Mohaus Schoolhouse Week 9

Last week we completed the 10th 9th week of the school year and it was a busy one. 

Monday we worked on several Boy Scout projects including taking a mini nature hike and making a bird house. That night the Boy Scout meeting included a trebuchet to chunk pumpkins and also a chance to carve pumpkins. It rained but we still had a blast. 

Tuesday Jack and I did several science experiments involving straws while Isaac was at preschool.

Wednesday was our weekly hike and we did a new (to us) trail at McCoy Farms. The leaves aren’t fully changing yet but we still enjoyed checking out the variety of trees there.

While hiking we discussed the Robert Frost poem, “The Road Less Taken” and also a scene we had read in “Little House in the Big Woods.”

For our studies, we finished listening to “The Wizard of Oz” and started listening to a new podcast, One Third Stories, that is an excellent resource for beginning to learn Spanish. 

Thursday was Jack’s enrichment day at the Y. 

We began a new math program and really like it, but it is challenging and there was some frustration over the lessons. But we persevered and I think Beast Academy will be a great fit for Jack. 

Then Friday was a field trip to pick apples at a local orchard with friends. 

Friday afternoon Jack and Daniel went trail riding with another father-son that we are good friends with.

And Saturday both boys competed in the Youth Trials event at the Tennessee Trials Training Center where Jack picked up his second first place trophy.

I’m still trying to get a handle on what our days should look like this year. I tend to want to push through as much material as possible but am trying to remind myself that Jack is just in first grade and the main goal is to instill a love of learning.

What Our Homeschool Looked Like in October:
Week 7 (Sept. 30-Oct. 6)
Week 8 (Oct. 7-13)
Week 9 (Oct. 14-20)
Week 10 (Oct. 21-27)
Week 11 (Oct. 28-Nov. 3)

Mohaus Schoolhouse Week 7

I’m not going to lie, after a month on the road, our seventh week of homeschool felt a bit anticlimactic. We are having to assimilate back into our lives and it’s both good and hard. The good part is friends. The first thing that happened when we got home was one of Jack’s best friends came running by our house yelling, “You’re home! Jack is finally home!!!”

Reunions are so sweet. And a month is a long time to a six year old. We felt the love all week as we ran into our friends. As an adult it made my year to see my best friends and get hugs. I think we all need to feel loved and know that we leave a hole when we are gone.

As for the rest, all of the laundry and excess of toys is overwhelming to me. I don’t know that the kids notice but I’m missing the smallness of the camper and the reduction in workload while we were on the road.

In terms of school, we are slowly getting back into it. We are reading “The Mysterious Howling” and “Little House in the Big Woods,” and “Gulliver’s Travels.” I discovered the podcast “The Same Page” and am excited about this daily resource that shares tidbits from scripture, classical poems, Shakespeare, and presidential facts. Plus, there is a daily reading from “The Wizard of Oz.”

We are wrapping up a unit on money for math and using our maps to retrace the route of our trip and go more in depth about the USA for geography and history.

It’s been so hot that I haven’t felt like getting back into hiking, but we will soon. Jack is still dragging his feet for anything Language Arts related but we will find a rhythm in that as we go.

Next week is fall break locally, but since we have been gone we will be doing school. After freezing in Wyoming a little over a week ago, I’m struggling with it being so hot and humid here in Tennessee. Monday is Canadian Thanksgiving and I’m not sure if I will feel up to making pumpkin pie like I usually do. Until next week...

What Our Homeschool Looked Like in October:
Week 7 (Sept. 30-Oct. 6)
Week 8 (Oct. 7-13)
Week 9 (Oct. 14-20)
Week 10 (Oct. 21-27)
Week 11 (Oct. 28-Nov. 3)

What Our Homeschool Looked Like in August:

Week 1-2 (Aug. 8-18)
Week 3 (Aug. 19-24)

Mountain Biking with Kids: Edwards Point

Yesterday Daniel and Jack did a little father-son excursion with another father and son we have become friends with. I am incredibly proud of Jack for tackling his first serious mountain biking ride to Edwards Point. Daniel thinks they covered about 9 miles. Jack said he fell off his bike twice, and he came home pretty muddy. The following comments are Jack's regarding his experience.

"This is where I got stuck in the mud." – Jack, age 5.5

This is when I fell in the mud... I just collapsed into the water mud.

Mr. Tarbell helped me pull it [my bike] out. 

This ride was better than the Pump Track because we went a lot faster.

 The only time I got off my bike [on the way to the Point] was for some water breaks.

I didn't walk my bike down the steep hills, but I did walk it up.

 We walked to the Point after we parked our bikes. 

We went to all three Points. 

We were throwing stuff off the ledge: rocks, a pine cone, and sticks.

This is one of the cliffs. 

They were not scary but Daddy thought I was going to jump off, I think. 

It would be scary to jump off!

We were hopping over a log to go back.

Where we parked our bikes – on the kid tree.

Riding back to the car.

It was tiring walking up the hills with my bike.

Some of the time I rode on the side of the [banked] path. 

Do you know why? 

Because there were mud puddles [we had to go around].

We saw a teenager and he wasn't behaving very well.

He was riding a dirt bike and he almost hit daddy. 

And then they had an issue. 😆

I only got hurt one time.

That is the end.