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In our homeschool this week…there has been a lot of outdoor learning in the garden. The tomato plants are getting tall and busy and loaded with beautiful green fruit, the beans are producing, we are picking dewberries, the lettuce has gone to the weeds, the new melon patch off to a great start, the sweet corn so-so, the cucumbers are struggling.
Tending the garden provides so many learning opportunities. There’s the whole circle of life thing: plant a seed, plant grows, produces flower and fruit, produces more seed, dies, plant seed again.
And there’s the whole health & nutrition thing: Where does our food come from? So this is how it grows! How do pickles get in the jar, anyway? If you pick it yourself it tastes so much better. A watermelon takes how long to grow?
And there’s the whole nature study thing: Look at the hoppy toad hiding in the mud! Mom, there’s a baby rabbit hiding in the tomato cage! What are these teeny-tiny little dots on the leaf – bug eggs? Who’s been eating this leaf?
And there’s the whole phys ed and exercise thing: hoeing and bending and hauling water and . . .
Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…stock up on school supplies now, as much as you can afford and hide some things away, because you’ll be paying triple or more on many items mid-year when you realize your budding artist has gone through 3 packs of markers already or your 3rd grader has chewed through 2 dozen pencils while concentrating on math problems or your 6th grader has used all the notebook paper while hosting a paper airplane airshow with his college-aged brother.
Things I’m working on…school planning, still. And some fun reunion planning with my mother-in-law.
I’m cooking…crockpot venison for Sunday dinner today.
The kids favorite thing this week…water bombs!
Big brother Luke spent one hot day with the kids, filling regular water balloons to the size of watermelons and they played splash-happy games all afternoon like Drop the Bomb, where little brothers roll on the ground and big brother drops the water bomb from the roof, and squeeze box where you hold the balloon between 2 siblings and squeeze til it bursts, and of course hot potato.
I’m grateful for…the privilege of being home with my family. I get to be with them during their tough times and sad times and their best happy times. That’s a good thing.
I’m praying for…a midwife in a nearby state who’s been brought up on bogus charges because some do not want women to have the freedom to choose home birth.
Something I am ogling or have my eye on…a Silhouette Cameo
People we’re seeing, things we’re doing…fun times coming up later this week, as we’ll be keeping 2 of our granchildren for several days. We’re going to have a blast! A long list of must-do’s has already been started by the Aunts and the Uncles.
A picture for you…
Here you see a 7 year old’s view of the garden, with the help of her 9 year old brother.
this post linked up with others at the Weekly Wrap Up, Collage Friday, The Homeschool Mother’s Journal and at these fun and fabulous parties
This was wonderful to read. Thank you for sharing so much. I hope the visit goes well with the family and that your family reunion goes well later on. We also have a garden, but it’s not received much attention for whatever reason. Though we have also used weed pulling, in the past, as a spiritual opportunity and how God is the mighty weed puller. Mind you, we have not been in the garden as much as I would like this year but we are doing many other wonderful things. *small smile* Have a great week with your family. Sincerely, Mommy of two growing blessings & so much more!
Thank you for your sweet comment 🙂 Gardening is always a work in progress and we’ve finally gotten to a point of {mostly} staying ahead of the weeds, but it does take some work, consistency and attention – just like raising children! God is the mighty weed puller – I like that word picture. There are life lessons all around us, no wonder Jesus spoke in parables. Enjoy these last weeks of summer, gardening or not. I’m so glad you came by for a visit!
Our garden is overrun with weeds at this point. :sigh: We’re getting some beans and peas…cucumbers have flowers…potatoes seem to be doing well…and we have 2 pumpkins. (That’s 2 more pumpkins then we had last year.) I think we’ll need to stick with smaller, raised beds as we get preoccupied for weeks with other things in the summer months and the weeds go crazy! But gardens ARE such a GREAT learning experience!
I suggested the same thing this week: Those school supply sales are starting! (Fortunately I don’t need much this year! Phew!)
Hi Jessy ! We have had many seasons where we could hardly find the garden plants for all the weeds out there, so I understand. So exciting to be getting some fruit on our plants, isn’t. You reminded me we haven’t planted our pumpkins yet! Wonder if it’s too later.
I think we all have school sales on the brain these days – it’s a fun time of year 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, friend!
Jessy, When this has happened to us here’s what we did. If you can get a hold of some cardboard, cut it in long strips and lay it down each row to help mash down and smother weeds. It makes picking through the mess much easier. And the whole garden looks better too. One year it was so bad we push mowed between rows where we could before doing this! LOL!
great tip, Amanda 🙂 we laid down layers of newspaper and then scraps of lattice to keep the weeds down. LOL about the push mowing, but some years, you gotta do what you gotta do!
