I'm not sure how so many blogger mommies keep up to date but I haven't written an entry in way too long. Some things that have been going on:

I just got back from visiting my Mom and family in Northern California for 8 days. I spent their spring break watching my youngest brother(12) and  nephew(9) and niece(5) for my mom and sister. Both of them are single mom's working full-time and spring break can be a stressful time (unfortunately) since they have to find daycare for the kids. I had a wonderful time with them all. My children and they are best of friends. I always love to spend time with my family. One of my other sisters also came for a while so all six of us sisters were together! It was great. Not all of the boys were there...we were missing two. It was fun to live communal style; planning and cooking meals together, napping all the kids in various parts of the house, and all the other wonderful things that families do together.

Planning out next years curriculum.It's unusual for me to even begin thinking about next year before the summer is almost over:) But now that Monkey boy is only a year away from High School I feel the need to be prepared. I already got a Sonlight Instructors guide for American History. I am also planning on using Writing Strands for both boys. I haven't used it before but it looks good. I love to write...but have no clue how to teach it. I've finally realized this and quit trying to figure it out myself.

I will use Saxon math for Monkey boy and not sure yet for Action boy. I also am going to try and get through Easy Grammar with both boys, because we have done nothing but very basic grammar and I'm sure that will help with the writing.

Now...just to complete this year and not slack off as the weather is getting nice and we all want to be doing other things!

Remembering how to successfully train a little one.My little princess girl has been showing signs of being the youngest child and only girl in this family and her dad and I have been revisiting how we raised her brothers. We didn't realize how far we had strayed from our ideals, and convictions in training up our children until she began to exhibit some mighty ugly behavior. Thankfully it hasn't taken too much to get her back on the straight and narrow. Just some consistency, follow through, and meaning what we say. Along with consequences that remind her that it's worth it to obey. Happily we have welcomed the return of our sweet, happy, thankful little girl and celebrated the disappearance of her not so nice to be around twin;)

In summary, life is good. Right now it's just a hodge podge of events, commitments, schooling, cleaning and enjoying little ones. (and not so little ones anymore), and being so thankful that I get to do this. My favorite career in the world, I couldn't want for more fulfillment.

Today is our first day of school this week as two of my little ones have been sick. We are trying to catch up a bit...there has been a lot of balking at this. I never know whether we should "make-up" the days we miss or just adjust to the set back. We are using a unit curriculum that allows us to be pretty easy-going and as far as everything else (math, science, etc.)...well I just assign it as we go.

I remember when I was in public school as a kid and I would always wonder why we never finished the textbook. In fact sometimes I was disappointed:) I had looked ahead and was anticipating studying a certain thing. Especially in science. I always figured we should start up where we left off the next year and we never did.

Well my children would probably be ecstatic if we never finished any textbooks or anything for that matter. Although they do anticipate our reading time. We are doing the Further Up and Further In series based on the Chronicles of Narnia. It's really fun!

So, back to catching up, we are slogging along like toads in molasses. My 10yos is groaning here at the table and seems to have forgotten all that he ever learned. Except how to tell time..."Ohhh maaaan it's already 2o'clock!!" 

I don't know, maybe we should quit, but to be honest he really hasn't done much. Maybe two pages of math? Yes, we had a late start but that means he has only done 2 pages of math since 10am!! See what I mean, molasses, I say! Molasses. Yeeesh!

I have what seems to me a terrible confession to make; I have a hard time reading to my kids. Not like an inability, I love to read and we read together for school, but I don't read to them much for pleasure. I especially notice this with my 4-yr-old. She doesn't really like for me to read to her. She gets antsy and wiggly and decides there are other more interesting things to do than sit with mom and read. The boys were like that as well when they were younger. When I do try to persist with dd she tries to turn the pages faster than I can read or asks a zillion questions about the pictures so that I never actually get a chance to tell the story. She doesn't seem to mind this but my patience wears thin. I guess I have a goal; we are going to read this book, and have an idyllic mother/daughter moment that you, my dear,  will remember when you are grown up whenever you read this story to your kids...or something like that.

Obviously my priorities are out of sync with reality. Come to think of it I don't particularly remember my Mom reading to me. I mean I know she did, to a certain extent. I mean how much reading can you get done with your oldest child when you are busy with 9 other children. (well not all at once of course...I was 20 when my youngest sibling was born, but I digress) What I DO remember was always having lots of books around that I loved and couldn't wait to read myself. I loved to read. I devoured books...does that need to be taught? or is it caught? Should I be making sure I have a reading time with my dd everyday so she knows how wonderful it is or is she hardwired to love it or hate it?

My ds is now 12 and I didn't read much to him as  little boy...but he loves to read now. He was actually a slow reader and didn't read well until almost 9. I mostly left him alone about reading until he was ready (after trying really really hard to "make" him read and then discovering he might be dyslexic...okay this is another post I need to write) but suffice it to say he has now become an avid reader and loves it!

Well to sum it up...does anyone out there have any suggestions or stories to share? Should I make sure that my dd has a regular reading time even if she doesn't want to or should I let her direct whether or not she wants me to read to her? (we do have lots of books and she loves to look at them, carry them around, and sleep with them)