In recent weeks, I’ve shared about the homeschool habits that bless our day. Habits that are helpful for our house full and age range like our Before 8:45 Checklist and Morning Room Time. But the homeschool habit I’m sharing today changed my attitude more than anything else. See, I had decided there was no reason why we couldn’t finish all our school work and be done by lunch time. (I know, I know.) Then, my friend Sonflower shared her ‘one more thing after lunch’ habit with me. Here’s how it works for us.
While making lunch I gather a science lesson. I have the book ready to read from during or immediately after lunch. A captive audience! We read the science lesson from our God’s Design for Science book. Then, we discuss what we’ve learned and, if applicable, we do a science experiment together. This takes all of about a half hour of extra time. This is also a great jumping off point for getting outside for a nature study. We’ve eaten, we’ve done one more thing and now we can burst outside!
Other, easy ‘one more thing’s we might do:
- Sketch Tuesday
- Outdoor Hour Challenge from Handbook of Nature Study (ok, we don’t have to be reminded to do those! 🙂 )
- Tapestry of Grace assignment
- Read aloud
- A subject we didn’t get to during the morning
- Cooking Fun!
More on habits: Basically, anything else we’d like to accomplish but didn’t get to during the morning hours. I hope to spotlight more of our helpful habits each week during our weekly wraps. For even more on habits, there’s a wealth over at Habits for a Happy Home, a group blog sharing habits since 2009. Click Helpful Homeschool Habits.
Now the Weekly Wrap: This week at Hodgepodge was just the basics. We finished our required 180 days last week! I was letting all that I learned at GHEA homeschool convention soak into my brain and getting the booth kit shipped back to Tapestry of Grace.
Plus we are in the midst of plenty of preparations for a beautiful wedding! That means painting of toenails, readying of outfits and baking in prep for a Bridesmaids Luncheon. (Two lime cakes and lots of Mexican Roll Ups). Littlest girl is a flower girl. This mama, with the casual wardrobe, will be be decked out semi-formal. Middle Girl is passing out programs and Eldest Girl has the honor of lighting candles during the ceremony. Lots of photos to come!!
So, this week, we concentrated on a trio – our Before 8:45, Math and English. Our ‘one more thing after lunch’ this week was one of these afternoon or evening activities:
- Reaction to test scores.
- Let’s just say that we were very pleased all around with the results of standardized testing!!!
- Backyard cool in the plastic pool. It was very warm – like summer time here – this week!
- Checking out the entries of the Art for Homeschool Show. Our older four entered.
- I shared our Rod and Staff English Curriculum plus a list of favorite curricula at The Curriculum Choice.
- Drama, drama, drama practice. It’s more and more as next week’s performance approaches.
- Piano practice for upcoming recital.
- A trip to the library to load up on books.
- Littlest girl found a fun stack of I Can Read books, eldest boy found Biggest Bugs (Life-Size!), eldest girl found anime books, Middle Girl found a Where’s Waldo, Charlie and Lola and an Amelia Bedelia on CD to listen to during Quiet Time.
- We spotted a northern flicker and a juvenile bluebird in the backyard one steamy afternoon.
Oh! And Lil’ Buddy got his first, real, go and sit in the chair – hair cut! Plus a blue lollipop for sitting so still.
Be sure to stop by Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers to see what others are up to.
So excited about the wedding! How about you. What are you looking forward to??
I read during lunchtime too! The kids ASK for it! Sometimes it’s just a “read aloud” – we read Pippi Longstocking this way – and sometimes it’s Science or most often History. The kids seem more focus and relaxed, willing to discuss, while munching! LOL
I also use lunchtime for reading…and breakfast. At breakfast it is our bible time and at lunch it is using literature…little house lately…or sometimes science. Nothing more captive then a kid who can’t interrupt b/c they have food in their mouth! Also helps w/story time fidgeting.
I am glad you are sharing your tips, because I am just amazed at all the different things you get done in a week! It is exciting that the standardized tests went so well! I am not surprised since they have such a good education. Thanks for sharing your lovely week with us.
I love the one more thing idea. Our schedule is a little different so we would have to do this after dinner but it would definetly work. Thanks for the tip! I look forward to reading the other tips as well.
I just came upon your blog! So much wonderful info! I will be back to read more. Thank you. I, too, will have a high schooler next year. I would love to see your choice of electives and curriculum choice for your soon to be 9th grader. I do not use TOG, but all the same, I am deciding which credit I want her to strive for, American History – World History, etc. Anyways, great job on “mothering”. Your passion is clearly evident.
T. Labrant – thanks so much for your kind words. Still researching but we have settled on Year 2 of Tapestry – Middle Ages to Colonial America. Spread out over two years (many thanks to my friend Barb for her advice). My eldest has a Sept BD so we are using next year to settle into a high school routine. She’s ready for the challenge and I need the practice in keeping credits, etc. She’s officially 8th grade with her age but the nice thing is that her brother is just one year behind her. They do many of their studies together. I welcome any ‘readying for high school’ advice!
Love this habit..especially since Sketch Tuesday and the OHC are on the list. 🙂
Love the blue tongue and the swimming pool….
Popping over from the CM Carnival.
Oh of course Sketch Tuesday and OHC are on the list! 🙂
This habit started as an ‘I think I can, I think I can” and then turned to afternoon joy. Because it is simple and one more thing really doesn’t take long. Plus, usually it’s the one more thing we’ve been looking forward to through the morning. Today – Barb – it was researching the bird we spotted in the backyard. What we thought was an indigo bunting turned out to be a blue grosbeak after further research!
GREAT IDEA! We also read the Bible after breakfast and narrate….lunch is free but I get alot of read alouds finsihed after dinner around the table. If we have time, we slither into the couched areas and read more.
I have to say I am thriled with your red pocka dot thmes on your background. Makes me smile.
we actually do LOTS of things after lunch!! but I appreciate hearing how you’ve worked to develop a new habit for your homeschool 🙂
I’m actually looking forward to starting our last term of the year which has been postponed until now because of traveling… ! just when everyone else is finishing! 😉
thanks for sharing this with the CM Blog Carnival!
amy in peru
fisheracademy.blogspot.com
What a lovely habit! My younger children also know there is one more thing after lunch, but we haven’t scheduled specifics, and if they can, they prefer to go out and play! I think we will also adopt “one more thing after lunch”.
Sarah – thanks for sharing my love for red polka dots 🙂 Yes, you are right. We also adapt this for around the supper table or moved to the couch after supper. That’s the beauty of it…tailor it to your needs! Thank you, Amy, for being our CM carnival hostess. And blessings on your new learning term. I agree, we also do lots of things after lunch. I guess this habit ‘one more thing’ helps me to press on. There are days (yes Nadene definitely!) that we burst outside – or, of course, school outside. But when I have reached lunch and just want to put my feet up, this one more thing helps me lead them in further learning. And that usually leads to… more. The beauty of homeschool, isn’t it?
Not normally one to comment on a blog, but I’m so thankful for your posts! We’re starting our first year using Tapestry of Grace at home (used it through a study center last year) and I have found so much encouragement here, even almost 10 years after it was written! Love this idea of one more thing after lunch. I am also the optimist who wants to be done with school by lunch time, so I definitely think this would be a great habit for our family. Thanks so much for the encouragement!
Kirsten thank you so much for leaving me a comment! I’m so happy to hear that Tapestry of Grace and these helpful habits have been a blessing. Yes, I’m grateful my friend, Kerri, shared the one more thing after lunch idea. It helped me, especially, with the mindset of focusing on one more thing 🙂 Which usually led to another and another! Blessings to you on your homeschool journey. Happy you found us.