June 25th:

Things here have been really busy.  Life is full.  Sometimes I feel like it's hard not to get overwhelmed.

I go through an adjustment period every year it seems.  From September through mid-June I homeschool Emme and Jennah and Jacob go to school and spend time with their dad.  For the first few weeks that they are on summer vacation, it's like my whole schedule is entirely thrown up in the air and it takes awhile for the pieces to come back down and settle into a new routine.  I guess I don't handle change all that well.

Jacob has soccer on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursday evenings.  We have church on Wednesday evenings and Sundays.  We go to my parents' house on Saturdays.  That leaves only two nights a week where we are not somewhere else.  I'm such a home body that it is hard for me to adjust.  I now remember why I just wanted to stay HOME all fall and winter!  lol

We started our summer term last week, and it is going pretty well.  Jennah has already read several books so far this summer and has already surpassed all of the reading club requirements!  I'm not surprised though.  She is also doing her typing lessons (something she had problems with at school, even though they were not graded on it) math, history, science -- just about every subject actually, and mostly on her own.   She just started "Anne of Green Gables" today as well as a book about the presidents. 

Jacob has been practicing his handwriting, multiplication up to 12, english worksheets, reading about the history of hockey and automobiles, and we are still reading "The Incredible Journey" and "Treasure Island".

As for Emme - I miss the amount of time we had during the school year.  I feel as if I don't have enough time to devote to her.  She does her math, phonics, and handwriting every day.  I need at least a half an hour a day to sit down with her and do religion, history, and reading.  You would think it would be simple to find 1/2 an hour, wouldn't you?  So far it hasn't been.  Although she is having a wonderful summer being a little girl.  Catching fire flies, rolling down hills, watering flowers, watching baby bunnies,  making new friends, rollerskating, bike riding, shooting baskets with my dad, etc.  I definitely should quit worrying so much.  We have a full school year ahead of us.

July 1st :

It's been awhile since I started that update.  A week anyway!  lol  This holiday week we don't have any soccer, so it is a much more relaxed week.

We went to the drive in night before last and saw "Surf's Up" and "Nancy Drew".   "Surf's Up" had some 'boyish' humor (talking about poop, etc) but the overall theme was  a good one.  (It's more important to do the right thing than to win.  Friends are more important than winning.  Hiding from your problems is not the solution) 

"Nancy Drew" was awesome!  I LOVED it!  I've heard reviewers call it "old fashioned" and "Boring".  Well, it's a good, clean, adventure/mystery with a good role model in Nancy.  She does disobey her father, but she comes clean to him and apologizes.  There are some more modern aspects to the movie in some of the characters -- but Nancy stays herself, true to her beliefs.  This also got Jennah (my 11-year-old) really excited about starting the 2 Nancy Drew Mysteries I got her for her birthday!  I hope this leads to her reading the entire series!

I also wanted to mention that Wendy's kids meals are including audio books as their 'toy'!  We got the first "Magic Treehouse" audio book!  I'm so geeked about that!

And one more thing -- I am going to be posting a big LINK POST tonight or tomorrow.  I found a bunch of great links lately. 

I hope you are all enjoying your summer!    Oh, and did you all see the gorgeous Strawberry Moon last night?  I was blessed enough to be able to sit on my front porch and gaze at it for a bit, listening to the wind in the tree tops.  It was just an amazing moment with God!  I actually cried, thinking that people could see what I see and hear what I hear and not KNOW that it was created by our Father! 

Oh, and to the blogger who asked if I had a template for the family newsletter -- I don't.  I have one through my MS Works program that we use.  I searched online, but didn't find a free one.  I'm sorry.

Sherry