Horn Homeschool: Week 14

Week 14 of homeschooling found us in Thanksgiving preparation mode.  In the midst of the preparations, we spent some time talking and reading about Thanksgiving.  I picked up this little book awhile ago (The First Thanksgiving) and it proved to be just right in its depth of explanation and length of pages. 

The main thrust of our lesson however was not so much about the history of Thanksgiving but about THANKFULNESS.  Thankfulness was plaguing my brain in November as I blogged in a daily countdown of thankfulness up until turkey day.  We talked MUCH about practicing thankfulness and memorized the following verse together as a family.

Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. [1 Thessalonians 5:18]

I also took the kids to a nursing home with our homeschooling group to sing to the residents. I'm hoping to make these nursing home sing visits a semi-regular thing for me and the kids.  Not only does it give us a chance to spread some joy but it is a very visible lesson about meeting the needs of others instead of living selfishly.  And believe me, it's pretty natural for a kid to live selfishly.  Heck, it's really natural for me to live selfishly too.  I have a feeling thankfulness vs. selfishness is going to be a lesson we keep learning for years to come.

I also did about 1/4 of this hefty Thanksgiving study guide.  We talked about the food the pilgrims and indians ate, read some brief real stories of pilgrim children, and we made some corn pudding in the crockpot.  I will NOT be doing that again.  Ever.  The kids each had one bite and that was enough corn pudding for them!  I don't blame them either.  That stuff was mushy, gushy and tasteless.

And the best part of our Thanksgiving week was enjoying our family!  We traveled up to Michigan and got to spend the weekend with both of Matt's brothers' families.