It's Just a Plan, Unless...

I talked last week about our plans for finding balance.  Yet plans are only wishful thinking unless you implement them.  So, that's what we did this week. We've eaten at restaurants a few times without Amber having a fit about it.  When we were talking about our lunches for co-op day she even said, "I prefer the lunch you make, but if there isn't time because I want my allergy shot before classes then take-out is fine."  This is the balance and cooperation I need from her.  I'm actually quite proud of how she's worked with me this week.  In turn, I let her choose the restaurants and eat less food than I'd like to see if she also had a snack later in the evening at home. 

We've also decided to turn down the option Amber had to rejoin band this semester.  She participated second semester last year, but this fall the band had trouble finding a home for practice and when it eventually had a spot the times didn't fit with Amber's schedule.  Again this semester band is moving back to the location where Amber takes flute lessons and is at an unscheduled time.  Yet, in our quest to make life easier on us all, we've decided to forgo that activity at this moment.

I've also declined several fun field trips with our homeschool group.  Normally we would have attempted most of them and had a couple of sick days afterwards.  After a discussion, Amber and I decided to join only the field trips which are nearly guaranteed to be successful for Amber both during the event and on the following days.  There are still several events in the next couple of months we have signed up to attend, lest anyone fear we are becoming hermits.
 
We've also discovered, despite the midodrine, evenings are still not great for Amber.  This Wednesday evening was supposed to be her confirmation test covering the most recent module: baptism.  Fred and I decided it might be best to make other arrangement for the test.  So instead Amber and I went up to church early Wednesday afternoon so she could take the test.  It worked out well since Wednesday evening she kinda had a little crash. And while I was able to make dinner that night too since we weren't rushed on our way to confirmation, it did mean we lost school time during Amber's precious hours of clear thought.

Adorable kitty cats.   Rosetta with Amber waiting for lunch.  Biscotti (aka Big Boy) avoiding proof he is cuddly. Two seconds earlier he was being a sweet cuddly kitty.  Then bam... goofball.  Finally, Milori chasing the "bug".

Personally, I managed more workouts than last week while still being fewer than I wanted.  At least I met my goal of less Diet Coke along with more fruits and juices.  I also cooked dinner more times than expected.  A few of those were pretty pathetic, but at least they weren't cheese and crackers. 

For our school lessons this week we had realistic plans that should have been do-able even with our known appointments, yet they were changed almost every day.  The problems actually started Friday night into Saturday.  I was prepping for Amber to begin creative writing so pulled out the curriculum we had used for a while last year.  A brief review of the student book and I knew it was no longer suited to Amber.  I asked Amber to look it over to which she responded that it looked too dry and "book like".

Immediately I went searching for a new creative writing curriculum because we were supposed to be starting writing in a couple of days.  Nothing like a last minute scramble when you think everything is ready. On Sunday I had Amber look at a couple of contenders and she chose Cover Story, which is the middle school level by the company that publishes One Year Adventure Novel.  Thankfully, the shipping is quite speedy and it arrived Wednesday.  Now, I'll spend the weekend familiarizing myself with another new curriculum for a Monday start.

Instead of digging into writing this week, we began topic discussions for Amber's research report.  I've decided to use only the Tapestry of Grace Writing Aids for the report instructions and rubric.  (Much to my dismay, we've entirely dropped Writing With Skill. While we liked the curriculum, it is not something easily adapted to Amber's new learning style and schedule.)  In planning I had decided the research report should be a science topic to encourage more science learning this semester.  Amber wasn't interested in a science report and rather than argue over the topic I let her select the genre (see more cooperation here).  She has chosen a broad topic of "castles" and is leaning toward a detailed subject of "life in a castle", but reserves the option of going with "castle structure and use".   At least she chose a topic that has many readily available research resources.

Our new writing curriculum.  Amber having a teen moment at McAlister's and Amber in her favorite position this week.  Fred took Amber to Barnes and Noble to use a Christmas gift card, so she's been very busy reading her new books this week.

Amber dug into her literature this week by reading two very easy illustrated versions of the Canterbury Tales.  They served as a lovely introduction and helped to acquaint Amber with her newest literature project.  She especially enjoyed Chaucer's Canterbury Tales since it included both old English in the illustrations and modern English summaries on each page. We did not get as far into literature as I'd hoped this week, but it was a start.

German made a triumphant return with completed three lessons, which is more than any other subject.  At every turn the girl was asking to do another German lesson.  I'm happy to see that she is interested in her foreign language subject.  She actually is quite gifted in languages and catches on very quickly.  Her sight reading ability is fabulous and I'm astounded each time I ask her to read aloud.  She had actually fallen behind my co-op German class because they did not have nearly as long of a break as Amber had at Christmas.  However she moves at a faster pace than the class, so I expect her to be caught up by Monday or Tuesday.

Now that I've made it sound like a fantastically productive week, let me say all of this was accomplished in a very little amount of time.  It was a positive start to the week completing much during the late morning and early afternoon on Monday before Amber's best friend came over for the afternoon and dinner.   Tuesday was Amber's regular dental checkup, but she slept quite late that morning and accomplished no school at all before the dentist.  Afterwards we met my mom for lunch, then Amber and I ran some absolutely necessary errands.  By the time we made it home she was exhausted and only managed to sit on her bed and watch a couple of Khan Academy science videos.  That was it; productivity stalled.

