# "apparently, we are both suffering from a deplorable lack of curiosity."



## cindyc (Nov 12, 2005)

My favorite line from "The Sound of Music." In my case it is not curiosity that I am struggling with. It is motivation!
I have reached the part of the year where keeping focused, and keeping things moving along (schooling) is really difficult. This time every year, I start to feel this way. :Bawling: I keep plodding along, doing what we do anyway, and I get through it, but honestly, it feels like I just can't WAKE UP MY BRAIN some days!

Cindyc.


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## Guest (Jan 16, 2008)

I've always felt that if I can make it through Jan and Feb. that our year is made. For some reason these are the 'Suicide Months" that make most homeschoolers want to throw in the towel.


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## cindyc (Nov 12, 2005)

Tonya said:


> I've always felt that if I can make it through Jan and Feb. that our year is made. For some reason these are the 'Suicide Months" that make most homeschoolers want to throw in the towel.


Yes, and every year I forget that, and think I am the only one struggling! SHEESH, I need to be a bit less self-absorped.  

Cindyc.


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## Cara (May 9, 2002)

Maybe we need to hibernate these months?


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## ovsfarm (Jan 14, 2003)

i was just thinking about this yesterday. This is the time of year when I should develop a habit of reading one of those good inspirational homeschooling books that I never have time for during other seasons. This is when I need to relisten to that wonderful cassette tape that gets me so fired up about homeschooling. This is when I need to make time to have lunch with my homeschooling mentors and remember once again why I am doing this. Maybe I'll take my own advice and do these things!


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## meanwhile (Dec 13, 2007)

No, you are not the only one. During Jan and Feb I growl at least once a week and say "I. Know. Why. People. Send. Their. Kids. To. Public. School. It. Is. So. they. don't. have. To. FEED. them. six. meals. a Day!" If I can get to March, I am OK - hope you will be too.


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## cindyc (Nov 12, 2005)

Cara said:


> Maybe we need to hibernate these months?


L! Is that allowed? Wishful thinking... Oh well... :Bawling:  

Cindyc.


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## cindyc (Nov 12, 2005)

ovsfarm said:


> i was just thinking about this yesterday. This is the time of year when I should develop a habit of reading one of those good inspirational homeschooling books that I never have time for during other seasons. This is when I need to relisten to that wonderful cassette tape that gets me so fired up about homeschooling. This is when I need to make time to have lunch with my homeschooling mentors and remember once again why I am doing this. Maybe I'll take my own advice and do these things!


Yea, you and me both...
Cindyc.


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## cindyc (Nov 12, 2005)

meanwhile said:
 

> No, you are not the only one. During Jan and Feb I growl at least once a week and say "I. Know. Why. People. Send. Their. Kids. To. Public. School. It. Is. So. they. don't. have. To. FEED. them. six. meals. a Day!" If I can get to March, I am OK - hope you will be too.


Oh that's right! March is in fact coming! Even though I know that, some days in January it FEELS like it is not true! I was this way before I started homeschooling, too. :shrug: But it has been a lot better in recent years. Bad day I guess.

Cindyc.


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## Seeria (Jul 21, 2006)

hehe We get that too but unusually it hits in February, not January. We tend to lighten up on the all out studying and lean towards things that are more 1. outdoorsie if possible or 2. game game game. Scrabble, bingo, uno, even computer games get used more (TOGETHER, we never game alone in this house). Might not be quit as educational as a study book but it keeps them learning something and gets rid of our dumdrums after a bit.

Well, that and getting more sunlight. Hubby turns into a sleep-zombie if he doesn't get enough in the winter and the kids get more impatient and me well I growl a lot. So I'm told.


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## cindyc (Nov 12, 2005)

Seeria said:


> me well I growl a lot. So I'm told.


Me, too! 

Cindyc.


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## Cheryl in SD (Apr 22, 2005)

It hit us the end of November. I took December off and just now feel like we are getting back into the grove. It always hits here again in April, so I like to be done by the first part of May.


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## cindyc (Nov 12, 2005)

Cheryl in SD said:


> It hit us the end of November. I took December off and just now feel like we are getting back into the grove. It always hits here again in April, so I like to be done by the first part of May.


