more “timely”. Fanatic News Flash will resume next month.
Is it me, or weren’t we just ringing in the new year? So far this year is moving at super speed! The latter part of February was big for us. Our first – born turned 16, and we surprised her with a trip to Florida! We typically don’t do big things like that, but she’s a special girl, and we wanted to celebrate her milestone birthday in a special way! I can’t wait to get a post together and tell you all about our adventure!
Time is not something I think too much about, until I printed out a small poster for our daughter’s celebration. It’s one of those things where the age (16) is broken down by weeks, days, hours, and minutes. By the way, at sixteen, they have lived for a total of 8,409,600 minutes. Pretty fascinating if you like numbers!
Every year around this time, there’s something that may creep in slowly, or march in and stay awhile like an unwanted house guest. That unwelcome guest is known as the blahs, also known as the February Funk. Banish the blues with these tips and ideas!
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Everyone is excited to start the new school year in August or September. By October, the homeschool honeymoon beings to wear off a little. Thankfully, October is such a fun month! The weather is great to get outside and enjoy the fall season, and we carry on. The holidays in November and December get most of us off schedule, but it’s okay, it’s the holiday season after all. January brings a renewed energy and most of us welcome getting back into a routine.
Now it’s February. The shortest month that seems to last forever. Depending on where you live, you are either sick of the snow, the cold, or the dreary days. Spring break seems so very far away. It’s too cold or wet to get outside much. Cabin fever sets in, and the next thing you know, we get the blahs.
The Noticing Nature series to spark interest and provide simple activities to be enjoyed by teens. It amazing to see things you may have not noticed before when you start looking!
It’s a big month for our family! Our first born will be turning 16 towards month’s end. As a mama, I’m both thrilled and terrified. I suppose that’s normal for those who have ‘been down that road’ before. She’s definitely ready, I’m definitely not. Watching your kids grow up is much more difficult than I thought! For her special day, we’re doing something big! (Not a new car type of big, but something that will totally surprise her). She has never asked for parties and such, and has always been content with a small family celebration. This year, we will celebrate this milestone differently. You will have to stay tuned to see what it is!
It’s a week or two past the half-way point in our 2019-2020 school year! Time to give you a run-down of how things are going!
It’s hard to believe we have completed half our school year already! That must mean we are having so much fun that the time is flying by. I would hope my two teenagers would say the same, but I won’t hold my breath on that one!
Last August, I revealed my curriculum choices for the upcoming school year. You can check out what I chose for my 10th grader and 8th grader in a previous blog post. As always, I make careful, meaningful, and prayerful decisions regarding what we will be learning. I’ve been at this homeschooling gig long enough to know there is no perfect curriculum. It has taken several years for me to learn that the curriculum is not the master – you are. You’re the boss, applesauce!