Wednesday she actually got up at a decent time, but we had to eat lunch earlier than normal to be at church for the confirmation test.  Then we came home for a little bit of history work before flute lesson.  Amber is always tired after flute, but she pushed through the exhaustion to complete 4 subjects in the late afternoon.  Thursday is our co-op day and no subjects are completed at home. That brings us to today. We went to a lovely symphony performance this morning; the tickets were part of Amber's subscription birthday present. On Christmas I gifted Amber with another year of once a month special days, and the rest of today is our January "Amber and Mom" day. Which means today will also not be a productive school day, however it will be a low stress bonding day for us.

German on the dry erase wall.  And an introduction to The Canterbury Tales

Today also marks the end of our gradual increase to full school days. We plan for Amber to be up on time regularly beginning Monday so that she can complete 4 to 5 hours of school a day plus her exercise.  She has shown a very positive attitude toward school work this week and I am pleased with the progress we are making with her sleep schedule.

I do have to say, this week has been tremendously less stressful knowing I don't have to do everything that fits into Amber's schedule.  To tell people that an event just doesn't work for us at the moment is so liberating. I did volunteer to make Amber's costumes for the co-op drama play, and that's not an unsubstantial task.  However, it is something I will enjoy doing and it will benefit Amber's drama class.  These are the types of items I would like to have time to complete without feeling stressed because I committed to other events which do not bring us as much happiness.

Happy Weekend!

Linking With:

 

And All the Extras

Welcome to the last week of the 2015 Virtual Curriculum Fair hosted by Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts and Minds and Lisa @ Golden Grasses.  The topic this final week is Seeking Beauty: the Arts and Everything that Brings Beauty to Our World. So, what brings beauty to our homeschool?

Succinctly, my child's smiling face, infectious laugh, and relief when we set a schedule to fit her abilities. But this is a curriculum fair, and not a philosophical discussion about beauty.   Unfortunately, we don't have much of a curriculum for this topic.  There are many ways wee seek out beauty, but very little (if any) includes formal curriculum.

Let's instead look at the items that make our girl smile and laugh? In the past she adored dance, looked forward to art classes at the local art / pottery store, her piano lessons and just about any activity with friends. Now there isn't energy for all of those activities. We did join a homeschool group with a co-op a little over a year ago and Amber loves every second of her time with this group. 

We choose to use the homeschool co-op for enrichment classes only, yet there is still plenty of topics to keep Amber busy there for the large part of one day each week. Last school year Amber started with an art class at the co-op which was fun at first, but lost its luster later in the semester.  Drama at the co-op, on the other hand, couldn't be a better experience. Last year she was a goblin in a small production of The Hobbit; for the Christmas just passed she was Mary in a pantomime; and now for the current spring production she is Susan in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Photo art class and homework picture-taking; knitting for fun, and at the symphony

Amber has returned to an artistic class with photography art this semester. It is a combination of photography instruction with art projects using photos they take each week. It's a great balance of learning and art.  Additionally, Amber takes a teen Bible study, which although it is taught non-denominationally, has given her a chance to enjoy being in God's word without the concentration level required for her regular confirmation class. 

Outside of the homeschool group Amber takes weekly flute lessons and intermittently plays in a band. This is after 6+ years of piano lessons too. There is nothing more beautiful than to listen to an earnest music student on the flute.  It is truly a lovely instrument.

Those are all structured classes that add beauty to our homeschool.  However, we spend a good deal of time crafting and simply creating on our own at home too.   Amber is particularly partial to knitting and other yarn crafts.  She also loves to doodle and simply create with the art supplies on hand.  We've recently signed up for a subscription to Doodle Crate and await our first delivery.  Amber is very excited to have craft projects delivered to our door once a month along with the promise to dedicate to the projects.

Amber as Mary, working on a craft project and practicing flute before a performance

We also enjoy attending the symphony and touring Broadway productions as a family.  We never expected Amber to so enjoy these events, but she looks forward to them possibly more than the adults.

That's how our family adds beauty to our homeschool and family life.  It's not perfect, but nothing in life ever is.  Thanks for joining us during the 2015 Curriculum Fair. We've had fun sharing and reading all the great ideas from other families.

Other Weeks from the 2015 Curriculum Fair

Please check out how the other members of the 2015 Virtual Curriculum Fair are finding Beauty in their worlds.

• The Art of Organization…or How Clutter Almost Ruined My Homeschool by Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts & Minds
• The Shadow of Divine Perfection by Lisa @ Golden Grasses
• Relaxed Homeschooling: Fine Arts in the Early Elementary Years by Brittney @ Mom's Heart
• Fine Arts {Art Appreciation, Art, Composer Study Hymn Study} for 2015 by Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses
• Adding Sparkle to Home Education by Sarah @ Delivering Grace
• And All the Extras by Christy @ Unexpected Homeschool
• Teaching Art Using the Bible by Tauna @ Proverbial Homemaker
• Art In Every Subject by Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break
• Letting Art Just Happen in Homeschool by Amy @ One Blessed Mamma
• Missing Art? by Kristen H. @ Sunrise to Sunset
• Do YOU Have Time for Extracurriculars? by Michele@ Family, Faith and Fridays
• Fine Arts in Our Classical / Charlotte Mason Homeschool by Sharra @ The Homeschool Marm
• The Science of Beauty for a Delight-Directed Daughter by Susan @ The Every Day of Education
• Seeking Beauty: How we Tackle the Arts in our Homeschool by Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory
• Learning To Appreciate Beauty With Fine Arts Resources@ As We Walk Along the Road by Leah@ As We Walk Along the Road

If you'd like to join the fair this week, use the linky below.

http://new.inlinkz.com/luwpview.php?id=488828

Finding Balance

This week we officially began school for the second semester even though we'd been doing a few smaller things all month.  It wasn't full days of school, but we are re-establishing a schedule and working towards more formal school lessons each day.

