I am taking a Sabbatical, an indefinite break from blogging. However, I am still around to help. If you have questions about homeschooling, feel free to reach out. I check blog (at) homeschoolways (dot) com regularly.
It is necessary to take a break.
Well, well, well. I did a little research and took down the SAT scores needed for this year’s admission at different universities and colleges. I will only comment by saying that this list is eye-opening.
Building at Harvard
TN Tech 1140 (1010-1250)
Southern Adventist University 1102 (940-1260)
Vanderbilt 1505 (1490-1570),but test optional until 2027
The doctor I saw told me she had already seen all of Pigeon Forge High School students and half of Gatlinburg-Pittman High School. That’s how bad this season of ragweed allergies has been in the Smokies.
Baby turtle in our backyard
Thankfully, we got better. This last week has been a recovery time, but still we could not do much school. I cannot talk, so it limits the things we can do together for school. I can supervise a few things the kids are doing, like math drills or SAT prep. As I need to communicate, I type things on my laptop. Continue reading
For the second week in a row, I am sick. The thing is, I got better. I ran errands for two days; I did things. We were back to full-time homeschooling. Then I got the worst sore throat of my life, which, by the way, is called pharyngitis.
Our cat, Shrub, sleeping on an ottoman.
I treated it with home remedies and, after two days of things getting worse, I asked my husband to take me to an urgent care clinic. I was feeling soreness and knots in places I did not know I had down my throat. Continue reading
Last week, we were all sick. We fell ill at different times and we had different symptoms. It could have started as a ragweed allergy. Then, it became an infection and one of us even ended up with a high fever. Another had the beginning of bronchitis.
On a car in the parking lot at our co-op
When sickness strikes, all you can do is hunker down and do the bare minimum around the house: make tea, heat up soup, take out the trash overflowing with facial tissue, and rest. As such, it is a miracle that my son and I still managed to get our SAT prep done. We have a goal of 5 hours per week and we got it done through fits of cough and while downing gallons of herbal tea. Continue reading
The Labor Day weekend is going on right now and, since we live in a tourist town, we stay off the roads. We are homebodies. What can I say? Besides, the traffic in our area resembles city traffic. Forget the fact that we are considered a rural area. When one has 11 million people visiting in a year, one must expect delays and bottlenecks.
Our cat, Shrub, watching a black bear in our backyard.
Our son took ill yesterday, so we are at least relieved he does not have to miss co-op this week, as co-op will be closed for the holiday. We nurse him back to health, while his sister picks up his chores because she is such an angel. Continue reading
This week, I would like to feature our daughter and two of her endeavors: sewing and harp. We have always encouraged our children to pursue what they enjoy, especially as they grew older.
Practicing the harp at home
Our daughter asked for sewing lessons and I found a friend who was willing to come to our house once a week to teach. Continue reading
And…we’re off! Off to tackle another exciting homeschool year. My son is a junior in high school this year. My daughter is a freshman in high school. That means 11th grade and 9th grade, respectively, for those not used to the US terminology.
I think I am ready for a new school year and yes, this really is the way I dress to homeschool my children (jk).
We had a wonderful summer break. I worked hard in my soap business and helped my husband with his, too. The kids stayed busy with summer camps, developing skills and hobbies, and playing with the cats. We have two inside cats and one outside cat. Never a dull moment.
Having fun with my new props
They could have read more books, but at this point I have learned to just let it go. It is what it is. They will learn at their own pace in their own way. And one day they will look at me and say, “I wish you had made me read more as a teenager.” Ha!
They did not care to take back-to-school pictures this year, so I had fun with retrieving some pictures of them from 2018… On the other hand, my daughter had a lot of fun taking pictures of me today with my jumbo pencil and eraser.
Claire and I in 2018, at the Governor’s Mansion in Nashville, meeting Governor and First Lady Haslam
There is so much excitement in the air in the beginning of a school year. I get really excited about setting goals. Personally, I am an advocate for writing goals down and reviewing them daily. Don’t just stick them in a drawer.
Preston made this astronaut costume for himself back in 2018
Did you know that just writing goals down gives you a 43% better chance to reach your goals? But you must also pull them out and look at them daily. Take three minutes to absorb them and maybe even copy them down again. Experts in personal productivity recommend this. Don’t shoot the messenger.
Right now, I have seven goals for the next 12 months and I write them down every morning. It is part of my morning routine, my personal time with God and with myself. More on that in a future blog post.
For now, I wish everybody a wonderful new school year, many successes, learning opportunities, friends, and challenges. To our growth!
Well, well, what do you know? Summer break is almost over. We start school next week and that means 11th grade and 9th grade for us. What do we do this last week of summer break?
Bear cubs in our backyard
To be honest, we have already started SAT prep with our son, who will be a junior this year. He plans to take the PSAT in October. With only eight weeks to go, we thought he might as well get on a regular schedule with his test prep. Continue reading
August is here and soon it will be September 1. Do you know what happens on September 1? Let me tell you then: TeenPact registration, at the lowest price of the year.
TeenPact Registration opens soon. Get ready!
If you live in Tennessee, please know they have three dates available. We are just that kind of a state: we care about teaching our young people about government, civics, and the political process. Continue reading