Jul. 16, 2007 - Morning Structure
wow, it sure has been a long time since I`ve written something here...... I`ve been on HSB plenty, reading, not writing !!!
Vacation Bible School has just started this week and I couldn`t be happier !! I am seeing how much my children really need some sort of structure in their daily schedules. I don`t quite understand the irony of it though, as they couldn`t wait for Summer so that they could just sit back and relax and "do nothing" so to speak. "We`re bored" and "there`s nothing to do" have become common statements . At 7 months pregnant, I suppose I`m guilty of not being quite the "activities director" that they had expected of me !!
We are going to jump back into school-time next month, and I think everyone is actually looking forward to it this year !!!!!!
* I`m not doing so well in the "add a pic." dept. here. I think it will add more interest to my entries, so I`m going to keep trying to figure it out. I hope to place some pics. up soon :)
• 4 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Jun. 4, 2007 - Paintings and pics.
I am going to try to include a pic. of our daughter painting. I`m not very computer savvy, but I know that adding pics. to entries makes them more personable and interesting..... so we`ll see what happens (this time !!!).
• 2 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
May. 19, 2007 - The "Honey Do" List
Well, back towards the end of April I wrote a blog about a dirt pile that had become the new play spot for our little ones. I had dreamed through my writings of a boarder around the area for sand or mulch to be poured into to make it an official place for digging !!
As a labor of love it can now be crossed off the "to do" list !!!! DH completed the project and I must admit; we may not boast beautiful flowerbeds and colors all a bloom, but we wouldn`t trade this little play spot for the world !! It`s not really big, BUT.. it`s a completed project!!!!
It`s rained for 2 days and I`ve even had to turn the heat back on (unbelievable !!!!!). The bags of sand are unopened awaiting their new spot. The tonkas are lined up waiting for work and play. When we are graced once again with some warm weather, I will make every attempt to get a pic. up.
• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
May. 19, 2007 - THE KLONDIKE KID
One of our favorite outings is taking a trip to the local library. Each child is encouraged to pick out his/her own books to read. Some piles are biggger than others !!!! I usually go through the "biggest piles" and weed out some selections until it is more realistic to that childs reading ability.
I had to help our 7yr. old a bit as his pile was on the skimpy side. I found a chapter book called THE KLONDIKE KID : SAILING FOR GOLD.
Not surprisingly, he was reluctant to dive right into his pre-selected choices. So I thought I`d begin reading it aloud in hopes it would spark an interest. As it turns out, we thoroughly enjoyed this true to era story and are excited to continue on with the next book in the series.
The book is recommended for ages 6-9 and is 9 chapters, about 7 pages each. It is an interesting wholesome adventure story (true to actual events of the Gold Rush period during the late 1800`S).
I hope that maybe someone else who reads my blog my take a look into the pages of this book and enjoy it as much as we did !!!!!
• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
May. 7, 2007 - Weekend Projects.......
Well, a beautiful weekend has come and gone and it seems as though we were plenty busy, but some how today, as I look around I see little to show for it. The house looks a bit untidy at the moment, and we`ve a modest pile of lumber in the basement and front yard for projects that are "pending"........ I hope for not too long, although since I`m not the "handy-man" in charge, I`ll need to be patient and appreciative.
I`m almost 20weeks now into this pregnancy.... hard to believe half way there. I think that the 1st half is always a blurr for me as morning sickness makes it sort of difficult to fully embrace. We`ve found out that this little blessing looks to be a girl, so we will have 3 boys and 2 girls come early Fall. Seems hard to believe,I truly feel so blessed.
• 2 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Apr. 26, 2007 - A NEW SPOT TO PLAY
The weather has been improving day by day this month and we are outdoors more and more.
We have a wonderful Japanese Maple tree in the front yard and for the past 3yrs. there has remained a baren patch of dry dirt underneth it. We`ve tried just about everything short of sod, but due to the shade of the branches in Summmer and that in the Fall, that very spot seems to be where we pile all the leaves - well, there`s not much hope for anything green growing there.
For now, we have dedicated this spot to be just perfect for the Tonkas to bulldoze and excavate. The kids have had a blast playing in the dirt. In the Summer, if the mosquitoes aren`t bad, the branches will provide wonderful shade to play under. I`ve suggested to "Handy Dad" that maybe 4 pieces of pressure treated wood around the boarder to box in just that area would be a good idea. We could then fill it with additional dirt or soft mulch. Oh, the possibilities are endless !!!!
It`s funny now with baby number 5 due this Fall, how when we had just one child, this idea might not have been that appealing to me. Everything, especially the baby, was kept spotlessly clean !!! I look at our youngest son who is 3, and he looks just perfect with a little smudge of dirt on his face !!!!!!
• 4 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Apr. 12, 2007 - Team Sports VS. Family Time
Hello All !!