Ya know, if I can just manage to stay FOCUSED now, I can actually finish school by the end of may for the first time in SEVERAL years! That will be nice.  OK, so keep pressing on toward the goal and all that, right? Can do.
(Taking a deep breath and signing off to teach...)
Thanks,
Cindyc.


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## Cara (May 9, 2002)

We are having a break in the gloomy weather here that has improved our (read MY) attitude nicely. I've been outside more and that helps so much. The kids can ride their bikes without a complete outfit change when returning and the best part is, it's supposed to hold for a week! I hope, I hope!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

We try to eliminate this (or at least slow it down) by changing curriculum's in Jan/Feb. We will be a bit behind this year as we just got back from the States (2 1/2 weeks late due to my son having an accident and needing minor surgery...yes I counted all the medical stuff towards school!) and this week is recovering from Jet-lag, so our change over will be mid Feb. But we have been off "school" for 6 weeks so starting up again shouldn't be much of a problem here. 

We are doing Prairie Primer now and in a month (when we finished the current book) we will do KONOS for a while. Both are unit study approaches, so when we get tired of the units I have planned in KONOS we'll switch back to PP. For us the change energizes our "school" as it's a change of pace. We will leave the 1800's of PP and learning to quilt, make candles, etc and start to study time (as in telling time, the meaning of time, making water clocks and writing time traveling stories, etc).

Any way you could change things up for Jan/ Feb? Add in lapbooks if you don't normally do them, math games verse worksheets, study vocabulary with the game scrabble, take a week and explore 2-3 science experiment books from the library and do experiments, write them up, measure, etc... anything that's different then the "normal old school stuff". If you normally do unit studies and hands on, try worksheet and textbooks for a few weeks.


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## cindyc (Nov 12, 2005)

Cara said:


> We are having a break in the gloomy weather here that has improved our (read MY) attitude nicely. I've been outside more and that helps so much. The kids can ride their bikes without a complete outfit change when returning and the best part is, it's supposed to hold for a week! I hope, I hope!


That sounds nice. Here it has been just cold and wet enough to be miserable, and yet NOT produce any snow worth talking about. It is also supposed to be like this all week. Wanna trade?  

Cindyc.


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## cindyc (Nov 12, 2005)

Ohio dreamer said:


> We try to eliminate this (or at least slow it down) by changing curriculum's in Jan/Feb. We will be a bit behind this year as we just got back from the States (2 1/2 weeks late due to my son having an accident and needing minor surgery...yes I counted all the medical stuff towards school!) and this week is recovering from Jet-lag, so our change over will be mid Feb. But we have been off "school" for 6 weeks so starting up again shouldn't be much of a problem here.
> 
> We are doing Prairie Primer now and in a month (when we finished the current book) we will do KONOS for a while. Both are unit study approaches, so when we get tired of the units I have planned in KONOS we'll switch back to PP. For us the change energizes our "school" as it's a change of pace. We will leave the 1800's of PP and learning to quilt, make candles, etc and start to study time (as in telling time, the meaning of time, making water clocks and writing time traveling stories, etc).
> 
> Any way you could change things up for Jan/ Feb? Add in lapbooks if you don't normally do them, math games verse worksheets, study vocabulary with the game scrabble, take a week and explore 2-3 science experiment books from the library and do experiments, write them up, measure, etc... anything that's different then the "normal old school stuff". If you normally do unit studies and hands on, try worksheet and textbooks for a few weeks.


Well that's part of what is bugging us I think. Our co-op (which is what breaks up the monotany here, and where we do the fun hands on stuff) has been on break. They start back up in February. It is a little harder to just "change mid stream" once high school credits are involved. My son could maybe take a break for a day or two tho- hmmm... food for thought.

Cindyc.


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## Cara (May 9, 2002)

Well, Cindy, they've changed their minds....now it's to rain again tomorrow. Ick. 

I think we're over the worst, though. Everyone is doing great on school and attitude, so I think we'll just keep pluggin along until time to plant the garden.


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## cindyc (Nov 12, 2005)

Cara said:


> Well, Cindy, they've changed their minds....now it's to rain again tomorrow. Ick.
> 
> I think we're over the worst, though. Everyone is doing great on school and attitude, so I think we'll just keep pluggin along until time to plant the garden.


