Homeschool and Sick Days.....

Y'all have heard me sing the praises about the flexibility that homeschooling naturally allows our family and just how much I LOVE IT.  Never is it more of a blessing than times when one or more of us, especially me, is sick.  We don't have to just totally miss out on learning because we aren't feeling good; rather, we are able to adjust.

As y'all know, just about the entire family has some sort of crud at the moment.... strep, tonsillitis, bronchitis, old fashioned cold, etc.  What this means for our days is that none of us are totally upright and "with it" at the same time.  Maybe Hannah is napping after taking her medicine and Gracie is doing a reading lesson.  Or Hannah is doing math while Gracie is combating high blood sugar due to her illness and antibiotic so she's watching a video lesson.  OR..... mom has hit her wall, taken her medicine and needs a 30 minute nap before she can listen to anyone read to her or even begin to get her head in the game to help with math.

It's at times like these that I enjoy youtube and seeking out interesting things for the girls to watch and learn something new.  We are a HUGE history family..... it's our favorite subject and it's a lifelong passion (well, except for Sarah... it's her least favorite subject EVER).  We love learning the little tidbits and details, the personal stories, that make historical facts REAL.  Today I decided to have the girls learn about the Quilts of the Underground Railroad, and I found that Eleanor Burns series is actually on Youtube.  I love her teaching style!  While it's geared toward quilters and recreating the quilts from the underground railroad, she tells the personal stories of runaway slaves and those who helped them along the way.  She teaches the patterns and what they meant, right along with the possible variations that would've given extra details.  She is a very engaging teacher, not only for quilters, but for anyone interested in the history of these quilts.

We will spend the rest of the week watching this series, as we are all moving pretty slow at the moment and we tire out quickly (We are all improving each day though, thank the Lord!).  I also have the book and plan to make an Underground Railroad Sampler Quilt from it in the near future.  It's a testament to the rich history of our great nation and the people who've gone before us.  They were steadfast and strong and it's up to us to show them and their lives honor and respect.  I'm secretly hoping that Hannah and Gracie will love this as much as I do and want to make their own quilts alongside of me  to remember this particular part of our American History ;)