HSMJ 19 - The difference between entertaining and Hospitality

The Home school Mother’s Journal began as a single post on a Friday morning over at The Homeschool Chick, and turned into a link-up for home school mothers across the blog-O-sphere to share a piece of their journey with one another each week. The link party is open from Friday to Monday so join me in The Home school Journal and lets encourage one another on our home school journey.

In my life this week…

 
In our home school this week…

• We started our Morocco Expedition Earth study.
• Went on a trip to see the HMAS Castlemaine
• We did a Picasso Inspired piece of art.
• Have not completed Morocco this week as I intended so will need to finish on Monday when we start on Kenya.
• Finished the letter "V" in spelling.  Wrote some letters to Grandad and Nanna.
• Worked on math facts for the number seven.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

• Sonlight's Book Changes in 2012 over at Last in Line
• What to do when your Home school Schedule goes awry ? over at Home School Share
• Home School Schedules over at the Happy Housewife
• Blooms Taxonomy of Learning. 
• I have been looking at the Ultimate Home school Planner SAMPLE by Apologia and am inspired by the 7th page (pages 254 & 255 in the sample.)  There are three great lists: Identify your child's learning style, Blooms Taxonomy of Learning and Study Smart Student Toolkit. Have any of you used this planner ?  
• Make your own worksheets from Tools for Educators.

I am inspired by…

• Waste Time on this NOT that over at Relevant.  Here is a sneak peak: There is a danger of getting sucked too far into the online vortex, but it’s a danger that’s easily averted if we approach our time at the computer with a healthy sense of perspective and balance, along with a few basic goals............... Remember to head on over to Relevant and read the full article.
• Living on Rice and Beans over at Always Learning.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

• Monday was a busy day we visited a friend for her birthday and then went to a home school mothers meeting.
• Tuesday we joined my mom and some homeschoolers and went on a trip to see HMAS Castlemaine.
• Wednesday  and Thursday we were at home.
• Thursday night Paul and Sir N went on another night time adventure with some friends and came home very cold. Autumn has definitely arrived in Melbourne.
• Saturday are going to visit a home school family for lunch / afternoon / evening catch up we have been trying to organise for over a year.
• Counting down the months, weeks and days

My favorite thing this week was…

• Listening to Sir N's exclamations of pleasure and excitement when he realised it's only seventeen sleeps till we fly out to South Africa.

What’s working/not working for us…

• the laundry ....... 

2012 in 2012

• Read about this idea over at Behind the Scenes and was really intrigued.  I think I will give it a go.  Won't make 2012 I don't think but it will definitely help me de-clutter.

Opening Balance	What	This Week	Balance
2	Thrown Away	0	2
0	Sold	0	0
0	Donated	0	0
8	Returned to their owner	0	8
	Running Total out of the goal 2012		194

Questions/thoughts I have…

• I've been asked to do some guest posts at a Home school blog and been wondering what sorts of things I should write about .........

Things I’m working on…

• I've been working on my first post for the Charlotte Mason Companion blog hop starting on the 2nd April.  I look forward to reading your thoughts on Nature Journaling with children.
• I have also been working on ideas to do with Sir N next Friday for Vincent Van Gogh's birthday.  So I have been looking at: Art Projects for Kids, Practical Pages, Relentlessly Fun Deceptively Educational and Confessions of a Home Schooler.

I’m reading…

• Homeschooled and Illiterate 
• A home schoolers response to the above article: The Serious and Sensible Post over at A Peaceful Day.
• Making good use of Pinterest over at Homegrown Learners.
• How Pinterest can ruin your Home School over at Jimmies Collage
• Hardness of your Hearts over at Always Learning.
• Strong Willed Children over at Always Learning.
• Perhaps you should sue God over at Everything and Nothing.
• “You Just Broke Your Child. Congratulations.” by Dan Pearce over at Become a Better Father.
•  

I’m cooking…

• Flathead Fish Cakes
• Ambrosia
• Looking for a Moroccan Dish to finish off our Morocco studies.  Any ideas ??

I’m grateful for…

• The wonderful encouraging post  Dating your spouse over at Always Learning. I am inspired and encouraged to grow deeper in my marriage and love my friend deeply. Lori encouraged me to Delight in My Husband and not kill my marriage. She encouraged me not to lose the art of home making and to keep on keeping on.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

• There is a difference between entertaining and offering hospitality. Entertaining seeks to impress. Offering hospitality puts the emphasis on others so they feel refreshed, not impressed, when they leave your home. - Karen Ehman

Don't forget to pop over to read what other home school Moms are doing
Blessings

This post is linking to:
Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers
The Homeschool Chick