Take a Hike

Today didn't start off very well.  I'm starting to get a cold, the baby is as well, Brett and I were at odds (for? nope, still can't remember, which goes to show how silly it is to be grouchy with one another over nothing), and we had run out of coffee.  When did I become so reliant on coffee?  Grrrrr....

Anyway, I was a grump.  There, I said it.  It was me, all me. 

About mid-day I called Brett to share with him my grumpiness about my day, and he told me to go take a hike.  As in, "pack up those kids who you claim to not like and go hiking."  Ironically, I had already thought of cancelling school for the rest of the day and doing just that.  Naps were essential, as was a snack, but late afternoon we took ourselves to the state park which is just minutes from our home and went hiking.  It was wonderful.

A little soul-food is all we needed.  I have promised myself and the kids that we will make a better effort of getting out and enjoying this beautiful part of the world.

Birthday, birthday!

Emma turned 9 yesterday.  The report is that it was the "best day ever".  This year all the kids' birthdays are already marked as "no school".  Year after year I say, "I know it's birthday, but we are doing school", and every year, we don't.  So this year I decided to save myself the trouble.  We played all day, we adored the birthday girl, we made the day special, and it was.

Birthday Banana Bread

A couple of the posters I made of the birthday girl.

Waiting for our cake-eating guests

Posing with the cake that Aidan made and decorated for his sister.

Chocolate Cake for Breakfast!!!!

A'sailn' we did go

Our summer read-aloud for our annual trip back "home" to South Dakota was "Swallows and Amazons" by Arthur Ransome.  This book, which is the first of a 12-book series was recommended to me years ago by my biggest early homeschooling supporter, Amy.  Amy, who could have a whole post of her own, has been great at giving me lists of great books my kids have to have read to them.  Ah!  Too many tangents I could go with this post, but I'll get back to the point.  Sailing.

"Swallows and Amazons" is about 4 siblings who are having their holiday in the lake country of England.  They have been giving permission to man the little sailboat at the vacation home and have adventure after adventure.  Think "Boxcar Chidlren" meets "Narnia", but the only "magic/fantasy" that happens is in the children's imaginations.  Great read.  As a treat (for all of us) we just started the second of the series, "Swallowdale".

With sailing on our mind it was perfect when our Bishop dropped by unexpectedly, on his way to another part of the diocese, and invited us to his house to go sailing the following weekend.  So, during Labor Day weekend, we made the 2-hour drive up the South Shore of Lake Superior to go sailing.

I volunteered to be a land-lubber since in my old age I've been more prone to motion sickness, and I wanted the older crew to be able to enjoy a nice long adventure without having to turn back for me or for the two littles who would rather not be contained to a sailboat. 

The only disappointment to the kids was that Bishop Peter didn't say "coming about", but rather "watch your head." Since he is a true sailor, they decided they didn't need to correct him. 

Our 2012-2013 School Year

I never intended to homeschool.  In fact I was dead set against it.  I didn't want socially inept children even if they could recite all the state's capitols backwards while playing Chopin.  Brett first brought up the subject because of his undergraduate college professor who homeschooled their children.  I also started leaning towards the idea of homeschooling as our family grew and as I completed my degree.  Honestly, I wasn't too impressed with the future of education as I saw it in the individuals with whom I was taking classes.  But really, the main reason we decided to homeschool was so we could be with our children and learn as a family and instill the values we held dear to our hearts.

We continue to homeschool for much the same reasons.  My children are developing into people who I enjoy being around (most of the time, they aren't perfect nor am I).  We are a close family who has fun in the simple things.  

My approach to homeschooling has changed along with my children's needs.  While I would love to do only unit studies and spend our days on long nature hikes, my original homeschooler needs a little more structure and predictability. 

Our biggest challenge this year has been my two little ones.  Nica-3 (very, very, very 3) is feeling the absence of her playmates and although is willing to play with the littlest one of the group, doesn't always find that Felicity is quite as willing.  I've adapted my original plan of the year to include some time for just my little ones, right away in the morning.  Many a wise homeschooling mother has recommended this approach.  We shall see if it works. 

Almost every year I've changed almost every thing as far as curriculum is concerned.  I have finally arrived to a place where I am really, really happy with what we are using and other than adding a few things, we are continuing with much of what we did last year.

And so with that, I present our 2012-2013 homeschooling year curriculum choices.

Math- MathUSee.  We started this last year and everyone loved it.  I'm pleased with it as well.  

Spelling-  Spelling Power.  This book has daily (5 minute) tests and you only review the words that are missed.  You keep spelling them until they are learned.  No weekly tests with words that are automatically forgotten after Friday.