Love this! I often think I’m the only one unable to stay ahead of the weeds. Thanks for sharing. Giggles are always nice. Sincerely, Mommy of two growing blessings and so much more!
Yes, yes! Now is the time for school supplies! I have been known to buy an entire case of crayons — 24 boxes I think? It’s crazy how the prices go up in just another month or so.
Ha Ha, Meghan. I can relate. I buy spiral notebooks by the case. Thank you for taking time to stop in, have a blessed week!
You have a lovely blog – lots of great ideas and very sound values for all children. I didn’t home school our daughters nor do I expect that for our grandchildren, but I certainly respect those who do . I found that the biggest problems in our lives came home with the girls from school – both private and public. It is really smart to shelter your children from poor influences as long as you can. Our daughters turned out to be terrific adults and great parents, but it wasn’t always easy fighting off things we didn’t want them involved in!
Hi Joyce 🙂 Thank you for your nice comment. It is hard work and takes sacrifice and diligence, love and commitment raising our children, whether homeschooling or not. As a homeschool mom, I have a little more control of what they are exposed to and when, but our children all have to take responsibility be giving accountability all the same. God is good, and we can trust our children to Him. How exciting to have adult children that are terrific adults and great parents. You are truly blessed – I’m enjoying building friendships with my adult children, and of course loving on those grandbabies!
I’m so glad you stopped by, have a wonderful week!
I want to play water bombing! 🙂
😀
Our garden is struggling along this year. We aren’t sure why, perhaps too much rain? I’ve enjoyed the grape tomatoes but nothing else seems to be fairing well. I pray our cucumbers survive because it wouldn’t be summer without them! I love how you stated your gratitude for being home through the good, bad and happy times. So true! For me, homeschooling is the only way for me to truly know the hearts of my babes. What a blessing! Have a wonderful week and thank you for sharing yours.
We had a cool, wet spring and so the garden got a slow start this year. I’m afraid my cukes won’t produce much 🙁 If not, my family won’t be happy because they (almost) refuse to eat store bought dills. We’ve been blessed abundantly, and I’m so thankful for the life we live – the good, the bad, the ugly. Knowing their hearts – how wonderful is that!
Thank you Carrie, for stopping by and leaving your sweet comment. Have a wonderful week!
Gardens are such a wonderful teaching opportunity with kids! My kids and grand kids, and even the neighborhood kids have learned so much from our garden. We didn’t really think they were paying attention at first. But as years have passed and we hear them talking, they actually did! I think this is a crucial survival skill everyone should learn.
You are so right, Amanda. The kids soak up way more than we realize. I’m so thankful we have space for my children to garden in. I did not grow up learning these skills, so I’ve been learning right along with my kids. They are WAY better gardeners than I am.
I loved your article, it was very informative…would love it if you hopped on by our blog hop on Sunday…The Homesteaders Hop.
Thank you for stopping by, and for the invitation. I’ll see you Sunday 🙂 have a wonderful week!
I love your photos of the water bombs! I want to come throw them at Debra (and Joyce!). I am thankful for the 99 Cent store and the wonderful bags of balloons! They are also a great place for stocking up on school supplies. Your home school amazes me — you have taken it to a wonderful level.
ha ha ha – watch out Debra and Joyce – you may be water bombed when you least expect it! After our big birthday season wrapped up last month I need to stock up. The kids wiped me out of the last of the over-the-hill black balloons.
Yep, gotta love the $$ store. We’ll be visiting later this week 😉 Thank you for your sweet comment – I can’t imagine living any other way, I really am blessed. Have a wonderful week, and what’s left of the summer!
Lots and lots of fun and learning in the garden!
Yes, indeed. Thank you for visiting, and for your comment 🙂
Our garden at our new home is so small it can barely be called a garden at all. Looking at yours made me determined to try harder next year! Water balloons…that is something we haven’t done yet this summer but my kids would LOVE it. Thank you for the ideas!!
Kasey, our garden started out small, too. As the children grew they took over the many of the gardening duties and I have to give them credit for what it is today. Keep at it, and grow little bit by little bit 🙂 and enjoy the journey!
Oh, yes! find time for water balloons before summer ends! We use regular party balloons so they are tougher to break, and give more time for fun.
So glad you stopped in, have a blessed week!