...to a homeschool mom.

Johanna is four and a half years old, just about ready to start school, and she loves books (just like her big sisters). She will sit down with her younger brothers and "read" books to them, partly reciting from memory what the book says, and partly drawing the story from the pictures.

Children have a natural enthusiasm for learning! I think the key to real education is to encourage that natural enthusiasm, and not squelch it with rigid, textbook education (unless the child likes to learn that way).

I'm trying to discern what each of my children need, and how to balance order with spontaneous learning. I would love to hear your ideas, and any good books you know of on that subject. How do you encourage the love for learning in your children, so that they don't lose it as they get older?

That word schedule is used loosely here, mind you. Plan sounds more flexible, doesn't it? In my quest to balance the responsibilities of housekeeping, childrearing, and homeschooling, I've tried a few things, including Flylady.net.

I chose to unsubscribe from Flylady after a year, but I've come away with some good ideas: Shine your sink each night (the clean tends to spread to the rest of the kitchen). Babysteps (breaking monumental tasks into more manageable, bite-sized pieces). Clutter can't be organized, it can only be thrown out. Routines. (This is great for cleaning, but is necessary for school.) I'm now working these ideas into a family schedule that works for us.

Flylady divides the house into zones, and you work in one zone all week. I like the zones, but need to work in each of them every week. So here's the rundown:

Monday: Livingroom & floors (Because this is the first thing you see when you walk into my house, and it's typically a bit disastrous after the weekend and no housework done on the Lord's Day.)

Tuesday: Master bedroom (If I don't make it a zone, it might get neglected. Sad, but true.)

Wednesday: Sewing/Music room (Creativity all over this place. Enough said.)

Thursday: Bathrooms & floors (These get attention every day, but get a more thorough cleaning once a week.)

Friday: Schoolroom (Desks cleaned out, floors done, teacher's desk decluttered.)

Saturday: Children's rooms & Family closet (Is there any explanation needed here? :o)

The zone cleaning is done in the afternoon, after school and lunch.

Somebody gave me the book Managers of Their Homes, by Steven & Teri Maxwell. Have any of you read it? I've flipped through it, and must admit the charts and things look intimidating to me. If you have read it, please tell me if it was helpful to you. I plan to read it soon, and will post my opinions as well.

I also have a Daily Plan (the word schedule carefully avoided here, hee hee), which outlines my day by the hour. It is working a lot better than the "Fly By the Seat of Your (proverbial) Pants" Method.

It is raining almost every day, and with the abundance of rain comes an abundance of toads! I guess this got the wheels turning in the mind of Daniel, who happens to be our school principal. In some biology class he took during his junior high and high school career, he got to dissect a frog. Do you see where this is heading?


So a few nights ago, he and the children caught a couple of those toads outside with the intent of dissecting them for a homeschool biology project. (Notice I said he and the children are doing this. I wash my hands of this one. And I made them wash their hands, too, as soon as they came into the house.)


Then they had these poor toads, frantically trying to leap out of the jar. What now? How to, umm... euthanize them? Not knowing what else to do, they stuck them in the freezer.

I bet you don't have Frosty the Frozen Frog in your freezer, do ya? And I bet you don't even envy me. :o)

Anyhow, frigid froggies pose a problem. Ya can't dissect 'em. So the Principal is looking into obtaining a preserving solution to put the toads in. He asked around, and it was suggested he ask for formaldehyde at the only place in Xela where they use the stuff... the mortuary.

This saga is not over. I will keep you posted, as I'm sure you are all on the edges of your respective seats. I know I am, but I'm not leaning in too close.

Post Script: For those of you in the know about toads and frogs, we are aware of the difference between the two, even if we sometimes use the words "frog" and "toad" interchangeably. It's just that "froggy" is so much more fun to alliterate than "toad". :o)


Froggy foto credits to my favorite fotographer, Daniel!