Off

to the funnest place in IN, if not on earth.

Vacation Day 1

We haven't actually left yet but dh is officially 'off'. After 8am t-ball practice and a trip to replace the now dead weed eater I dropped L off to work concessions at the ball game and took Mel, Ads and F to pick up his new glasses. We went to the splash park after. Then we came home and the girls swam for another 1 1/2 hours while F chilled with a friend that showed up. Everyone looks sun kissed and sleepy. Me too.

Again?

So after that quick drive by post, I had another cup of coffee, hunted up stuff for the 6yo to go to camp and again. with . the. lightening. 11yo is already at camp, spending the week. A glorious week of no showers, porta-potties and sleeping on the ground. The very wet ground. I'm also wondering how safe it is for her to be sleeping in a tent with lightening and thunder and gale force winds. The 6yo will just be going in the daytime. Which means as an extra special treat I get to drive her twice a day and listen to her griping about the heat, wet and bug bites over dinner. The piece de resistance is that the oldest two are going to go get meningitis vaccines today. I'm sure their arms may fall off if they are to be believed. And while I'm whining, the 14yo has scraped the garage in preparation to painting it. Evidently it will never be dry enough to paint it though, so it just adds to the Hillbilly Goodness that is our landscaping. Four cars sitting around. Check. Toys strung all over. Check. Popsicle sticks decorating all surfaces. Check. And now chipped off paint. I have arrived!

Weather or Not

Rain, rain, more rain. Intersperse with stifling humidity. Rinse, repeat. At this rate we'll be playing t-ball in August.

Spelling? Grammar

Yes, an English teacher organized the rally. Ironic, no? Read the whole story here http://www.iowastatedaily.com/news/article_87b69a30-7f7a-5f93-a93c-497b8860511e.html

Funny Things They Say

From the two year old today (between wracking coughs)

Hey, those are my guys. (referring to L, F and Mel coming home)

I can't take it anymore. (while in time out. At least she didn't use the whole quote from Network)

This is my home that I love. (coming home after a trip to the drug store)

Summer School

A busy week here. It was hard to buckle down and do much after the fun of visitors and a couple weeks off. For my own memory, here's what we accomplished

F~started RS D, we only made it through 1.5 lessons but he's getting it which is more important than speed, continued reading The Door in the Wall and he read about Asia from a geography text. We began IEW and he has watched the dvd and done his KWO, today we write.

Mel~a couple easy phonics readers, some phonics review and 2 lessons of RS B, our read alouds have been classic fairy tales Three Billy Goats Gruff, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty

F&Mel~Bible School which covered art, PE and music at least. We've also been reading for the library summer reading program.

Other kids? My public school kids don't escape. I guess technically what we do with them is called after schooling but I just consider it giving direction. C & L are doing IEW with F and L is taking free drawing and tennis lessons from the park department. Gotta love free. Oh, and summer reading programs. I leave the 16yo alone. I expect I'll leave C alone next year. They do alot of reading and watching educational stuff anyway. I think E is reading some required stuff for college.

Thanks to The Cheap Stuff

I think I've got a plan for next year, at least loosely. I'm not a real good plan follower. Cost was a real issue so I've put things together from the library, used curriculum sales and e-bay/amazon/half price books. I really like Sonlight but just can't afford a whole core so for my 4th grader we will be using

Writing/LS~Institute for Excellence in Writing SWI A~this will touch on spelling and grammar

Reading~Sonlight reader's list from the library

Read Alouds~Sonlight from library, we do these at night and they tie in very well with history

History~US from explorers to 1850, using The Complete Book of US History and lots of library stuff

Science~Christian Kids Explore Chemistry (he requested Chemistry)

Math~Rightstart D and possibly into E

Extras? Homeschool PE and field trips, Spanish, recorder, soccer, Cub Scouts

Mel is a little harder. She's been doing 1st grade stuff since Dec even though she was technically a kindergartner.

Writing~Writing with Ease

Reading~Bob Books, Sonlight Readers 1 and an old First Grade reader I have Reading is Fun

Read Alouds~Sonlight P4/5, Addie will listen in too I'm sure

History~America and My World

Science~Usborne Science Books and Health

Math~Rightstart B

Extras~PE, Spanish, Soccer, Daisy Girl Scouts

I also use the Core Knowledge Scope and Sequence (What Your X Grader Needs To Know) to check for gaps. It can't be worse than what I remember 4th and 1st graders doing.

Catching UP

Last weekend saw dd graduate

and my SIL's from FL visit. We even arm twisted them into spending Saturday morning in the rain watching soccer. Sunday I took the Girl Scouts horseback riding and we did their bridging ceremony to Cadettes. This week is also Bible School and L is taking a (free!) drawing class and tennis lessons in Bluffton. I've had to have S & E help out with that driving. I'm so thankful they can drive now. How did I keep from losing my mind when they were all younger and helpless? I also fit in a used curriculum sale in Fort Wayne yesterday. It rocked and I hit the free boxes and tables hard. Gotta love free. This weekend is just as packed as last with t-ball games, Bible School programs, the last soccer games and the boys needing to be at Boy Scout camp Sunday morning at 10am. Oh, and Phil is working so it's all my party. And I should probably get some food in the house. If I have time.

