Weekly Report......wk 5

We had a few interruptions this week, I had to take both vehicles on different days and have the oil changed. We had company two different days, unannounced during school hours which makes it hard to stay on schedule. I didn't get to do all that I wanted but we got most of our school done, except for the last lesson of history so we will have some reading to do tomorrow. IEW is still coming along well, we slowed way down with Apologia's General Science and reviewed a lot. Teaching Textbooks and Phonetic Zoo are continuing to be a blessing.

We didn't keep schedule to a *T* as we ran about 45 minutes behind each morning but I'm not that unpleased with that. We've gotten ALOT done here at home. We cleaned out our basement and still have about 1/4 more to go, the laundry is caught up and the rest of the house is right in line. It feels so good to have a clean home. I feel like we accomplish so much more in a neater environment. We've also added the chore of bring in the fire wood. I actually like doing that one.

I'm still LOVING MFW EXP-1850 and the studying of Thanksgiving has fallen at the perfect time.

Next week will slow down some too, we are volunteering at a home alone/feeding program all day on Wednesday. I do believe dh has the whole week off! And we will try to get back in the saddle again the week after.

Today was a long day

Especially after such a relaxed week last week. It took the girls a bit to get back into the swing of things. Sky's science Apologia General Science is a huge adjustment for her. I'm not as informed as I should be on learning styles but I know that she can't just read something and understand it. The companion cd helps us out a lot with this program but I also have to come behind her and read the lessons to her, pulling out definitions adding in deeper explanations or giving different examples. I do ask that she read her lesson first. I'm hoping that over time she will begin to process the information on her own better, but until then I must make the time to reread her the lessons in the afternoons. This can make for long days sometimes. I myself, don't mind the reading, I'm learning a great deal. It's the time that can be hard to come by. I know its time well spent and there will be a great reward for it later.

History with My Father's World Exploration to 1850's, just keeps getting better and better. We have finished reading Squanto and are learning more about the pilgrims and the development of their colony. I want the girls to do a Thanksgiving diorama. I'm going to go to Walmart and see if I can find a few nifty things in the crafts section. We had made wigwams the second week and I want to use those in something, they turned out so pretty.

If you have any neat ideas for crafts for Thanksgiving please share them.

My Father's World Week #4

Monday was great, as we finished our school that day. Monday night we started painting Sky's room and dh didn't work Tuesday so we took the day off from school to finish painting. This week was also my totm and I have felt rotten.

So Wednesday and Thursday we ended up not doing regular school days and we talked about My Father's World and their ministry God's Word for the Nations and how I feel led to give to the ministry. We discussed how people didn't have God's word and how they needed the bible printed in their own language. We ran into a wall with my youngest daughter Meadow. She just thought that giving money to people we didn't know was absolutely absurd! She said, "Well momma if we go around giving all our money and our stuff away what are we gonna do?" I had to laugh and yet at the same time I was concerned. I tried to explain it to her but she didn't understand. So I left it alone, I asked some questions on my homeschool boards and I prayed.

We do give but not like we should and usually when dh and I give we don't always share with the kids. Sometimes its to people in need, other times its to ministries and you just don't think to tell your children that you've written a check to support so and so. So it isn't that we wouldn't share with them, we just don't think about it sometimes. This really opened my eyes to things that *I* need to change around here. It also opened my eyes to how many different ways there are to give, not just monetary giving. Maybe this is what my children were missing, seeing us give of ourselves and becoming servants to others and not just to ourselves.

Today we had our prayer, bible and hymns. While reading the story behind our new hymn, "The Lord is my Shepherd" from Hymns for a Kid's Heart the Lord spoke clearly as I read, "Did you know that God has put you in just the right place to give a gift to someone today?"

Thank-you Lord for opening up the door for me again!

So then we discussed different ways of giving, that it doesn't have to be money, it can be time, or services, or even just kind words. How giving comes from the heart and we prayed for the desire to give.

A friend on one of my homeschooling boards had a great idea for us on giving so I shared it with the girls and now they are simply ecstatic that we are going to be helping some who are very near and dear to us. I think it helped Meadow to understand a little more to begin with giving to someone she can actually see and be able to participate in the act of giving.

