Project-Based Homeschooling Review :: Sinking In + Mini Wrap-Up

As I sit here ready to write another weekly wrap-up post, with my notes on what Celeste and I did last week, I am reflecting on our conversations. 

As I mentioned before, I have been reading Project-Based Homeschooling by Lori Pickert. It seems like I have been reading it for a while now. It isn't a big book. I just like to take it little bit by little bit. Reading passages over a few times and letting it all sink in. 

This week, with December just around the corner, a lot of our talks were about what to do over the holidays. Did we want to continue our tradition of taking the month off our regular schedule and do holiday-themed "stuff", a unit study or two, crafts, etc? 

I asked Celeste if she remembered from past years what Adrienne & Andre had done with me. Over the years, we have done a lot. Studies on The Grinch, on Christmas stories from the historical American Girls, Christmas around the world, lots of cooking, crafts, reading holiday books and listening to music. 

Celeste told me she didn't remember any of it. I wasn't surprised because I never "required" her to participate. 

After explaining and showing her what we had done, I asked her if she was interested in doing something similar with me. She simply said no. I wasn't ready for that answer! 

I brainstormed other ideas. Maybe we would just focus on doing fun Christmas-themed activities. I suggested other activities to Celeste, all met with "sure Mom" but no excitement. So I stopped. Why did I assume again that she would enjoy what I had done with her siblings? I stopped searching and decided we would take time off when Adrienne & Andre were off on their school break. 

This morning, as I started writing this post, it finally sank in. She is not excited about my plans, because they are my plans. Why should she be? These were my ideas, things I did with her siblings. They enjoyed doing these activities with me, but that doesn't mean she will. These projects weren't her ideas. 

I know Adrienne and Andre enjoyed our December activities, but if they had been given the same question..would they have wanted to participate? All those years, I organized what we would do and we did it. I didn't ask them if they wanted to, like I am doing now with Celeste. Well, we did have fun and I will leave it at that. I don't think there is any point in looking back. I prefer to focus on the present and look forward. 

I am learning from reading the book Project-Based Homeschooling, but I am also learning from Celeste. Celeste is outspoken, she knows what she likes and doesn't. She has never been quiet with her opinions. This book is opening my mind and challenging my thinking. Celeste is helping me put those ideas and theories in practice. They are a perfect match! 

It is all sinking in. 


And now here is the mini wrap-up: 

Our week was very similar to our past ones. We have settled into a good routine. I am starting to really learn what Celeste enjoys learning about, which will help with supporting her in her projects. 

She continued working on her cross-stitch project. She loved our first snow and spending time in the forest. We sang "La Seine" countless times. 

We learned about Napoleon in History and Air in Science. We also started the unit on Earth's Surface. In Geography, we are studying Central America. 

Friday, Adrienne and Andre were off school so we decorated our Christmas tree.