In Search of a Summer Schedule

Just got back from our first trip to the pool this season. The club director told me last night that the water is a balmy 82 degrees. Um, not exactly. I'd say it was closer to 62; not a single mom was in the pool even though it was hot in the sun.

Of course the children didn't mind a bit so we spent a nice afternoon poolside. I could get used to that pretty easily.

We will, however, need a little structure for the long summer days. I found this out the hard way on Saturday. Every single neighborhood kid was at our place. All day. Did I mention Hubby was out of town and every kid was here? All day? I'm not a particularly gracious recess cop -- try as I might. My children were coming in to seek shelter from the storm (they're not particularly adept at navigating recess-like society) only to have aforementioned neighbors knock on the doors asking, "When are you guys coming out again?"

Hurry up and warm up, pool! I think we'll be needing you a lot this summer.

Wordless Wednesday: Blast Off!

Memorial Day Plans And Activities

With Memorial Day comes the unofficial kick-off of summer. We've never lived this far south before; Memorial Day for us has often meant wearing an extra layer to whatever cook out the weather permitted. This year, even our local pool is open! Fancy that... (Despite our hardy Norse stock, even we aren't jumping in quite yet. Maybe tomorrow :) We do plan to commemorate the day with a few fun family activities.



On the short list are the following:

Attend our neighborhood cookout. (Did that last night).

Pray for fallen soldiers and their families and all who are bravely serving our country overseas.

Make streamer and star decorations.

Attend our town's parade.

Make the all time favorite flag cake.

Color some of these Memorial Day pages.

Talk about what a great country we live in, and how our men and women in uniform sacrifice so much for the sake of our freedom.

Ballet Day, Act II

We got through another recital today, this one for Bobo. Her class danced to "Maybe" from Annie - very cute. Elbow and I got to sit through all two and a half hours of the show with no little squirmers to entertain since the boys were with friends. That, in itself, was a treat. Way to go, Bobo!

So, like, true. Duh!

In honor of Hubby, who graduates this weekend with a doctorate in biblical preaching, and who knows how to speak well. Well done, good and faithful servant. We love you.

Don't We All!

Toddzilla, playing legos at the kitchen table this morning, asked me to go get his dump truck. After I told him I was busy with the dishes, and that he'd have to get it himself, he said, "Awww, I need a servant."

Tell me about it...

We've Got A Second Grader!

Bobo was bound and determined to finish her math book today so that she could claim second grade status. (Not to mention getting her hands on her summer fun math books; she loves the stickers and certificates). Three lessons later - and a few "Mom! What's....?" - she emerged triumphant! Way to go, Bo, it's been a great year.

More Sticker Chart Fun

Elbow's off to a great start with phonics. She just finished her second box set of Hooked on Phonics; and can't wait to get her hands on the last one! Way to go, Elbow!

Find my review of Hooked on Phonics here.

Ballet Day, Act I

One dance show down, another one next weekend. (Elbow's in the middle.) It was a great show, even the boys enjoyed every bit. Crockett clapped along enthusiastically and went crazy when big sis was on stage.

Easy Graduation Cards

We picked coordinating scrapbook paper and stickers, sewed one sheet inside to be the opening flap, and then made a little money pocket inside.

(After using your needle on paper, you have to replace it before sewing with fabric. Soulemama's great tip is to put it in an envelope marked "for paper" and be ready for the next non-fabric project).

Slow Saturday Morning

We're enjoying the only quiet part of a busy weekend. Crockett has found the "grassy knoll" next to our property, Toddzilla is wishing his John Deere was a real mower. The girls are busy with one of their games, which always involve bonnets, baskets and a complicated array of relationships: "How about you're the mom and I'm a poor girl who needs a family and then you turn into my sister..."

We're off to a graduation party this afternoon; our first for a home schooler. Tomorrow after church, Elbow has her much anticipated dance recital. The rest of May holds a graduation for Hubby (Doctor of Ministry), another dance recital, a few dinner parties, and music recitals for the girls.

Wordless Wednesday: My Guys

Wrapping Things Up

The end of the school year is in sight here at the Living Waters Classical Academy. I've arbitrarily set the finish date at Bobo's completion of Saxon 2. She has about seven lessons left, so I'm assuming we'll be done just before Memorial Day weekend. She'll do some "fun math" over the summer to avoid brain fog in the Fall.