For school this week Amber continued algebra and even took a test; we started the new science curriculum and made huge strides in history. I supposed you could say Amber worked on writing too since it is an intrinsic part of her history lessons. Next week I hope to add back in German, literature,  and her new language arts topics bringing us to a full load the first week of February. At least a full load for Amber.

Even though Fred was home on Monday we started school.  Amber said it felt good to be back to her formal lessons after such an extended break.  When questioned further she admitted she really likes her breaks, but it gets boring not having direction. That's our little girl. Neither her dad or I can stand to be inactive for long.

First day of school lessons, along with a heart rate check.  And some fun with a new game: My Little Pony Monopoly.  (I ended up with both The Crystal Empire and Canterlot... it's like Park Place and Boardwalk)

Amber and I also attended the local dysautonomia support group monthly meeting for the first time. This particular meeting emphasized the teens and their parents.  Amber especially enjoyed the breakout portion where the teens went to a different room with a facilitator to talk amongst themselves.  I have been an online member, for a while now, of this and other support groups specifically for parents of kids with dysautonomia. We've also been dealing with Amber's condition for some time, so the meeting was nice yet anticlimactic for me. I did enjoy meeting in person the people I talk with online. Amber however loved it and wants to go every month. Given that she is still talking about the kids there, we will attempt to make the monthly meetings a priority.

Amber began taking her newest medication, Midodrine, on Saturday. We had some apprehension over the possible side effects and the fact it could possibly do nothing for her after all the effort. I'm thrilled to report she hasn't experienced any noticeable side effects and it's doing some good. Only the neurologist will be able to decide if this dose is sufficient, however we are seeing an improvement. Amber's diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure has seen an increase of up to 20 points on occasion, putting it around 60-70. This is fantastic.  The systolic only increases roughly 10 points, but that puts it around 90-100.

The Midodrine and Florinef do not stop Amber from having orthostatic hypotension or tachycardia, but it does make it not as severe. She's having heart rates in the 150's upon standing when she's on the medication as opposed to the 170's and 180's. She can only take the medication when she will be active, otherwise it can cause high blood pressure (hypertension).  It also only works in 4 hour increments, so we have to give it to her multiple times a day. I'm learning how to manage that portion still. 

Working on school at McDonald's while waiting on my car to have it's state inspections next door.  At least Amber felt well enough to be goofy, even if we could only eat the french fries. 

That's another adjustment this week. I've finally admitted I can't do it all. See I can even type it. Actually this is my fourth attempt at a post addressing this topic. I guess I might not be so good at admitting my down falls after all. Earlier this week Amber and I had a long talk about my needs and hers. It is not her fault she needs me differently than I expected. Its not my fault I can't always meet her expectations. However, if I continue at this pace, not making time for my exercise, or my doctors, or even a decent diet for me, then I won't be doing her any good either.

I am currently typing this on my iPad while I work out. Amber is taking a shower upstairs, 2 floors away from me, with her dad listening for a problem. This is part of our new plan. I don't have to do it all.  It's going to be a gradual process in finding our new path as chronically ill child and less stressed parent. There is only so much I can give up because the child does need help and most of the day I'm the only parent here.

Amber agreed to allow me to turn down activities for her when I'm not up for it, even if she can manage it. I'm allowed to say "restaurant tonight" with understanding from my family when I'm too exhausted to make dinner. Actually, Fred always has understood. Amber was the sticking point on the restaurants. Unfortunately, lately a lot of our dinners have been cheese, crackers and fruit/veggie because I had no energy for dinner and Amber refused to go out. Additionally, Amber is going to try to pick up more of her chores again, while I make time in the schedule for chores without taking away rest periods.

Perhaps instead of considering Amazon Prime one of our biggest tools as even every day items come right to the door with little effort on my part, we should use it less and make the effort to get out and take a slow stroll through the grocery store. It will give us a change of scenery and a little more exercise.  I probably will spend less money that way too, without the magic "one-click" purchase button taunting me.

Amber being silly and playing.  She feels so much better on her new medications.  We even tried popped sorghum in place of popcorn.  It pretty much tastes the same, but is extremely tiny.  And... made by students in my co-op class: the St. Louis Arch made from sugar cubes and icing.

I'm definitely not volunteering for "little jobs" anymore.  I've got enough already and they keep me quite occupied. I'll probably even drop some of my volunteer items when my current commitment is up. Not all, because we need to not be so focused on ourselves every minute of the day.  I so love to teach at our homeschool co-op too. The kids are a joy and I'm able to give back to the community that has embraced and helped Amber in innumerable ways.

It's going to be a long road to finding a new rhythm here that balances Amber's needs with my own.  Thankfully, we understand each other and are willing to make concessions that benefit us all.

Happy Weekend!

Linking With:

 

Classically Influenced, Project Strong, Adaptable Middle School History

Welcome to the third week of the 2015 Virtual Curriculum Fair  hosted by  Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts and Minds and Stacie @ Super Mommy to the Rescue. This week the topic is Exploring Our World: Social Studies and more Science.  For our homeschool, this topics relates directly to our history lessons.

