Time to Breathe - Collage Friday
Friday, October 11, 2013 at 5:00AM 
A full week of no school has been just what the doctor ordered.
The kids have been working SO HARD, and when I stopped to relax I realize I had been working hard, too.
Dad was working this week so the kids and I spent our mornings sleeping in and our days reading, relaxing, and doing things we enjoy.
I like this idea of schooling for 6 or 7 weeks and then taking a full week off, and I'm glad our Classical Conversations community has a calendar that follows this schedule.
*This post contains affiliate links
Time To Do Other Things
Fall is my favorite season. I spent an evening decorating the front porch. My orange lights on the topiary don't show up well in the picture, but they are orange, trust me.
I enjoy cooking, but with our busy schedule this school year meals have been quick and simple. This week I had time to cook a little more. One of my favorites was a Ginger Chile Pork with Brown Sugar Ginger Squash. YUM. This was a Publix Aprons Meal, and it was a hit with everyone in my house!
We met friends from Anna's Challenge A class at a local lake and just enjoyed lunch and visiting. Younger siblings played and a good time was had by all! I looked over at one point and the kids had their shoes and socks off and were wading in the lake, playing happily. It was one of those moments I wanted to freeze. (You know what I mean.)
Anna is my reader. She would rather read than do anything else, so on the first day of fall break we went to the library and she stocked up on her favorite series, Dear America. I am so thankful both of my kids love to read.
I also started reading The Trumpeter of Krakow to the kids at lunch time each day - it goes right along with our Cycle 2 history studies. When the book mentioned the Carpathian Mountains Grant practically jumped out of his skin because he KNEW exactly where they were (thank you Cycle 2 geography memory work!).
No matter the mood people are in, we can always come together for a read aloud. It soothes the savage beast (so to speak) in my house. We ALWAYS have a good read aloud in progress.
More Goodness from LEGO Education®
Do you see that smile on Grant's face? I'm so grateful to LEGO Education® for creating so many products that fit homeschoolers perfectly!
*Disclaimer: I receive all products from LEGO Education® free of charge in exchange for my honest review.
The WeDo curriculum teaches kids all about how to program their creations.
Grant went to a camp about this last year in Atlanta. Truth be told, I was intimidated and thought it was something I would leave to other people (surely anything with the word ROBOTICS in it was too complicated for my creative music brain!) - but the camp was pricey and the more I learned about WeDo the more I saw how easy it was to do at home.
All you need is a LEGO builder, a computer, and the ability to read instructions.
Your kids will then be on their way to making fun models that respond to different sensors, make sounds, and do so much more. LEGO Education® WeDo Robotics is a perfect science and technology curriculum for homeschoolers!
Another plus: for the price of just four sessions of Grant's WeDo camp, I could have bought the WeDo system for our homeschool. I think it's actually a very good investment if you have a child who loves LEGO.
I will be sharing more with you about WeDo next week (and I might have a giveaway for you, too)!
Blogging
This weekend my husband and I will be attending Blogging Concentrated in Atlanta. I met Dan Morris at The Beech Retreat last year and learned so much from him. I am excited to learn from he and Crystal Collins!
The kids are each spending the weekend with a friend. This means TIME ALONE for my husband and I.
Great Homeschool Convention
Are you attending The Great Homeschool Convention this year?
Last year I attended the Greenville, SC convention. It was one of the best investments in our homeschooling year. The speaker line-up this year is impressive, and of course the vendor hall is amazing.
Early Bird Registration is going on - $30/individiual and $45/family. Register now! If you're going to be in Greenville, let me know and I'd love to meet you!
I am very thankful for this Collage Friday community. I learn so much from each of your blogs - Friday is my favorite blogging day of the week!
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- Enter your link below. Be sure to link to your post with photo collages and link back to this post (or include the Collage Friday button on your blog).
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Reader Comments (17)
I agree! Autumn is definitely my favourite season. It makes me feel warm and gooey inside! The temperature in the uk is 9 at the moment so we have our wood burner on all the time. It's so cosy!
Thanks for hosting and have a lovely week end!
Love the fall! Porch looks so cute! Glad you are trying out some new recipes. You are encouraging me to get out my cookbooks! Enjoy the weekend!
LOVE your porch!! And fixing up for the season is like therapy I think! (as is dipping your feet in the lake!) What a blessing of a week.
The Trumpter of Krakow is one of our favorite books. You shall enjoy it. I am looking forward to our break week, but it won't be for another three weeks.
We went to Krakow last year just before moving back to the US. I wish we could have seen more of it, but we were crunched for time. We were able to see Auschwitz which was extremely moving.
Fall is also my favorite season. My crazy kids are already complaining about the cold, and I'm like, "Yes. The temperature is a blissful 76 today!" LOL It looks like such a relaxing week :-)
Same here. We LOVE Fall! Your front porch looks lovely! I am so glad you enjoyed your break. That is a wonderful idea. Thanks for hosting the linkup Mary! Happy weekend.
Fantastic pics of your week, as always!
Love them
Thank you for hosting!
Mary, I'm excited to hear more about WeDo, I think it would be a huge hit in our house. My little guy is playing with his new Lego Creator (3 in 1) pack right now. I never tire of watching him build with Legos. Is Grant going to WeDo camp again this year?
We were off this week too, though it was not nearly as relaxing as your week sounds with Mason having brain surgery again. Glad you had a rest!
I love the GHC conventions! We go to the one in Cinci because it's just a few hours away and I haven't gone in a few years (since Mason was born). I might get to upcoming one though... praying about it.
Oh, I am so GLAD to be back readying about your weeks! I have missed seeing all of your happenings- EVEN when you are a break! Have a BLAST with the hubby this weekend...and not too many public displays of affection, K? ;0)
Oh my! I'd love to go see my hero, Dr. Ben Carson! Unless the convention comes anywhere closer I don't think it's doable for us though! *sigh*! Have a great weekend, Mary!
I'm glad you had a good week of school rest. We love Fall decorating here too, even if Winter is our favorite season. Your decorations are lovely. I hope you enjoy the weekend.
Have to say I LOVE the look of the WeDo Curriculum from Lego. The girls got a small peak of it at their latest Robotics class that is offered by our up and coming Children's Museum but I would love to have it for here at home.
Fall is my favorite season too, it's just not looking or feeling like it here yet. Time alone with your husband? Wow, that's awesome. Someday we'll have to try that!
Thank you for hostessing Collage Friday. Have a great weekend!
I also read aloud at lunchtime. I'm adding Trumpeter of Krakow to our read-aloud list, thanks for the recommendation!
I would also like to look into WeDO, sounds intriguing and something my boys especially would benefit from.
thanks for hosting every week - so fun to see what others are up to!
Mary,
I love fall too. The crispness of it somehow warms my heart each year.
Glad you and your kids had a great week together. :)
Renee