We`ve had quite a busy few weeks....... Little Leauge has just begun here as well as Spring Soccer. We have always had our children involved in community sporting leauges if they expressed an interest, but for some reason,this season it seems particularly overwhelming.
I`ve always felt that it was a real benefit to them to interact with others their age while becoming more experienced at a specific sport.
Somehow this year, we are at practices all 5 weekday evenings with games on the weekends. Most practices last for 2 hours and we find ourselves back home around 7:30pm preparing for a late dinner.
Is this common ?? I`m uncertain as to the popularity of extra-curricular activities / sports within the homeschooling communities across the country.
While the boys do enjoy their sports, it seems like, there`s little time for homework (if needed) or family time.We may have to rethink our scheduling for future peak sport seasons.
• 4 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Apr. 2, 2007 - New curriculum issues
I have been considering what to do for homeschool classes for next year. It is always exciting to me, a chance to evaluate what we`ve used this year and compare it to what else peeks my interest for the children.
I am seriously considering Sonlight for the upcoming year. We looked at it last year and decided against it due to cost and the fact that it didn`t seem like we`d be able to teach many classes to the children together.
We will have for Sept. 2007 a 6th grader at avg. reading level, a 3rd grader at avg.reading level, and a 1st grader reading 3 letter words. If anyone has used this curriculum, with similar grade levels, please send a comment of advice.
• 7 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Mar. 28, 2007 - Tombs and trespassers
Hello All !! During my short time here at HSB, I have really enjoyed getting to know many other members and reading really helpful advice and ideas. One member in particular had a super project put together that she had done with her children for Easter. We decided that we would give it a try too........
Yesterday was a most spectacular Spring day and just perfect to begin one of our Easter projects. We set out for the pebble beach to gather up a bucket of stones to make a small scale replica of the tomb that Jesus was placed in after dying on the cross. (there are many times when I`d trade the beach for country life on a farm, but it is kind of nice to have it right at the end of our street !!!!). All 4 kids really enjoyed looking for just the right size pebbles to use for the tomb. After supper, Dad sat down with the bucket of pebbles, our base made of cardboard covered with green felt, and the hot glue gun and set out to construct the tomb. Our little architects had fun and I was glad that we all had a hand in making this project.
After classes had fininshed for us, the kids could hardly wait to get outside and play. Our kids, along with some of the others from our neighborhood begain to play some sort of wild chase and capture game. When I was younger, we called it "tag". The kids had a great time.............. except that some of our rules of "neighborhood boundaries" were not respected. This probably would not have been such an issue, and later that evening a simple reminder to our kids would have suficed, but it was a much bigger deal to the builders of the new construction across the street !!
As nicer weather approaches, I know that the kids are going to want to spend more time out doors and it was a good opportunity for me to "review" the rules of respecting other peoples property....... even when our friends may not !!!! Our 10yr. old son has hopes of someday maybe studying law. I told him that this could be his 1st opportunity to enlighten his friends on the law and what it says about trespassing on others property, he really liked this idea !!
• 2 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Mar. 25, 2007 - Beautiful Spring Sunday
Today was such a beautiful Spring day. Half of our family attended Sunday service today and the other half - parent and younger siblings remained at home for the morning. We are a dual religion household - any others out there ????? My husband is Catholic and I have been raised Protestant. We are raising our children knowing, participating, and understanding both. This Sunday was for mass. Mass service can be difficult when you are 3 yrs. old and there is no nursery. Next week we will attend church with Sunday school, time with children, and a nursery.
When the "men" returned from service, we ate lunch together and then the 3 older children (ages 10, 7, 5 ) and Dad went to the YMCA for family swim. It`s been a long time since the`ve been to the YMCA so it was a real treat. I opted to stay home and take a walk with our 3 year old ( I`m not much for swimming, I get cold before I even hit the water). We took his bicycle out for a walk to the park. It`s amazing the things that little ones notice - again, it was a beautiful sunny day and as we are going along he shouts (never speaks softly ) "Look, look it`s the moon, I see the moon!!! What`s he doing up there??!!!" I was truly happy to have had some alone time with just him and to have been able to notice a few of lifes simple joys through his beautiful eyes.
I hope everyone who lives somewhere that the weather was nice, was able to enjoy some of Gods wonder and beauty today !!!
• 5 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Mar. 24, 2007 - MY VERY, VERY, FIRST BLOG EVER.
I am a homeschooling mom of 4, ages 10, 7, 5, 3. We have been homeschooling now for 3 years.
I found HSB from a copy of The Old Schoolhouse given to me by my cousin (who also homeschools, out of state unfortunately). I took a look at HSB 2 days ago and really became quite interested in the "random blogger" button. It was so much fun. An entry was placed in front of my eyes that truly touched my heart. I am happy to have found this at just the right moment.
I will keep my first blog simple as I`m not completely sure of what I`m doing yet (I hope it actually prints !!!).