Having followed the classical education methods from the Well Trained Mind for 6th grade, I was all set to do the same in 7th grade.   Amber had somewhat been happy with our study of Ancient history in 6th grade, even if it seemed a bit boring a rigid.  She preferred it to text books and their associated workbooks.

However, towards the end of 6th grade Amber started having a lot more trouble with her chronic illness which equated to trouble making sense of her history readings.  We won't even discuss how hard the writing portion of history, as set forth in the Classical Education model, was for Amber during some of her sick days.   Unfortunately, we don't have the luxury of skipping school on Amber's sick days as they are frequent and she is symptomatic every single day.

I needed to find a way to adapt our subjects to suit Amber's fluctuating abilities.  After scouring blogs for various styles of education and talking with Amber about them, we decided that more hands on learning was needed for her especially difficult days. I set about finding ways to become more project based in our learning.

In addition to making history more do-able for Amber, we also were faced with needing to reduce the number of subjects she had to complete each week.  There just isn't time in the day for her to sleep, eat, complete the myriad of school lessons, and have any down time. We decided to remove writing and vocabulary as individual subjects and work with those topics across the subjects with history taking the brunt of the load.

A Viking Longship project from Homeschool in the Woods

I spent months, literally, putting together resources to create a medieval and renaissance history course for 7th grade that correlated with our literature study too. I pulled reading resources from many locations, but the most used is Heritage History.  I found project ideas in the Project Passport products by Homeschool In The Woods.  I found major topic points and some discussion ideas in History Odyssey.  We have been using Map Trek for years to include geography in our history, and planned to continue this year too.  I scoured Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and my favorite blogs for video ideas.  It took forever, but finally we had history lessons that allowed for sick days and more coherent times.

Heritage History provides for us the reliable and time tested history reading that we need to study Medieval and Renaissance times.  There are also a few other extras included, but mostly we are interested in the books.  The two Project Passport products I purchased have brief history readings, a plethora of project ideas, Amber's favorite timeline ever, and newspaper writing assignments.  History Odyssey, besides giving me the backbone schedule, also turned out to be a great source for additional writing and outlining assignments.  I could not have been happier with all the resources.   But if you are a curriculum junkie like me, you keep looking anyway.

What I found after 7th grade had already started was something I had heard of for years, but had not cared enough to investigate.  Silly me.  It was Tapestry of Grace.  Do you know what I spent months doing?  I recreated, with shocking similarity, Tapestry of Grace.  I kid you not.  Similar reading assignments, project ideas, writing assignments, and even their Map Aids are done by the people who make Map Trek.  It was all to ridiculous.  I had a little moment of hysteria when I realized this all.

History projects and writing assignments.

After a week of waffling, I went ahead and purchased the Tapestry of Grace year plan correlating to our current studies (year 2).  I know I had my own plans already created, but Tapestry of Grace has so much more than I had ready.  It has discussion points for various age levels, additional readings, a lot more writing help than I could manage to put together, and even has projects and discussion questions for the items we planned to study in literature.  Then on the TOG Loom there are links to websites and other alternative ways to encourage learning.  We've taken advantage of many of those links already.

We've had great success this year using my plans along with a little structure from Tapestry of Grace.  Amber does not do every possible assignment, project, or multimedia option I've located for every topic, however we do have the option to switch gears and use various modes of learning depending on her abilities on any given day.  We already plan to use Tapestry of Grace for the foreseeable future, and thus save me from the months of research.   If you'd like to see a more detailed list of our history resources, check out my complete 7th Grade Curricula Page.

Come back next week to see the beauty in our homeschool.

Other Weeks from the 2015 Curriculum Fair

Please check out how the other members of the 2015 Virtual Curriculum Fair are Exploring Our World with their children. 

• Exploring World History Through the Eyes of Scientists by Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts & Minds
• Exploring Our World With Social Studies by Stacie @ Super Mommy to the Rescue
• Relaxed Homeschooling: Science and Social Studies in the Early Elementary Years by Brittney @ Mom's Heart
• Living History by Sarah @ Delivering Grace
• Classically Influenced, Project Strong, Adaptable Middle School History by Christy @ Unexpected Homeschool
• Primary Sources for Delight-Directed History by Susan @ The Every Day of Education
• Watching History, or Using Video Courses for Social Studies by Debra @ Footprints in the Butter
• Exploring our World: High School Studies of Ancient History, American Government and Economics by Laura @ Day by Day in Our World
• History, Geography, and Worldview Lessons in Our Homeschool by Jennifer @ A Glimpse of Our Life
• Our Curriculum Choices 2015 ~ Science, History & Geography by Renata @ Sunnyside Farm Fun
• Our Favorites for History, Geography, and Science by Becky @ Milo & Oats
• Globe Trotting by Lisa @ Golden Grasses
• Around The World by Michele @ Family, Faith and Fridays
• Bible-Based History Curriculum and Resources by Tauna @ Proverbial Homemaker
• 13 Living Book History Series for a Charlotte Mason Based Homeschool by Chelli @ The Planted Trees
• Social Studies and Science in Our Classical / Charlotte Mason Homeschool by Sharra @ The Homeschool Marm
• The Science Life by Laura @ Four Little Penguins
• History, Geography Science for 2015 by Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses
• History Social Studies and Science...VCF Week 3 by Denise @ Fullnest
• Learning About our World and History by Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory
• Taking the Mystery Out of History and Other Subjects Too With Our Favorite History Curriculum by Amy @ One Blessed Mamma

If you'd like to join the fair this week, use the linky below.

http://new.inlinkz.com/luwpview.php?id=486203

Some graphics created using elements from StoryRock

It's Official; We Have a Teenager

Most certainly the big news of the week was our little girl turning 13 years old on Monday! As impossible as it seems she grew into a teenager.   We all knew this day would come, but always hoped it would stay far off in the future. Not surprisingly, her dad isn't taking this well. Her birthday is not usually a happy time of year for him since it marks his baby girl growing a year older and a year closer to being all grown up.

