Home Sweet Homeschool

Home Sweet Homeschool
Home Sweet Homeschool

Monday, January 25, 2010

Deep callings...







Although we are catholic, the gael withing us always calls every year to merge the 1st of February (Saint Bridgets Day) , with candlemas and imbolc, resulting in a very unique celebration for us every year ! This year we have our candles in , ready to be blessed and lit , and also we`ve started making our decorations , we`ve hung our "sun wheel" (which woud have been made from straw) inside to welcome the coming spring and the sun that will feed the crops...and we are collecting the inner tubes of toilet rolls to sow our seeds in...the girls spent today using old winter pine cones to make seed holders for the smaller birds that are visiting our yard...please if you are doing this , make SURE an adult melts the fat and let it cool down before letting the kids dip the cones in ! You can hang the cones in the trees or leave them on tables , shed roofs etc...and enjoy watching the birds have a feast !
Aideen is doing a project on the Mexican artist Freda Kahlo ,which she started today...so we`re both finding that interesting ! And as Imbolc appproaches we are crossing our fingers that the weather will hold on the night so we can have a small fire in the yard...complete with hot chocolate...happy celebrating spring no matter how you do it !

Friday, January 22, 2010

DIY after the big freeze !






Well ,lots of catching up to do guys ! We`ve been sick here , (the parents just) with a stomach bug so Aideens spent most of the week putting her first-aid and household skills to use...shes been a star ! So after lessons yesterday , maths and a pipes that burst during the "Big Freeze" , and yes even Daisy was in on the job LOL
Not just as Homeschoolers but as parents of girls , we want our kids to learn DIY ,etc for when the time comes to "leave the nest" , they can handle burst pipes , blown fuses ,etc and yes if we had been blessed with boys they to would learn the "girly" things like sewing on buttons , cooking etc...my Mother thought all 5 of my own brothers all these jobs , and well , they dont go hungry LOL
Aideen loved the plumbing , she seems to have a knack for it and when I went outside with tea for the workers herself and Sean were so "into" the job they didnt even know I was there ! By this time Daisy had taken to jumping in the puddles created by the leaks , so yeah , I joined her....till next time !

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

I would have done the same !



Today while working on her Martin Luther King project , Aideen told myself and her dad that like the famous Rosa Parks (the woman who was arrested for sitting on the "whites only" section of the bus) that she too would have done the same...and knowing Aideen we both agreed that yes she would have ! I cant explain why , but at that moment an unspoken pride of our usually very quite and timid girl passed between us...maybe we`re getting this parenting thing right after all :)
Hope wherever you are that you are too wet with the snow thawing ! By the way Aideens working really hard on her next set of pictures thanks to all who commented , it made her day !

Saturday, January 9, 2010

il neige (its snowing)-BY AIDEEN









I hope you all enjoy my first group of pictures , I love taking photographs ,my mam and dad gave me there old camera and i bring it with me everywhere , some of my pictures are a bit wonky but mam said that make tem nicer. il neige meand "its snowing" in french. Love from Aideen

Thursday, January 7, 2010

But, why ?

Wow , with the snow having closed the public schools , Aideen feeling a bit "put out" that her friends have no school but she has, so we decided to do someting REALLY fun today...and it was Aideen herself came up the answer...she is going to (using our camera) make a short film in the homeschool room...so movie lovers watch this space :0) we havent a camcorder but my camera allows small vidoes to be made , so shes really excited !
Also today we started studying about Martin Luther King , Aideen loves the history of it all , BUT being such an empathic person she kept asking "but WHY" mam , whyin te first place could the black and white people not get along , how could one person be so horrible to another...out of the mouths of babes...makes you think !
Daisy has a new fascination...stickers :0) and while I was busy studying in my office today she ws busy "making art mam" on the floor...nice ??? She thought so :0)
Another project this month is "where our food comes from" , we are tracing all our groceries every week to their original destination , as much as we can...and it led Aideen to start a "thank our farmers" report !
So although as the song says "teh weather outside is frightful" in Scoildai "its been delightful" :0) Hope you are all warm and safe wherever you are ! Don`t forget to look in on old neighbours and also to keep the birds fed !


Monday, January 4, 2010

Back to the books

Aideen worked so hard today , no messing about she just got straight back to it ! This morning she wrote a report on New years eve , and how she celebrated it, and her plans for the year ahead...then this evening she read a beautiful "Snowflake" poem and also read an essay entitled "Snowmen" and answered (written) questions on the essay...I think thats a great start to the new year... :0)

Sunday, January 3, 2010

A brand new Year !

WOW , does`nt time fly ? A whole new year ! WHAT wonderful conversations we`ve been having together and with friends , about everything and anything ...for example, tonights dinner table conversation was about how the climate change has become SO noticable...and we`ve gotten a little over the radiator airer for the homeschool room as drying clothes is hard in the cottage , every available space counts :0)
Also , of her own accord , Aideen made a list of New Year Resolutions...and this very morning , she got her baby sister up , changed and fed her , lit the fire and let me and her dad have a wonderful lie-in !!!!! Some gifts just cant be bought !
We want to wish all our friends and family...Lewis, Maeve , Ger and Nora very speedy "feel better soon" , all have had nasty accidents in or on the dreadful ice , so they`ve been in our prayers xx
Well , off to bed , "early to bed earlt to rise..." as tomorrow sees not on a start back at the "books" for Aideen , but also myself...
So goodnight nd keep warm from us all at Scoil Dai !