As always God had more in store for us, Heaven had gone to the mail box and brought me the mail. There were two letters in the pile, one from my sister who lives a long way from us and another from a lady in jail. Both in desperate need, just needing to know that someone cares. We all agreed to start sending them letters, postcards or something to encourage them. The girls were very excited at this point.

We also found a very beautiful purple box to set in our school room. Inside of this box we are going to place offerings from our hearts. We are going to pray about ways to make some extra money to place inside of the purple box. Our goal is to be able to send $100 to My Father's World's Ministry, God's Word for the Nations by then end of the year . Take a moment and read about them, pray about supporting them. Oh the souls that will be reached by the sharing of God's Word.

All of this to say that while we didn't do official school this week the Lord taught us a lot! So we will be picking back up with My Father's World week #4 next week. Prayerfully we'll get back on schedule. We slept in a lot this week so I'm sure it will not be an easy task for me and it will take some discipline on my part. But I know, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

:)

Another Blog!!

I didn't think I would ever seperate our homeschool from my personal blog Jenileigh's Journey but lately it seems to have taken off in a different direction, our homeschool that is. Our name, Kingdom Academy, our purpose and our vision seem to be standing up and taking off. I didn't want the blog to be focused on me, Jenileigh, but on Kingdom Academy, the homeschool that God has birthed in us. Often times I don't feel my audience at Jenileigh's Journey is interested as much in our schooling. I think that this will be a better way to communicate with the homeschooling community and an easier and more focused way to share what Jesus is doing through us in our homeschool. It'll be a little slow to start. I have a vision of how I want this blog to look so help me pray my way through finding someone to create it being able to describe it to the person I find!

Welcome to Kingdom Academy!

Homeschooling Week 3 Ending

This week went pretty well. Our work load lowered some from the first two weeks and I have to admit I was very grateful. I kept up but the pace was pretty stout. I had read it would slow after week 2 and week 3 definitely let up. We were able to take Wednesday and go skating with the homeschool group. We all had a really good time.

Our hymns thus far are My Father's World, O For a Thousand Tongues (I added it in early), and My Country Tis of Thee or America as it is also called. We will be adding The Lord is My Sheppard on week 5.

The girls are memorizing James 1:1-8 and I'll test them on Monday. So far they can recite through 5 without stumbling!

We are studying the Indians, England, Spain, Pioneers, the New World and such. The girls actually made wigwams and they turned out really nice. We are reading from several books, including Story of the World 3 (I just ordered the cds so it will cut down some on my read aloud load), Exploring American History, In God We Trust, & Building a City on a Hill.

I didn't think I would enjoy reading pieces of several books but the way MFW ties them all together its like reinforcements and it really sinks in. Plus these aren't boring history facts. I love having them put in somewhat of a story form. I'm learning so much!!! I am also reading Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims and from American Pioneers and Patriots. The girls keep begging for more Squanto and I really like American Pioneers and Patriots. The last book we are adding in is from the Daughters of the Faith series and its called, Almost Home a story about Mary Chilton. Today my voice gave a little from reading so much out loud but I didn't want to stop!

We don't have as much reading everyday, but we do read a lot. That is one of my favorite things, reading aloud, I usually just don't make enough time for it, so I really love how My Father's World has this included in our school day. The three of us pile up on the couch together while I read. Then the girls do an art picture of the person we have studied. I am so impressed with the pictures they are creating. We usually have music once or twice a week while doing art, and this too is another favorite of mine. Not so much with the girls but they are learning a lot about Franz Shubert.

Sky (7th grade) then works on her own completing TT math, IEW, Phonetic Zoo Spelling, and Apologia Science. Of course I'm nearby as she works here in the living room with me. (We schedule all projects and labs with dh in the evening and I make sure to read her science to her after she has read it that day as reinforcement too).

While Sky is working I do Meadow's SSRW or PLL, Spelling and Science and then we are through for the day. I try to encourage Meadow to look through her book basket during breaks but she doesn't show much interest after all of the other school we've done.

I grade Meadow each day and grade Sky at the end of the week, then I read through my lesson plans for the upcoming week and make necessary copies among other preparations and I'm done!

I've never ever schooled this way before. Not ever. I've always been so laid back. Its hard work but I have to admit I'm taking more pride in teaching the girls and we are accomplishing so much more. Our days aren't forced or overloaded, just very full and satisfying.

We finished the entire 3rd week. I feel accomplished.