Given Amber's recent and seemingly permanent flare, we decided that a low key birthday would be best. She slept as long as needed then readied herself for a trip to the mall to visit Build-a-bear.  For most of our time in the store we were the only ones there. Amber acquired two new stuffed animals and then we were off to meet Grandma for lunch. It was a slow day in that we were not rushed in any way. Shopping was slow, while lunch was leisurely and quite relaxing. Amber did walk through the mall to the store, yet when we popped into Target on our way home she needed to use the motorized cart. 

Birthday girl with her new stuffed animals and homemade red velvet cake.

The rest of her birthday was spent playing the Disney Infinity with me, opening presents after Fred finished work, and eating a birthday dinner at home. We broke with our birthday dinner restaurant tradition for the very first time. Dinner at our usual special event restaurant would have required reservations, a half hour drive, anxiety over noise levels, anxiety over Fred making the time I had selected, worry about food preparation, and the exhaustion after dinner. Instead we let Amber choose the menu for her birthday dinner: lemon herb chicken, Rosemary rice, potato smiles, decaf iced tea, and of course birthday cake with ice cream. It wasn't a very balanced meal, however it was her favorites. I even got out the china and we ate in that extra room at the front of the house, aka the dining room (gasp).  

More birthday pictures. Plus the apron Amber decorated at her party with cake box label.

Tuesday, despite our precautions, Amber crashed hard and missed a planned get together with a friend. Amber really never made it out of bed. Well, ok yes, she did get up off the bed occasionally, but it always resulted in dizziness, black spots in her vision, an instant worsening of her headache, and worsening tachycardia since she had tachycardia all day. Of course it was also my scheduled day to send an update to Amber's neurologist with vitals and details of how the new medicine is working. A few hours after my email was sent the neurologist, himself, called me to explain his concerns and his reasoning for adding another medication. We had already discussed this possibility at the last appointment, so I was was not totally thrown off guard. What is disconcerting is the way he speaks as if Amber already has a firm diagnosis of AAG.  He appears to be treating her as if that is the case. Of course, we are still waiting for that antibody blood test result.  It's the story of our life right now.

Wednesday Amber made it out of bed and seemed to have recovered some of her energy and more importantly her heart wasn't as crazy.  However, I made the mistake of thinking her normal flute lesson would pose no problem. By the time her lesson was over it was clear Amber could not make confirmation class in the evening. I called in our absence, put Amber in a supine position again, and took more calls from multiple doctors. Now we are figuring out the make-up for the missed confirmation lesson, but our church and the pastors could not be more understanding and supportive. 

The various ways a crash looks.  And an adorable kitty who won't leave Amber's side when she's sick.

Amber was determined to make it to co-op on Thursday because not only did she have a cute "birthday at co-op" outfit planned, and her friends were all going to be there, but it was also audition day in drama class. The teen drama class is working on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe this semester. Amber has wanted the part of Susan since she found out about the selected play back in the summer. However, Amber is a peacemaker and when her friends show interest in a part Amber also wants, she just backs away and picks a different part. Amber was down to almost no possible part a few weeks ago when I had a talk with her.   We talked about it being alright to try out for a part if she wants it. None of her friends were backing away from parts Amber mentioned. They are great kids and I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt, but sometimes it seems like they know Amber will back down and take advantage of that.  Still, Amber and I discussed that the key is to be kind, gracious, and supportive during the auditions and after the parts are announced - no matter what part you are assigned.  

Amber was up against 3 other friends and could hardly stand the situation, but she persevered and was awarded her first choice part of Susan. She would have been happy with Mrs. Beaver, but is thrilled with Susan.  She couldn't stop beaming about it and about all the great parts her friends were assigned too.  She commensurated with a friend who got her last choice part and another friend who only had one part she wanted and unfortunately Amber received it. 

Birthday co-op outfit, and waiting at the allergist on our way to co-op.  Working on her photography art homework, and building a new LEGO birthday set.

Today was Amber's birthday party with just a few close friends (all of whom are in the drama class). It was a simple party based on one Amber had when she was younger. Just cake decorating fun with Frozen themed icing colors and accessories. Mostly it was a time for the girls to get together and do something calm yet fun in honor of Amber's birthday. This is probably the most low key birthday party we've ever had, yet Amber has been just as excited for it as any of her huge parties. It really isn't the quantity of friends, but the quality. 

School-wise (did you think we'd never get to this part?) we have still officially been on a Winter break. Amber has been watching her CNN student news each day, practicing her flute, working on confirmation homework, playing her Professor Layton 3DS logic games (of which she got 2 more for her birthday), writing Christmas thank you letters (I'm an old fashioned stickler about this), reading a lot of young adult fiction (fantasy mostly), helping me plan the project for my co-op 50 states class, working on her photography art class homework, and helping to research midodrine (her new medication). 

Birthday party fun!  Top right cake is Amber's very busy creation.  She chose to draw a scene of some kind. Her friends chose to make patterns. It's all in their personality.

Next week we formally start back with book work in limited subjects each day while gearing up to full time school by the end of January.   We've also been chosen for a couple of reviews as part of the Review Crew, which means we have some new curriculum to try out and play with.  School is always more fun when you are starting something new.