Elbow will probably finish Hooked on Phonics over the long summer vacay. Other than that, the school room will be quiet.

Some thoughts on the year:

• My children still can't get enough of Story of the World. I don't know how many times we'll read through this series before moving on to something else. Mystery of History? Tapestry of Grace?
• We will continue using the Latin prayers from Prima Latina, even while we're on break from the rest of the curriculum for the summer. I'm planning on taking a year and a half to finish this, not because it's too difficult to keep up with, but because I think Latin Christiana I may be too much of a jump right now. My younger students are learning the prayers as we go (and some of the vocabulary too, by default) so I don't want to rush on to the next level just yet.
• Saxon is definitely the math for us. Elbow will start Saxon 1 in the Fall; Bobo Saxon 3.
• We're trudging through Spelling Workout. I'm still not convinced it's really that helpful. I think spelling comes from reading deeply more than anything else, but Bobo seems to like the activities in the workbook and there are some fun things to learn just from the short reading selections at the beginning of each lesson. We've been doing one lesson every other week.
• Elbow will do Copybook II in the Fall; Bobo will start Classically Cursive.
• Bobo will continue on in McGuffey's Fourth Eclectic Reader; Elbow will probably start in the middle of the Primer. We love these books for out loud reading - all the stories and poems are wonderful.

One of our favorite things this year has been reading through the entire history of Laura Ingalls Wilder's family through the Martha, Charlotte, and Caroline books. We'll finish the Caroline books this summer. Next up: Anne of Green Gables!

Lots more to think about for next year, which I'll post about when the plans are complete.

Early Mother's Day Love

The girls couldn't wait to give me their Mother's Day card. In case you can't read the atrocious creative spelling, it says, "Dear mom, a pure joy. You bring love to our hearts. And touch us so. (You) are wonderful! Beautiful! Mom. Signed Elbow, Bobo." In my older daughter's defense, she's actually a decent speller, but when she gets a bit excited, all rules go by the wayside!

I started blogging right around Mother's Day last year. I think I'll mark my anniversary by putting it all in a blurb book to keep for posterity. My intention with this little piece of cyberspace has always been to record our days as a family and keep track of our home schooling journey.

Happy Mother's Day to you, dear friends!

Introduction to Suzuki

Both my girls recently switched from traditional music lessons to the Suzuki method. This wasn't our initial intention; I always thought Suzuki would be too hard to manage with two young boys in tow during lessons. But after our move, "traditional" lessons weren't working for us.

Traditional may not be the right word. I inadvertently signed them up for School of Rock. Seriously. We walked into lessons the first week - excited that they could have their classes simultaneously, in the same place - and were a bit surprised to find more tattoos and piercings than musical notes. Make no mistake, I'm not judging tattoos and piercings. But my girls are not exactly rock stars; they wouldn't even be able to recognize Hannah Montana if it weren't for a Barbie our neighbor got for her birthday.

We stuck with it until it became painfully obvious that we were spending lots of money with virtually nothing to show for it. Suzuki seems to be a great fit. It's still early but the rate of progression, the method, the actual songs learned -- all of it is wonderful. I'm about half way done with my assigned reading, To Learn with Love: A Companion for Suzuki Parents. I'm lovin' it. Suzuki, where have you been all my life?

Next Up: Everest

Elbow's new love

Why We Home School

I've never sat down to list our reasons for home schooling, and I'm not sure I ever will. When asked, I generally respond with a different reason every time. (Not that I keep changing my opinion; there's more than one reason, n'est pas?).

When I saw my daughter - after finishing her lessons and music - rush out to her "birding station" to work on her nature notebook, I thought of what Dawn wrote the other day about time. That's one of home schooling's greatest side effects: time for children to be children, time for learning new skills and crafts in an unrushed manner, time for afternoons outside, time to build close relationships with siblings and parents.


Unhurried time.* It's a luxury we consider ourselves blessed to have.

*Please note: this does not apply to Sunday mornings, which are about as hurried, hectic, and hair-raising as this mom can handle.