Sep. 5, 2005 - Labor Day

Today we did the typical morning work... finished up on "The Secret Garden" and worked a little on lap book-type projects for it.  Sprite, Jaedin and Paris all drew pictures of the main characters using 1/4th of a page. Kainan drew a border around the actual folder for the lap book, and then Sprite, Jaedin and Kainan all did a little "mini report" on one main character.  We'll put the little "mini books" in the lap book.  Paris has been decorating the outside of our lap book during the storytimew ith vines, leaves and flowers, so it is all bright and pretty:)

When we get back from our short vacation, the kids all get to pick aproject to do to tell about something we've learned oer the last 5 weeks.  I think Jaedin and Sprite are going to partner up and do a diorama from teh Secret Garden.  I'm not sure what the others will do.

For the afternoon, the kids did their reading time, while I started a batch of french bread (home made is the best!!)  Then we learned about Labor Day and did a few activities that I printed out for the Holiday.   

Right now Jaedin has finished his "Mowgli's Stories" ~ so he is creating a new book sjacket for it.  He's doing the front cover design witht he Title and author ~ the back with his "review" of the book as well as a list of some of Kipling's other books ~ and the inside flaps giving a synopsis of the book and the author.  I'm going to laminate it and we'll actually put it on the book and keep it that way, since the copy of the book we have is old and the cover is falling apart!:)  He's having a much better time doing this "project" than he would doing a typical "report."

Anyway ~ after school we had company.  A woman from church with a 7 Week old baby is hiring Sprite to babysit.  Actually she's hiring both of us, as Sprite is far too young to be responsible for a baby that young... esp for 30 hours a week!  At any rate, we're going to divide up the time ~ 15 hours each, until we see how that works.  I might decide to let her hae more time and responsibility as time goes on, but probably not much more.  That is a lot for a 13 year old, even a 14 year old:)  It will be a good learning experience for us all, I'm sure.  We haven't had a little baby int he hosue for almost 5 years now!

The baby was a sweetie and snuggled right up to me:)  It felt very strange to feel so comfortable holding a baby again!  A new turn in our lives...