Honestly, my kids are not the ones having the attitude. It is ME. Them I just bribe. We got a membership to a local community center that has an indoor pool. All I have to do to get them to finish with school is tell them we will go when they get their work done. They love to swim, so there is no arguing about school at all. It is the part they still need ME for that is the problem, because MY attitude is the problem. It feels like slogging through mud to get this stuff done, and I usually LOVE to teach. Just not in January, I guess. :shrug:


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## LvDemWings (Sep 11, 2005)

cindy have you given any consideration to creating something to look forward to. It is so hard when its cold and dreary outside, the holidays have passed and spring seems so very far away. You need to come up with a celebration, trip or something that you can get into. You may also be suffering from lack of sunlight which would be helped by a full spectrum lamp.


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## cindyc (Nov 12, 2005)

LvDemWings said:


> cindy have you given any consideration to creating something to look forward to. It is so hard when its cold and dreary outside, the holidays have passed and spring seems so very far away. You need to come up with a celebration, trip or something that you can get into. You may also be suffering from lack of sunlight which would be helped by a full spectrum lamp.


I actually thought about the lamp thing, because I do seem to get this way EVERY Jan., even before I was a homeschool Mom. The celebration or trip thing is a good idea, too. Hmmm.... more to think about.  
Thanks,
Cindyc.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

cindyc said:


> It is a little harder to just "change mid stream" once high school credits are involved. My son could maybe take a break for a day or two tho- hmmm... food for thought.
> 
> Cindyc.



High school and credits does change things...my oldest in only 9 so I hadn't thought of that. But doesn't high school need lab classes? Could you do a week of nothing but lab work? Of course, depending on the subjects being tackled this year...is anything lab related?


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## cindyc (Nov 12, 2005)

Ohio dreamer said:


> High school and credits does change things...my oldest in only 9 so I hadn't thought of that. But doesn't high school need lab classes? Could you do a week of nothing but lab work? Of course, depending on the subjects being tackled this year...is anything lab related?


Yea, we could do labs... That is a good thought. Thanks.  
Cindyc.


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## meanwhile (Dec 13, 2007)

The "labs" troubled me until I saw the book. I had my son buy the "lab" instruction book from his community college when he was dual enrolled. It cost about $40 or so. We read part of it in the store, they let us, and I saw it was going to work for us. Then we spent about 2 weeks doing experiments all day long. They were easy and cheap. We skipped those we already had done (like pouring vinegar on baking soda - but our youngest did it anyway with food coloring) or there were a few that we skipped since they were boring to us. 

Then all we did was put "labs" as one credit on his transcript. He also did a "lab" with our American Chestnut Foundation project. He raised baby chestnuts for them and that counted as a "lab" too. 

You can find lab or "science experiments" online to do with household items.

We are less bored this week. SNOW helped!


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## cindyc (Nov 12, 2005)

meanwhile said:


> The "labs" troubled me until I saw the book. I had my son buy the "lab" instruction book from his community college when he was dual enrolled. It cost about $40 or so. We read part of it in the store, they let us, and I saw it was going to work for us. Then we spent about 2 weeks doing experiments all day long. They were easy and cheap. We skipped those we already had done (like pouring vinegar on baking soda - but our youngest did it anyway with food coloring) or there were a few that we skipped since they were boring to us.
> 
> Then all we did was put "labs" as one credit on his transcript. He also did a "lab" with our American Chestnut Foundation project. He raised baby chestnuts for them and that counted as a "lab" too.
> 
> ...


Yea, we have what we need to do the labs we need to do, so no problem... Maybe that is the thing we need. To break things up a bit... We have been in the middle of a math intensive preparing for competition season, and we are all just wiped out I think. The kids are handling it well, but I think I need to do something different for a week or so. We have spelling bee this week (a dd wanted to do that, so we are letting her, of course) and then we have math competition on the 2nd. I think I can push through till then. That is only 9 school days and 2 of those are math coaching that somebody else does. After that, I may just do a week or two of science experiments just to let everybody BREATHE for a while. Yea... that is a plan. OK. I feel better. 

Thanks. *And thanks to everyone who helped me think through my doldrums.  Nice to have a place to "go" when you need another perspective.*

Cindyc.


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