Too Smart!

Grace didn't have the opportunity to go to preschool today because she has a nasty little cough.  It was the PERFECT opportunity to get some more school done at home. 

This little girl is SO amazing!  We have been working with -in words.  Today was day 3 and she rocked them out!  We might do some review, but we will be moving on to -at words.  She is doing a wonderful job at writing, as well.  Mommy is completely happy with this special girl and her learning skills!

 

While we worked on words together, John wanted in on some of the action, too.  And, why not?  He took the half of the board Grace wasn't working on and he started to draw a family portrait.  This is the first time he has decided on his own to make his shapes and lines into an actual drawing.  He moved right up to the next level of drawing "expertise" with a smile.  :)

 

 

 

(In order) Mommy, Daddy, Grace, Libby and John

 

Oh, how bittersweet it is to watch your babies grow!  

Transition

I know, I know.  It is inevitable that my baby won't be a baby forever, but these transitional phases are the hardest.  Do you see this little girl?  She is already starting to lose her preschool look.  Just last week her pig tails looked like they belonged to a preschooler, but now they are on a young lady.  Oh my!  Time is flying by too quickly. 

 

You might be a homeschooler if...

Can I just tell you how much I needed yesterday's co-op session?  It was just a breath of fresh air that reminded me that I CAN do this.  I know I can, but sometimes those wisps of encouragement are just helpful, and they can truly come in any form.

So, you might be a homeschooler if...

10. You are easily adaptable to changes in plans...because they are inevitably GOING to happen!

9. There are 18 children between the ages of 2 and 9 sitting at the same table doing the same activity...and actually doing quite well, I might add.

8. You know the only dad that brought his kids to co-op because his adorable 2-year old continuously runs out of his sight and then starts shouting, "Daddy!  Daddy!  Daddy!"

7. You have multi-age siblings sitting at the table mentioned in #9, so you can watch with glee as you see the perfectionists and their not-so-perfectionist siblings.  Can I just say it is AMAZING to watch brothers and sisters do the SAME maze and see the end result?  Both of them got to the end, but their trips there look quite a bit different!

6. The word curriculum (especially in the spring) comes up about three dozen times in a one-hour time span.

5. You get excited because a mom that has been homeschooling longer than you talks about switching up her curriculum...AGAIN...this year, and it makes you not feel so guilty about doing the same thing.

4. You are thrilled that above-said mom HAS the curriculum (and isn't using it) that you are thinking about using next year.  AWESOME!!!

3. You discuss with another mom how to make salt water taffy and turn it into a complete science lesson.

2. You talk about new situations and discipline issues that come from them.  At least SOMEONE can offer a bit of support because they've been there before.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST

1. One mom suggests that as soon as the weather is hot enough (Spring, oh spring, where art thou?) and there is no wind, putting a long table out in the yard with lots of glitter, glue, paint, and any other imaginable art supply on it; having the kids do art in their swim suits; then running through the sprinkler for clean up.  And another mom says, "Hey art and P.E. credit all wrapped up in one!"

I l.o.v.e. this community of people who have chosen to be odd man out in a public school world!  I love the conversations and the support.  I love knowing I am not alone on this journey.  I love that if I am having doubts about some aspect...I will hear that doubt from someone else's mouth and I can gain strength from the fact that if they were able to work through it...so can I!

Proud to be an American!

As we were stopped at a red light yesterday I heard John call out, "Hey! Look!  It's a 'Merican!"  There was a bank just across the way that was, of course, flying an American flag.  He was quite pleased that he had found this "'Merican" as he calmly and patiently tried to explain where it was to his confused sisters.  It was so cute!

Sisters

I had heard tales of sisters and how they LOVED to dress up their younger brothers and put make up on them and all that kind of girly stuff.  As a girl with two sisters, I never thought much about it.  Now, as a mom...I am living it!  Hey, at least they are having fun together...and I have blackmail.  ;)

 

 

 

Pregnancy is Tiring!

Just ask John!

 

*It is his pinky that he has shoved up his shirt...and yes, he did try to convince us that he wasn't tired, he was just talking.

Sunday School?

What is better than doing some school on a lovely Sunday afternoon, right?  Seriously!  Libby had a friend stay over Saturday night, we took her to church and then she came back out to our place to do a craft and play in the snow for a little longer.  I found a cute little chick craft and decided to fly with it.  (No pun intended.)

I obviously did mine a little differently than the directions suggested, but that is beacause that is the beauty of art for me...creativity!!!  I also let the kids paint their plates rather than buying yellow paints.  First of all, it was cheaper for me to use things that I had on-hand (EVERYTHING USED) and secondly, kids L.O.V.E. to paint!  I might as well make it as fun as possible for them.  :)

The beauty of the activity was that while the kids labored over their baby chicks and I directed and helped them (with the help of my mommy friend) Chris got the brilliant idea to make a chicken clucker to go along with the subject.  It was great!  Once he got it made (once again, we had everything on-hand) the kids would come over as it interested them and he would let them try it while he explained to them how it worked.

I was telling my friend how you could make this into a full day of school by implementing some spelling words that go along with chick; having them write a short story, or an introduction for their very own chick; do math that relates to chicks...adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing eggs...doing time with how many eggs a chicken lays in so long of a time period, the options are endless.  Seriously!  I think the kids were a bit relieved that we didn't follow through on all that learning though.  ;)

It was a great time with cute chicks at the end of it all!