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Six at Home
Apr. 30, 2008
Some highlights from week 2
 Here is more tactile experience for Iz. You can see on his face that he wasn't exactly thrilled with finger painting, but he did want to do another pic!!
Here is a pic of my 13yo heling out with the "imitate the animals" activity. They even paired up two by two. She was VERY creative and kept then entertained for about 30 min or more. 
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Apr. 25, 2008
What a Fun Week!!!
Iz and I just began a new curriculum -- Little Hands to Heaven.
It is the best!!
We are having lots of fun.
Here is some of what we did during our first week: This is our bean 'A.' During this activity, I learned that IZ is not crazy about glue getting stuck to his fingers. It took a long time to accomplish because he kept stopping to pick dried glue off of his hands.
 You can't see the one page very well. They are caterpillars. Hannah thinks they look like blobs.
I had to write a text 'A' on the other page because after Iz found all of the Capital A's, he thought that he was done. So, I had to show him that this is another way to write an A.
 The black page is difficult to see. We will be doing this page again over the weekend I think.
 Hmmm.....perhaps I will have to rename this photo file. Here, he was using an ice cube to write A's, but he had a hard time holding it tight. So, mommy procured dad's shaving cream and I had him use that instead.
I realize that I forgot to take a picture of one of the things that we did. He chose some colors and we went outside and looked for them. We also wrote A's on the driveway. His favorite activities this week were jumping over the "snake" and the Antelope in tha "A-A-A-Adam" song. |
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Apr. 24, 2008
Update
Jul. 31, 2007
Life Goes On......
The summer has been very busy.
There really isn't alot going on. We are just busy.
In June, two of my dc went to a drama camp. They loved it and were thoroughly exhausted by it. We had moments of tears during the two weeks. Like the day everyone was lined up by size. Dd was the shortest girl and only two boys were shorter than her and they were both younger!! But for the most part, the kids had a blast. We got to see the end result. My son especially impressed us. One of the skits included a soldier who was at the crucifixion. During the skit, ds was to "hurl insults" and throw things and mock Christ. During his night out with Dad, ds was perplexed. He felt that if he acted this way, it would be disrespectful. Dh encouraged him to sieze the opportunity and act it out to the fullest. The entire thing was pantomimed to music. The final product was most impressive. Ds was a frightening soldier and showed so much anger and physical effort that it was very believable, Our middle ds was so moved that he began crying his eyes out.
Just last week, we went to see my parents. I dreaded the trip. I have been there so frequently lately and the drive is so very long. I find it so exhausting and not much of a vacation at all. In addition to the travel and work involved, we must plan extensively for our youngest ds and his allergies. However, my mother turned 80 this year and my brother wanted to have a party for her. So off we went on the trek to PA. We did not do much sightseeing or visiting. We did stop at our Alma Mater and walk around the campus. We also went to Chocolate World in Hershey. They kids loved this, but I couldn't stand all of the people walking around with food everywhere. On the Sat of our visit, we had the party. It was held in the fellowship hall of my parent's church. My brother planned it all himself. We mostly invited relatives. My mother's brothers came out the weekend before so we didn't get to see them. Many of my dad's family couldn't come either. We had my dad's seminary friend and his wife, my brother and his wife, one of my dad's cousins, my dad's brother and his wife and their son and his family, and my brother who planned the whole thing as well as my family. There weren't many people there, but we had fun anyway.
My six children and my cousins four girls got along so well. In fact, my dd and my cousin's dd look strikingly similar. They have the same shade of hair, same height, glasses. My cousin dresses her girls alike and dd fit into their clothes so we had the girls dress alike. It was so very funny!!! My cousin's wife called them "The Twins." My dad's cousin is an organist/ choir director/ retired professor. As my dad's family tradition dictated, we gathered around the piano and sang hymns. My dad's cousin patiently told the children how this is what his family did at every family gathering. It was very impromptu. It was such a fun time!! Afterwards, I was back in the kitchen cleaning everything. My oldest brother busied himself with chasing the children around. My father went around with a party blower tickling everyone in the face. We had planned on leaving after the party, but we got back to the house so late that we stayed one more night and returned on Sunday.
This week my dd who is exhausted from our trip last week is taking her driver's ed class. She is having an eyeopening experience. Here, you must take your class through the public school or at least through the driving school at a private school. There were no private schools holding classes, so dd and three other homeschoolers from our church are taking the class at a nearby high school. She is shocked at their behavior and how when the teacher left the room, they started talking about answers on their papers. And although cell phones aren't allowed, she knows that some kids are texting in class. One boy was even sleeping in class!! She has three more days and is getting nervous about the driving portion of the class. On the first day, the teacher assigned a paper because no one raised their hand to answer questions except for her and the homeschooled boys she knows taking the class. When they turned their papers in, she noticed that one student only had three sentences on his paper while another one only had bullet points!! She and her friend were also a bit appalled by the clothes some of the girls wore. Oh, and how all the kids ask to go to the bathroom all the time or complain about things that the teacher does like showing a film or handing out and assignment or a test for a grade.
Finally, the thing occupying my life at the moment is my youngest ds and his rash. It began in the end of May. It was only on his elbows then. We thought perhaps it was poison ivy. Then, it began on his knees. Around this time, I took him to the doctor. He told me it was a rash that usually comes when the child is sick. The only thing is that ds had not been sick at all. It came and went a few times and then it was on elbows, knees and his cheeks!! I took him back to the doctor and two more peds looked at him. They couldn't quite figure it out. They thought it might be another rash after looking in a dermatology book, but they weren't quite sure. Before we left on our trip, I called the dermatologist for an appt. He can't be seen until Aug 20. I might be able to get a cancellation appt, though. In the meanwhile, it is now also on the backs of both legs. It is very frustrating for me and very itchy for him. Hopefully, we will have answers -- and relief -- soon!!! |
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Jul. 5, 2007
What is that noise?!?!?!
Last night we came home from the home of friends to a sink full of dishes. While I did other things, I asked my older children to load the dishwasher for me. A little while later, my 13yo came to me and the following transpired:
"Um.....Mom? The dishwasher sounds funny. I think there is something wrong."
"Well, did you turn it off?"
"No."
"Well, then...turn it off and I will look at it later."
Much later, I went down to take a look. I opened it and peeked around. Nothing seemed to be sticking up. All looked right. I took the opportunity to fit a few more things in. Now with it sufficiently full, I closed it and turned it on.
The water filled.
I waited.
Now the cycle began. No strange noises. Only the sounds of cleaning. Well, a large metal pot was on the bottom along with a tall plastic pitcher. There was a sound that was different, but only the sound of water on these items.
So, this morning I said in mock terror.....
"Last night the diswasher was making the most peculiar noises. I think there is something wrong with it. It was actually CLEANING something." And appropriately followed this with howls of laughter.
My ds was not amused........but I sure was  |
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