Religion- While at the homeschooling conference this year a friend ordered Family Faith Formation for her family.  I wasn't quite ready to commit then, but after doing some research went ahead and ordered it for our family as well.  This program look fantastic, and Brett will be able to be involved as well which will be awesome.  

Science-  NOEO Physics I and II.  We did their Biology last year and I can't say enough about this amazing program.  They make science fun and very homeschoolable (good word, huh?)  No more searching for a used car battery to perform some "101 household items" science experiment.  All materials are included and the kids are learning from a mix of hands on and real books.  

 Reading- Gianna is beginning the Seton Grade 2 readers.  Solid reading for a new reader.  I stopped formal reading for the older two awhile ago.  They read well beyond their "grade level".  They will be reading several literature books as part of our history program.

History- Connecting with History.  It's a living history, classical, and Catholic approach to history.  Not the cheapest option available, but the materials/books are amazing.  There are a lot of read alouds involved which our family enjoys.

 Writing/English-  The oldest two are beginning IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing).  I'm very impressed with this program.  My husband is a college professor and the papers he brings home make me want to cry.  These are high school graduates writing at a second grade level.  I'm not exaggerating a bit.  Brett is actually going to start incorporating some of the IEW methods in his teaching. 
                          All three of the kids will be working through some Seton English workbooks.  It's solid stuff, and sometimes ya just have to sit down and do a workbook.  There, I said it. 

I think that does it.  The preschooler is going to get a lot of books read to her.  That's my goal anyway.  We don't do formal preschool lessons (except I am going to try some stuff out of "Slow and Steady, Get me Ready", a recommendation from a dear friend who also has little ones who want attention, the nerve of those little ones), but reading we do, and I need to do more of it for the little red head and her trusty 2-ft companion.

The pictures are from our crab-apple picking adventure.  The crab-apples are most likely going to be turned into wine, what else right?  My husband and his wine making addiction hobby will have to wait for another post.

First Day

Like many families, homeschooling or otherwise, we went back to school today.  Although I've had everything I needed for this school year since last spring, I hadn't opened boxes or gathered materials so that they made any sense.  We've been so busy this summer and the littlest of our crew is busy, busy, BUSY which makes planning time non-existent.

Monday morning came around regardless of how I felt about it.  All in all we had a great day.  I'm trying to provide the flexibility that comes with homeschooling with my little ones while at the same time trying to instill responsibility with those older ones.  Alarms were set, routines were implemented, and every one was happy.  Well, almost every one.  The 3-year-old and 18 month-old were starved, STARVED I tell you, for attention.  I have a very wise friend who, although she homeschools, has sent her pre-schoolers to pre-school.  How very, very wise.  My pre-schooler is giving me a run for my money, already.  I entered this year with a workable "schedule/routine" and a pep-talk I'd given myself about welcoming interruptions because, after all, what amazing little blessings these "interruptions" were.  For the most part my trickery worked, however, I'm not quite as psyched for the rest of the year as I would like to be at this point. 

Coming in a following post is what we are doing for school this year.  You don't want to miss it.  Okay, really, it's no big deal, but I love reading what everyone else is doing.  I love it more now that I'm fairly confident in our approach and a blog-post at the beginning of the school year no longer sends me on an internet search for a brand-new curriculum because what I have is just not going to work, because so-and-so@somerandomblog.com says so.  :-) 

And with that, I present the ever-so-popular first day of school pictures!

Robin, His Merry (Wo)Men, and Lucy

I don't think it is bragging to say that my children have wonderful imaginations.  Their most recent "imaginings" have brought them to "Falcon Camp" where they all wear capes and sling bows and have quivers.

Aidan has painstakingly cut down mini-trees with his "Christmas Hatchet" and made bows out of them.  For the past three mornings the kids have set their alarms for 6:40am (not that they need alarms since they are usually up with that sunshine anyway) which is the exact time Brett has been getting back from his morning run (go him!) and is available for bow-stringing.

I have informed the motley crew that tomorrow morning's archery tournament has to postponed until after breakfast and morning chores, but secretly I wish I didn't have to be the grown up.  I want to be out there shooting those bows too.  They are really something else.

Sunshine and Laughter

We've had several visitors this summer and we have some more coming at the end of the weekend.  I love hosting family, friends, strangers (well, strangers turned friends).  I feel so blessed to live in an area that is 1)Beautiful and 2)Beautiful.  We can tell ourselves that we are going to take time to play tourist, but in the end unless we are hosting guests we rarely get out and enjoy the beauty that is surrounding us.

Our friends' sweet 2-year-old.  Those curls, enough said.

Priest turned brewmaster.  Drinking beer is, apparently, very serious business.