This weekend we have nothing scheduled, hallelujah.  I have some paperwork around the house that needs to be filed and just random stuff to do.  Amber needs to rest up and be prepared for 2 subjects of school on Monday. 

 

Logically Speaking: Math, Science, and Logic for 7th Grade

Welcome to the second week of the 2015 Virtual Curriculum Fair hosted by Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts and Minds and Laura @ Day By Day In Our World  This week the topic is Discovering Patterns: Mathematics, Logic, and Science.   These are some of the favorite subjects in our house, but also it seems that they can be difficult topics to find the right curriculum fit. 

Math has always been a no brainier for us as Amber has used Saxon math since her very first years in parochial school and we continue to use it at home. I know it's not for everyone, but Amber has a mathematically wired brain and she does exceptionally well with Saxon. This 7th grade year she is in Algebra 1 and earning high school credit for it too.  However, we are a little off a standard school year schedule with math because Amber's dysautonomia causes severe brain fog and exhaustion some days.

At her current level if we did a book a year she would finish Saxon calculus at the end of 10th grade (maybe 11th grade if we spend 2 years on Advanced Math as recommended by Art Reed).  This means we still have at least a whole extra year and can spend slightly more than one school year per Saxon book. We are using the 3rd edition of Saxon math which still has integrated analytical geometry in Algebra 2 and Advanced Math, unlike the newer 4th edition which requires the inclusion of a separate Geometry book. Using the 3rd edition also helps us find the breathing room Amber needs. 

Lately, science has been a struggle for Amber, which is unexpected for this science minded family. Amber could not trudge through our previous curriculum even though it was covering her favorite science topics and she previously did well with curriculum by the same author. The style simply no longer suited Amber's physical abilities or learning style. There was too much reading and writing with too little hands on work to compensate. 

Bed School Math, Working on her Weather Log, and reading her weather book.   
Our new Science curriculum.

We were scheduled to have finished the current science topic by October so we could move on to the Chemistry book in the same series and then start Physics by August of 8th grade.  That didn't happen by a long shot. In late October we did a curriculum search and selected Real Science 4 Kids Focus on Middle School:  Astronomy and Geology sets. Then for good measure I bought the Apologia Physical Science that we decided to use next year, just in case we prefer to start early. 

We then spent the remainder of first semester on a mom-planned weather unit, complete with field trip to a NWS office, since Amber is currently interested in becoming a meteorologist.  It was a good way to decompress and get Amber interested in science as a school subject again. I knew something was terribly wrong when she dreaded science and the topic was astronomy! It goes to show how having a curriculum meet your child's specific learning style is so important. Unfortunately for me my child's learning style is changing as her condition progresses. 

In previous years we've successfully used a logic curriculum from The Critical Thinking Company called Building Thinking Skills and we do somewhat miss it. I did purchase the next level, Critical Thinking, and intended for Amber to start it last January.  We never got past the first lesson.  There is just no time in Amber's schedule for sleep, doctors, food, absolutely necessary subjects, flute, 1/2 day of co-op enrichment classes, and formal logic. I've still got the logic books and we'll pull them out when the time feels right.  For now our logic consists of the chess strategy class Amber took at co-op last semester, logic games, and the occasional brain teaser.  This past week while still on a school break Amber has been working her way through the Professor Layton 3DS games and she loves it. It's a relaxing way to keep her brain active and engaged without the stress or formality of book work.

Logic Games

This is how math, science and logic work in our school this 7th grade year. We are always adjusting and changing to meet the needs and current learning style of our girl.  If you are interested in a more detailed explanation you can view my 7th Grade Curricula page.

Come back next week to see how we have completely reworked our history lessons this year to still be literature based, but include more project and media learning. 

Other Weeks from the 2015 Curriculum Fair

Please check out how the other members of the 2015 Virtual Curriculum Fair are Discovering Patterns with their children.

• Learning about Patterns in Our World Through Math and Science by Laura @ Day by Day in Our World
• Relaxed Homeschooling: Mathematics in the Early Elementary Years by Brittney @ Mom's Heart
• Using a Bible-Based Math Curriculum by Tauna M @ Proverbial Homemaker
• Math, Science and Logic for 2015 by Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses
• Playing with Numbers by Sarah @ Delivering Grace
• Unschooling Science by Kristen H. @ Sunrise to Sunset
• Logically Speaking: Math, Science, and Logic for 7th Grade  by Christy @ Unexpected Homeschool
• Numbers and Molecules! by Michele @ Family, Faith and Fridays
• Math and Science in Our Homeschool by Jennifer @ A Glimpse of Our Life
• 5 Math & Logic Resources We Love by Becky @ Milo & Oats
• Giving Your Kids The Right Start With Math by Amy @ One Blessed Mamma
• Math in Our Classical / Charlotte Mason Homeschool by Sharra @ The Homeschool Marm
• Classical STEM by Lisa @ Golden Grasses
• Math, Science and Logic - How do we Tackle Them? by Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory
• The Physics of Delight-Directed Learning by Susan @ The Every Day of Education
• Tackling High School Science by Debra @ Footprints in the Butter
• Choosing Math Curriculum for Special Learners by Heather @ Only Passionate Curiosity
• Math for all ages by Denise @ Fullnest
• Middle School Monday - Math With Fred by Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break
• Learning With Math and Science Resources  by Leah @ As We Walk Along the Road

If you'd like to join the fair this week, use the linky below.

http://new.inlinkz.com/luwpview.php?id=483987

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Oops.. We Weren't Supposed to be Learning Yet

We are still officially on break, but that hasn't stopped us from education this week. It does mean we haven't felt the need or pressure to complete book work, however we haven't avoided learning situations. Amber actually is getting tired of her loose schedule and needs things to do while not being quite ready for school yet.

