September short summary

 A few stolen moments to read with the kids.

                                            Some of the children's reading picks as of late.

 

 Mary's "The care and Keeping of You can purchase books that go with this book that are journals but our own works just as well. In here she can write and draw about her thoughts.

A fewwiones.

Somebody got into the books!These are our pile of light units form last year that the baby is nibbling on :) The beginning of the year has been hectic and somewhat like a large boat embarking on a journey, laden down with cargo. As we slowly start to steam forwards we realize that some of the dead weight is going to  have go! That would be the "Brilliant ideas" that become filed down into useable ideas

 Juggling around the best days to study which subject is hard. As each subject becomes just as valuable. Pick me , pick me shout the books and I feel bewildered and somewhat discouraged at the weight of all of the work that we have to do!  It become  clear that if the children pick a heavy subject like Math that they are going to need a rest and then a change of subject after. Sometimes, just life, like the baby, makes it nigh impossible to do things in an orderly manner. A messy, comical scene of one child speaking science definitions out loudly over the baby AhAH AHhhh ing is memorable for all of us:)

I think that I have wrangled our subjects into  a somewhat  ordered flow of days and weeks. The best learning days are always messy and the writing is filled with angst as we work towards some works of art:)IN the middle of it the fun parts are impromptu tea with a good \HS friend. We talk about subjects and books, rapidly firing out our intentions and research and good and bad times. Marigolds used to dye fabric are discussed and lavender dried is  pulled out.  We bounce ideas and misgivings off each other knowing that we have journeyed this far and that the small trials are worth it for the tremendous blessing of getting to school this way!!

  

Love this kid working so hard!

Date..after a power walk

Aidan and I| making funny faces for a picture, while our on an impromptu date and power walk together! Win, win!! 

Baby posing with apples

 

Today I went out to do a bit of photography. I find it relaxing and it gets me outdoors to appreciate our back yard and all the nature around. Capturing our  children when they are little is one of my favorite things! Especially in the \Fall.

 

Today was a fantastic but very busy day. Fantastic because we got done .. what I had set out to do. We  did math and Language arts and we had lunch and then we did some of our writing course! All this while Jasper was making breaks from his fortress of blankets .. Often.  I let him out to roam around the kitchen area and he had a grand time!! The day not being finished yet as we still have music lessons to attend tonight. Both children are working on their verses for Sunday school. Mary's teacher has asked to do Isaiah at 3 verses at a time.. this had proved more challenging than her 1 verse memorization before!   I am feeling as if we have really launched into our studies and that we are nibbling away at each subject which as  most homeschoolers who have been at it for a while will tell you .. is the only way to  progess. So, onward ho!

 

Let's  not forget Kellen. As \I am making a concerted effort to make this year a pre- school learning year. I have been paying attention to some learning outcomes. I pulled out this CLP book from the Rod & Staff  set and he jumped in!  I set up his colored crayons and colored a bit over each color name so that he could become familiar with them! He was so pleased with his coloring and color name recollection!

  

School and the science of it.

The kids enjoyed opening their science curriculum this morning. I spent some time doing "the paperwork" of things. We had received doubles of our books, so some shall have to be returned. Mary and Aidan instantly settled into reading their books. Mary is particularly excited about receiving her American Girl "The Care & Keeping of YOU 1" It has been in perfect timing with the childrens H&C needs. They are maturing and the Sonlight Science F. Kit is timely! It covers DNA, body facts and reproduction.

 

                                                   

cuddles

 

Well, the picnic went really well. We talked and ate and talked some more. The kids swarmed enmasse at the Park, where they  behaved themselves among the prized Rhododendrons. The boundaries being, don't go past the cemetery or the hedges. I didn't have much of a chance to really chat to too many as I had the care of my lil guy and needed to attend to my others on occasion. 

Kellen catching rain.

 

I just took some parting shots of my kids. The last hooray was a play in the sandbox for Kellen. For the last few days we have been experiencing a huge bank of thunder clouds and claps. The booms are heard all  across the valley and I am tempted to pull out our Ken Hamm AIG books and look up clouds and thunder and the like and read them before bedtime. I will jot it down for another day!

Here we are  restarting  our blog again after a bit of time away. As our mentoring teacher is in Israel right now  we would like to give her some visuals. For those who are interested in what we do, come along for the ride!
  The kids are in preschool, Grade 4 and Grade 5 this year. We are using some of the same curriculum as last year and some we just can't fit in. We are adding a language and writing course this year.  When I have some time I will be talking about some of the curriculum that we Love!



Jasper played with his  Baby Sheet.

Kellen practicing how to use scissors

 

 

  Mary decided to  play with some paper dolls. Today she opened up her Usborne blue book of Science and did the "Directing light experiment" with a flashlight and tin foil just for fun. This was after having a friend over, going to the park and it being a "Not starting school week."

On the first day of not starting school, the kids opened up (upon my suggestion) their new addition from DONNA WARD. A Professor Noggins "Geography of Canada" card game.  They had fun testing each other, just to see the dismay when the other didn't know the answer.. oh, brothers and sisters:)

 

We have so much to get done this year. Tomorrow, we head over to a "Not back to school" picnic, to see some old friends and meet some new. Actually, this is the first year that I can say the name and not find it a bit awkward! On Friday, we start our Guitar and Piano lessons with our amazing school, "The Sound of Music" with  well loved guitar teacher from last year who is actually in the process of becoming  a History teacher.. We hope to hold on to him in group lessons for as long as we can. Mary starts with a new piano teacher this year who sounds awesome. SO many new teachers, mentors and people to meet. We also have some approved archery lessons, swimming lessons in the works..so hard to chose!  We will post later about heading to the country for a BBQ. The kids will have lots of fun no doubt.. Pheww,  for a quiet week it looks like it's  a good thing that we just got organized:)