New Activities Galore at the Garden

Each year spring always brings new and exciting educational programs to the botanical gardens and this year is no exception.   Alhamdulillah, today as the temperatures reached the high 80s, we were blessed to engage in these activities with a few fellow Muslim homeschoolers. 

Before we meet up with the other homeschoolers, my children and I checked out the Orchids Galore exhibit in the conservatory.  Truthfully, I was the one who was the most interested in this exhibit and the children just wanted to go the children’s garden as usual.  Therefore, the encounter with the orchids was short-lived.

During the new April/May  Kid Quest which is like a scavenger hunt, the children became botanists as they observed, took notes, and learned about their environment. 

The older children in our group also throughly enjoyed the newest garden weaving collaborate art project.  They were also encouraged to create their own individual art project with sticks, yarn, beads, and other recycled material.   This garden weaver program as well as a new children’s stick works studio is in conjunction with a world renowned artist coming to the garden this May to sculpt using sticks and twigs. 

So, with all those new activities for springtime and wonderful company, finding  our vehicle with flat tire on the way out didn’t even dampen my spirits.   Alhamdulillah, it was a wonderful day with many memories made.

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Week in Review (Sept. 28)

This has been a very book learning intensive week in our home.  We came back from an Eid break with much work to complete.  Even though we started our book learning schedule at the start of Ramadan, we hadn’t had a full work load yet.   

Honestly, I am also still adjusting to the intense tutoring sessions with my three older children.   With the close attention being paid to their work, I have realized that I need to make some changes.    My 8 yr. old daughter needs to be pushed along in some subjects.  She has been working in First Language Lessonsfor grammar, but it is just moving too slowly for her and she needs to move up to the third grade level.  So, we have changed curriculum to Easy Grammar which her 10 yr. old brother also uses and which works well for him.    I also reverted my 10 yr. olds spelling curriculum, All About Spelling , back to Spelling Workout.  The All About Spelling was too easy for him as well as too labor intensive for me.   Between changing diapers, taking toddlers to the bathroom, fixing snacks, and comforting crying children, the more he can work independently the better. 

Alhamdulillah, we did manage to finish a chapter in history about Augustine and some of the week 1 (Introduction to the Earth) of the Earth Science curriculum, but the same issue has arisen with not having the materials for the science experiments and history projects.  I don’t get to the store that often, so if the materials aren’t already in the house quite often the science experiments have to be postponed.  This is an issue that needs to be worked out soon this year, insha Allah. 

Also, I have realized during this first “full” week back, that most of our hands-on activities are done outside the house on field trips and during science and arts/craft classes.  It is a bit much for me to take on that burden at home as well.  Here I am just keeping my head above water (or am I?)  with tackling the basics, the three R’s.   I am just very concerned that my children can read and write plus solve math problems. 

Not only has the homeschooling been an adjustment, but the housework as well.  The clean laundry has piled up somewhat as it doesn’t take as long to wash and fold as it does for me to put it all away, masha Allah.

I did manage to take them to homeschool park day for some outside time, exercise,  and socialization. 

One of the boys who is always capturing reptiles found a small snake that everyone was admiring, masha Allah.

Friday is usually a day off for the children, but I am hoping to complete a little bit of work tomorrow, take the children to a play date, and tidy up a bit in order to begin preparing for next week, insha Allah.

The Not Back to School Picnic

Our local homeschool group hosts a “Not Back to School Picnic” in early September each year.  This year was the first year we attended.  In the last couple of years, it has coincided with Ramadan.  Even though it coincided with Ramadan this year as well, the children begged me to attend.

I was very surprised at the large turn out at the park.  The group does have over 500 members, but I never expected so many people to attend.  It was a little difficult keeping track of all of my six children and at one point I had to go in search of the oldest, but all in all it was great to see so many homeschoolers at the park.   I didn’t even have a chance to take any pictures as my attention was occupied by continuous counting to six, masha Allah!

Despite the crowd, the children had a blast socializing with the other homeschoolers,  alhamdulillah.   We knew many of them from the homeschool park day which we attend once a week.   There was even another Islamic homeschooling family in attendance whom we haven’t seen since last fall, masha Allah.  As soon as my children noticed some of the other homeschooled children wearing mismatched socks, they felt right at home.  As I always say, “Life is too short for matching socks.” 

We were only able to stay a short while as we had to return home to pray Salatul Asr, our late afternoon prayer and prepare iftar, our breakfast, masha Allah, but we were happy to have been able to get some fresh air on such a beautiful day.