Amber has done quite a bit of sleeping and resting. Her heart rate is back to her normal high levels instead of the scary high levels from the end of December. Resting heart rate is back down to 90's - low 100's.  We learned that she definitely can't become exhausted. Nope. No busy weeks here any more. 

Monday Amber started back with a GI doctor appointment complete with an abdominal X-ray.  At the risk of sharing too much, her stomach feels full most of the time and she can't eat much in one sitting. We're talking 3-4 bites before its all over. Then on an occasional day she can eat like normal. This has been getting worse for a couple of months now. The GI doctor is concerned because the suspected AAG can cause gastric emptying problems.

Multiple doctors' appointments in one day... and the requisite adorable kitty picture.

The X-ray confirmed there was no backup or blockage, which could have been the problem since she has such poor motility and takes daily miralax. So now Amber has a gastric emptying scan scheduled for today.  Originally the GI doctor wanted to do another barium swallow test, but that was the most dreaded and awful test that Amber has done. She preferred the tilt table test, where she nearly passed out and ended up with a severe tachycardia episode. During Amber's one and only barium swallow in 2013, I promised her no more tests like (assuming I can actually make that promise). The GI doctor was sympathetic and switched tests. Amber now just eats radioactive scrambled eggs and toast (that we provide so it doesn't trigger a reaction).  It's a long test though, with a four hour minium length. Hopefully if it is a positive there will be medication to help. 

We really just need the g-AChR test results. Now.  Please. Pretty please. We'd like to move on with treatment, or the next test looking for the root condition. 

Amber also started back to flute lessons this week after two weeks off because of scheduling. Lessons aren't normally canceled for Christmas break, but Amber's were on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve when the place isn't even open.  We weren't upset by the break as Amber was exhausted and didn't have the energy for flute. 

(Left) Ready for another confirmation module.  (Right) Co-op classes - Photo Art class and the first day project

Confirmation classes at church resumed this week as well as Homeschool co-op classes, much to Amber's excitement. We are so thankful that our church organizes confirmation in modules. The schedule calls for four weeks of weekly evening classes, then approximately six weeks off with homework before the next module. Even though it is just one evening, those four week modules are tiring for Amber because there is weekly memory work too.  This is still so much better than weekly classes with memory work for a semester at a time.

While she has seen many of her friends over break, she thrives on the social aspect of the co-op classes.  She still has Bible study and drama, but her chess class was only a semester.  To replace chess Amber is now taking Photography Art.  We even bought her a cute red camera just for the class.  She absolutely loved the first day of photo art and it has the added bonus that *almost* all of her close friends signed up for it.

On a whim this past week I bought Amber a few new games for her 3DS from the Professor Layton series.  These are mostly brain teaser / logic puzzles.  Amber adores these games and has spent hours playing.  They are nearly identical to the type of work she did in her logic curriculum last year, so I've been counting her game time as school logic hours.   It took Amber a couple of days to figure it out, but she finally realized that she was doing school work during her break and she was thrilled to get hours in such an entertaining way.

Logic on her 3DS

Amber's 13th birthday is Monday and we have plans for a pretty calm weekend before the big birthday and party week.  We've already canceled out of a teen group game night so that Amber can rest.   I'm so thankful that Amber's friends are understanding of her needs.  It's hard to explain a condition that we really don't understand ourselves.  I do have to say that she has some pretty wonderful friends.  Not a single one has been difficult or "dropped" Amber because she can't do everything the other girls can do.  In fact, every time I turn around there's a new friend from co-op wanting Amber to be at her party or event.  It's hard to select which ones Amber attends, but it's heart warming to know there are still some truly good young people out there.

I hope everyone stays warm this weekend, and if you started back to school already that your week went smoothly.

Happy Weekend!

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A More Simplistic Approach to 7th Grade Language Arts

Welcome to the first week of the 2015 Virtual Curriculum Fair hosted by Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts and Minds and Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses.  This is my third year participating and every year it seems like we are doing something different than the year before.  Just as I get a handle on our daughter's needs life changes and her needs do too.

A short introduction for anyone new. This month we started our 4th year homeschooling our only child, a 7th grade daughter named Amber. We prefer a Classical education model, however Amber has developed a chronic illness that is still (after almost two years) being diagnosed.  We do know that it is an autoimmune disease that results in dysautonomia.  All that to say it makes her heart work incorrectly, she is exhausted most of the time and on some days has a brain fog so thick that you wonder if she's even aware of her surroundings.  Other days she's sharp as a tack and lives up to the results of her standardized testing. 

This week we will be taking a look at how our family handles 7th grade Language Arts.  In the past this post would have been full of the various curriculum components we use to fully educate Amber in a Classical model.  However after the dysautonomia diagnosis during the summer of 2014, we reviewed and made quite a few changes to our homeschooling plans.  The primary goal in it all is for Amber to learn when her brain is working best and when her body has energy left over from breathing and staying alive.  This means we no longer have time for an array of curriculum, but must make the most of every available school moment.  We combine a lot of learning points into one session or topic.

