Homeschol Moments: Tower and Trebuchet

We had two good ones today.  Maybe I should cheat and save one for another day.  Or go backward in time and date one yesterday.

We're doing medieval history this year, which is always a treat.  We've been watching a documentary series on the Tower of London, appropriately called The Tower, together.  Though the tower was built in the middle ages, this dvd doesn't just cover those days.  It's been such fun to watch and relive our own visit to the Tower back in 2005.  My kids were pretty little then, but they have some memories.  Of course the boy remembers the armory best.

Then tonight after my girl left for her church youth group meeting, my boy and I sat down to watch Castles of War, a DVD I picked up from the library.  It's a bit cheesy for a documentary, put on by the Travel Channel.  It was a fun 45 minutes, though, particularly for the running commentary by my local weaponry expert.

Lots o' forts and weapons today...

Homeschool Moment: Porch School

It's not really a porch, and more than a moment.  This is the golden time in Pennsylvania - the humidity is (relatively) low, the temperature is perfect, and there is sunshine on the back deck.  (Deck school seemed to imply school on a boat.)   So why not haul the math, grammar, and some reading - oh, and I see the camera made its way out there too - for a little porch school after lunch?

September 6 Homeschool Moment

Talking about the effects of the Norman Conquest on Western Civilization with my 15-year-old as we drove to a doctor appointment.  On the way home, having the same kid explain how an Icee is a great model of how oil sands work.  I just have to trust him on that.

He's been reading 1066: The Year of the Conquest, which I read in anticipation of this year's history studies.  I thought I had written something about it here, but it turns out I did that on goodreads.  Looking for it reminded me that I need to update my monthly reading.  Anyway, I handed it off to him and he's been enjoying it too. It's a fun popular history, not academic at all, and gives a good overview of the time period.

It is so fun to share "adult" books with my kids now.  It's fun to hear him speculate on what his world would have been like if Harold had defeated William.  Maybe someday he'll write an alternate history novel about it.  Could happen!

September 5: Homeschool Moment

Wondering if I can count the time my daughter spent doing her nails - ombre fall colors and glitter - as art for the day.

September 4: Homeschool Moment

Sitting at the table with my daughter, looking with dismay at her math book for the first time in who knows how long.  She is supposed to do some averaging. 

"It's hard."

"OK, well, which part is hard?"

"It's all hard. The division is hard."

"Really, this dividing is hard? How about you just try this first one."



"Huh.  Why did I think that was so hard?  OK, I'll just finish up the rest of these now... you can go away now."

A new endeavor

Inspired by my friend (and with aplogies for stealing her idea, sort of), I'm launching A Homeschool Moment, in which I will describe one nice moment of a homeschooling day.

I know, it's not very original. And it's not likely to include pictures!  Well, maybe sometimes.

And today might not be the best time to start, since I am leaving my family for a few days and thus won't have any homeschool moments with them till next week.

But let's see how it goes, OK? 

A homeschool moment

Today: sitting on the back deck in the shade, reading Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England aloud to my children, while my daughter painted my toenails.

They are a subtle shade of pink. 

She's wanted to do it for a long time.  Paint the toenails, I mean.

She loves listening to me read Bede, too.  It's more entertaining than you'd think.