Random thoughts

So, what's going on with our family? I've not been good about keeping up with blogging have I? I even wonder if anyone reads it.....

There's actually been a lot happening around here the last couple of months. I have taken pictures and hope to put them up soon. I do love looking back and seeing what has happened.

Our weeks have been busy since school started back. My three younger children have been involved in home school activities such as volley ball, String Orchestra and my 16 yr. old has been taking a weekly class on making his own violin since July.

I will try to put photos up sometime this week and write a little tid-bit about each.
Here's hoping anyway~stay tuned!

Tally Marks~Are they working???

So, we have been schooling a two weeks and I just want to give an update on how the tally marks are working. Out of the three kids, one really likes the marks each day, one says it doesn't matter one way or the other about the marks~this particular child knows what they have to do and just does it~and the last child, well, they just don't see the need to even have them.

My hubby thoughts are, what's the deal with the marks?! I think they serve a purpose. I like to see that we are getting things accomplished. I also like to see where our focus is on some subjects as apposed to others. For instance, are we spending too much time on math or history and not enough on geography only to figure out later in the year that we would need to play catch-up so that we finished all the subjects in a given year.

The question is: Will we continue with the tally marks? I know that I will with the child that really likes them at the end of each day. As for the other two kids, time will tell. I'm going to try it for the next two weeks to see.

Organization

So what are you doing to get organized this year? Or maybe you are organized already and I'm the only one left to figure all this out.
I've never been truly organized, well maybe years ago but that was YEARS ago..ha,ha.

This year I'm doing something different with the kids. Since my 16 and 14 year old are more independent in their schooling and they really do better with a list, where they know what is expected of them. I've made a list of each of their subjects that they will do for the year and put it into a bi-monthly graph for them to make tally marks beside each item that they get accomplished. They know how many tally marks they should have at the end of every two weeks. Some things I will check daily,e.g. math & grammar, others I will check at the end of each week.

Doing this will allow me to have more time with my youngest. I feel like he only has two more years before things really have to pick up for him schooling wise and I would like to spend more time doing the fun things with him before our time runs out.
Yes, schooling should be fun, but when they hit those all important high school years things change.

Anyway, here's to having a more organized year!