We started the first semester of 7th grade simply with Analytical Grammar, loose plans for literature, and a German curriculum as our language arts.  Amber is one of those people who truly likes to diagram sentences and would work on grammar all day if I let her.  Analytical Grammar provides three different schedules based on when you start the program and your student's needs.  We have chosen to use each season of Analytical Grammar as a year of school.  In this schedule we work through the entire season, which is 10 weeks of daily grammar, until it is complete. Then the remainder of that school year there is only one day of grammar review every other week.

Although it took us all of first semester to complete the 10 weeks of the first season, we love the schedule. It kept us from feeling behind and will also allow time second semester for other language arts topics while still having our toes in grammar occasionally.

Morning lessons, including grammar, are usually done in bed before her heart goes crazy from being more upright.

New to us this year is Tapestry of Grace for our history studies, yet if you've ever looked at Tapestry of Grace you know it is much more than history.  I love the literature recommendations in TOG, but there just isn't time for Amber to complete them all.  Instead, I've selected three items for Amber to study over the course of her 7th grade year.  We have already completed Beowulf and will be moving on to Canterbury Tales and a few selections from Shakespeare in second semester.  We've found that occasional project based learning is helpful with Amber's brain fog. In addition to traditional discussions for literature, I've gathered resources from various locations, including TOG, to utilize on some of Amber's more foggy days. 

With grammar completed, second semester we are putting more emphasis on poetry, creative writing and research report writing.  We previously used Writing With Skill on a daily basis, but Amber simply does not have the time or energy for a separate writing curriculum anymore.  We chose instead to include more writing across the other subjects.  Amber does write almost daily and we are utilizing the Writing Aid portion of Tapestry of Grace to guide her history and literature writing assignments, but we still do not always follow even those assignments exactly. 

In 6th grade we started using The Creative Writer for Amber's creative writing lessons, and will continue with it this year too.  We also used The Art of Poetry last year as part of a multi-year poetry study and will again continue on with that curriculum in the second semester of 7th grade.

Even though we plan to work on a larger sized research report this year, it will actually be assigned through Amber's science lessons.  We will be using a combination of resources including Tapestry of Grace and Writing With Skill to guide the research process.  Given Amber's many doctors' appointments and sick days, we will spend most of second semester working on this research report.

Grammar on the go and writing her history newspaper articles.  We are trying writing across the subjects this year.

Finally, Amber started German as a foreign language this year.  While I speak German and have a minor in the language, it has been quite useful to have an upper level curriculum for our use.  We also found that the three years Amber spent studying Latin were not done in vane.  We do not work in the German curriculum every day, but we do daily German conversation practice.  Amber will actually earn 1/2 of a high school credit for her lessons this year and that is all due to the Prima German curriculum we chose.  In truth, I selected two different curricula to try but we never had time for the second one.  I really think it might be the better of the two, however I also teach German at our homeschool co-op and they use the Prima curriculum.  I haven't had time to prep two different German curricula, so we never had the chance to evaluate the geni@l klick.

In a nutshell, this is our approach to 7th grade language arts.  It's not going to be the right plan for everyone, but it works for our chronically ill child.   If you are interested in a more detailed explanation you can view my 7th Grade Curricula page.

Come back next week to see how we are implementing Math, Science and Logic this year!

Other Weeks from the 2015 Curriculum Fair

Please check out how the other members of the 2015 Virtual Curriculum Fair are tackling Language Arts with their children.

• Building a Foundation of Words by Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts & Minds
• Language Arts for 2015 by Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses
• Bible-Based Language Arts Resources by Tauna M @ Proverbial Homemaker
• Relaxed Homeschooling: Language Arts in the Early Elementary Years by Brittney @ Mom's Heart
• Loving Books and Words by Sarah@Delivering Grace
• 5 Language Arts Resources We Love by Becky @ Milo & Oats
• Teaching Reading at Home: A Tale of 5 Readers by Kristen H. @ Sunrise to Sunset
• A More Simplistic Approach to 7th Grade Language Arts by Christy @ Unexpected Homeschool
• Language Arts Reading for Delight-Directed Learning by Susan @ The Every Day of Education
• How To: Spelling Dictation by Heather @ Only Passionate Curiosity
• The World of Words in our Homeschool by Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory
• Unschooling and Words, Words, Words by Nicole @ Schooling in the Sun
• Learning With Literature and Language Arts Resources by Leah @ As We Walk Along the Road
• Words and More Words! by Michele @ FamilyFaithandFridays
• Language Arts in Our Homeschool (2014 � 2015) by Laura O @ Day by Day in Our World
• Our curriculum choices ~ Language Arts by Renata @ Sunnyside Farm Fun
• The 2015 Virtual Curriculum Fair ~ Language Arts in Our Homeschool by Jennifer @ A Glimpse of Our Life
• Loaded Pistols: Virtual Curriculum Fair Playing with Words by Lisa @ Golden Grasses
• A Renewed Focus on Reading Aloud by Debra @Footprints in the Butter
• Language Arts in our Classical / Charlotte Mason Homeschool by Sharra @ The Homeschool Marm
• Logic of English Foundations: The Grand Prize Winner of Phonics by Chelli @ The Planted Trees
• A Sentence a Day Teaches Grammar the Fun Way by Amy A @ One Blessed Mamma
• Tackling Language Arts by Jacquelin @ A Stable Beginning
• Middle School Monday - Lightning Literature and Composition by Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break
• The Great Grammar Discovery by Laura @

If you'd like to join the fair this week, use the linky below.



Some graphics created using elements from StoryRock