As part of this weekly wrap up I’m sharing help for the homeschool mama. One help? We were on a semi-spring break this week. All I required was math and then let the rest just happen. We did some sprucing up in the yard and had some fun pulling out the plastic swimming pool (it was warm enough!). One went to a birthday party at the aquatic center, one went to visit a friend. We all took advantage of the spring weather for some nature studies – irises and dogwood. We continued to learn more about Mozart plus stayed up way too late watching movies.
Plus had a Club Penguin Puffle party to cheer up one with a 24 hr sickness 🙂
Today, we continue our annual tradition of planting on Good Friday. It’s what both my grandfathers always did. The danger of frost has surely past. And there’s just something promising about putting seeds in the warm dirt on Good Friday. Perfect opportunity to talk about Easter with children.
To wrap up this post, I’ll share a collage of photos from our spring break below. But first, a fun post from Hodgepodgedad.
Daddy Destinations
“We got away from the house, the electronics, the television and just enjoyed each other’s company.” The latest Daddy destination at Passionate Purposeful Parenting. These adventures are usually surprises. Maybe a picnic surprise at the local park is just what you and your family need? A low-cost getaway.
How to Blog in 15 Minutes
Keeping my priorities in order is a priority. So, finding time for actually writing posts can be a big problem in a homeschool, blogging mama world. There is just no such thing as long, peaceful stretches of time to write. So, I will offer my solution.
How a Homeschool Conference Can Help You in Your Journey
Next, with homeschool conference season in full swing, I shared this post at Heart of the Matter. It includes highlights of what I learned at the Apologia Live homeschool retreat in Atlanta.
Plus, since we are talking about conferences, you will want to click to see all the wonderful speakers lined up to encourage you at the Heart of the Matter Spring Fever Conference. This is an online conference you can attend from the comfort of your home!
Tapestry of Grace Reviews
You may know that we are really big Tapestry of Grace fans around here. Well, Tapestry recently ran a Love TOG blog contest and we won in the Hands-on Learning category. Several of our posts are featured on the Tapestry site. You can click over and see if you can spot the Hodgepodge under Tapestry of Grace reviews. If you are considering Tapestry for your homeschool, you will want to read my Comprehensive Tapestry review featured on the Tapestry site and linked to The Curriculum Choice.
And here is what we spent spring break doing…
1. creating a cross with chalk pastels | 2. an Angry Birds lemonade stand | 3. we got out the plastic pool and of course made mud too 🙂 | 4. at the Cheesecake Factory with my high school friends | 5. youngest girl was sick one day and she colored many Easter eggs | 6. Handbook of Nature Study iris study | 7. making a double batch of Southern Plate‘s Rise & Shine biscuits | 8. Reading practice with Starfall.com | 9. My Blue Boat for Before Five in a Row | 10. Blueberry pound cake – Kristin’s recipe | 11. Boys reading about the boy Mozart – thanks Harmony Fine Arts! | 12. Dividing hostas and more along our front walk
Many thanks to our Friday hostesses…
Camera Phone Friday hostess Dawn Camp @ My Home Sweet Home,
Weekly Wrap-Up hostess Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers and
and Jamerrill at Holy Spirit-Led Homeschooling.
Happy Easter everybody!
Mary says
The Angry Birds Lemonade Stand is cracking me up — I would definitely buy lemonade there!!
I’m glad you had a relaxing spring break. We are going to be doing Nana’s chicks pastel lesson today, so I’ll be thinking of you!
Have a great Easter, Tricia!
Hodgepodgemom says
That lemonade stand was hilarious! Oh – enjoy the chicks pastel – such simple fun – little puffy chicks! Happy Easter to you too Mary!
Rebecca says
Loving the mud…and the easter egg coloring. After our failed Iridescent Glue eggs this year…we decided to just pull out the crayons…and the kids remembered how much they loved doing that! Thank you, Tricia!
Jamie {See Jamie blog} says
Your week sounds a lot like ours! 🙂
Also wondering, was that a specific iris journal page? If so, I can’t recall seeing it and we’ve been studying the heck out of our irises so I’d love to use it. (I need to organize all my saved journal pages better on my computer!)
Hodgepodgemom says
Hey Jamie – that is Barb’s notebook page from her More Nature Study spring ebook. (We skipped ahead because the irises are all over right now and the outdoor hour challenge for irises is at the end of the ebook). Here’s the link to the ebook: http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/2012/03/outdoor-hour-challenge-more-nature.html and she also has a section of freebie notebook pages you could use: http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/p/freebies.html
Phyllis says
Let’s see…there is so much packed into this post. I love your backyard. It is so pretty and inviting. We had a picnic this week, too! Cheesecake Factory? Oh, yum! Love the look of your Iris nature study. I love Irises! My Blue Boat!!! I love it. Cooking and Gardening. Oh, lovely spring!
Hodgepodgemom says
Yes, yes, yes! Lovely spring 🙂
Kayla Arrowood says
I loved all the pics!! Great Cross with pastels!!
sandy7 says
I have always liked traditions that are passed down but not big things like christmas, little things that are special to a family like your planting or something or our picking of apples on our tree on my birthday each year (which I used to do with my dad but now do with my kids)!
Annie Kate says
What a wonderful week! Sounds like so much fun and so refreshing!
Barb-Harmony Art Mom says
Iris nature study already….we are just starting to see a few blooming but it will be weeks before we are ready to do our study. I will enjoy your image in the meantime. 🙂
Looks like a great week and I love the first image.
Kristin says
Looks like a fantastic spring break to me, blueberry cake & all!
Happy Easter!
He is risen!
Sharla says
Great activities! I love the idea of planting on Good Friday and that pastels cross turned out so well!