Poor Neglected Blog But...

May

Why, why does every group feel that they must have a year end event, award, party? It's crazy around here. I also threw in a trip to Riley Hospital and after much worry was reassured S's arm will be fine and so will he. Very, very thankful here. Interspersed with that? Award luncheons, band concerts, Girl Scout picnics, Cub Scout Raingutter Regattas, eye appointments, orthodontist appointments, Spanish Class Fiestas, 8th grade trips to D.C., soccer and t-ball games, graduation parties....... You get the idea. Exhausting. And it leaves no time to waste on the internet.

Award Night

Look at that fistful of awards BUT see the medal her friend is looking at? You guessed it, they got her name spelled wrong. Geesh!

Menu and Still Thinking

Food, I'm too busy to make food. Soooo much to do this week. This is a brief respite before I head out for orthodontist and surgeon appointments (which are 30 miles apart of course). S needs to be back by 5:00 to go to a meeting about his Eagle project. Mel has a 6:30 t-ball game and I need to be at the High School awards night ceremony at 7:00. The rest of the week is just as bad. Maybe I'll type up another post while I'm here to post later. It's mostly to keep me on track anyway. Food this week is coming from freezer stash

Sun-turkey (I baked two, picked them and packaged the meat for later), broccoli, grapes, angel food cake

Mon-ham (freezer), mac&cheese (box, blush), leftover broccoli (I made double), fruit bowl

Tue-stir fry, rice, mandarin oranges

Wed-hamburger casserole (freezer), green beans, applesauce

Thu-spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, grapes (sale)

Fri-pizza, relishes, fruit bowl

Sat-potato soup (freezer), bread, fruit bowl

Reading

So it's 6am. Couldn't sleep. Probably because I went to bed at 9pm. I just couldn't stay awake. A very busy,hectic week and Saturday. (Today isn't any better or tomorrow~sigh). I did finish a book last night before bed. I love to read. LOVE IT! I tend to go in fits and starts though. It almost seems like movies. Tons of good stuff, then alot of nothing. If you've got time I recommend
Wolf Hall~this is huge but good and you'll know more about Henry VIII and his time period than you thought you wanted to know

The Happiness Project~I just like peeking into people's lives so I enjoyed this. A little gimicky but nice to know other people think about this stuff too. I'm always up for a little self improvement. I wish it would stick better though

The Weed That Strings The Hangman's Purse~the second mystery featuring a mad chemist named Flavia De Luce, who is 11 years old. E disliked the first book (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie) but I enjoyed it. We usually agree on books so this was surprising.

This summer I'd like to reread some childhood favorites. I can get away with that if I call them read alouds. Or I might just read them anyway. Yes, I am reading A Wrinkle in Time. So there. I admit it, I am juvenile. I promise not to re-read the entire Nancy Drew though. I don't like the new versions anyway. Sacrilege. I grew up on these.

180

We hit our official 180 days of school yesterday! Yeah! Now shhh, cause I didn't tell the kids.

Old business~ I've got two lasagnas, 5 lb of browned meat, 3 packages of ham in the freezer and I've got two turkeys yet to bake. I'm on my way to a 'mama ain't cooking' summer.

I'm also still pondering homeschool programs for the summer and next year. So many choices, so little time. I find we're not very good at box checking so bits and pieces are where we end up anyway. I might as well start that way. We're going to finish up some things next week then take 2 weeks off (lots of field trips and fun though). We're then going to do a 3 week mini session, break for 2 more weeks for vacation and the holiday, do 3 week session number 2 and then break 2 more weeks for church camp and general fun. The kids get 6 weeks of vacation but we still get lots done. We'll see how it goes. My thoughts are:

Session 1

LA

Begin Rightstart D and continue B

finish up world history~they like this and see it as story time

Session 2

LA

Math

keyboarding for F, Bible school and day camp for Mel

Of course we're going to do the summer reading program and may throw park tennis lessons and craft time if we feel like it. Oh, and lots of swimming.

Check out other great ideas check out the Homeschool Blog Carnival at

Appolo's Academy

My Ringtone!

Happy Mother's Day

Got Away

The whole week got away from me. Four appointments with docs/orthodontists, breakfasts, car repairs, school, t-ball, soccer, soccer, soccer, hail storms. Whew! I accomplished not much other than keeping my head above water. School wise we'll hit 180 days on Wednesday the 12. We'll probably take a little break and then dive back in. It seems stupid to waste summer when they are just sitting around here anyway. Of course some things we'll do we do every summer. Camps, library reading programs, sports. All that is learning and doesn't need a text book. I think if we can devote a little time to grammar/writing and a little time to math we're good. We (ok the kids) like to play math card games and Trivial Pursuit and Risk and...well you get the idea. I think that all counts too. And I'll keep reading to them which they think is fun but we secretly know is (shhh now) good for them. We'll see how it goes.

Proud to Announce

E is the salutatorian of her class! Which goes to show you can overcome your upbringing!

From the paper:

"Emma is the oldest daughter of Phil XXXX and Lisa XXXX and she has 3 brothers and 3 sisters all younger than she is."

"She plans to attend Manchester College and pursue a degree in Elementary Education. She has a real passion for working with and helping young people. She would like to try and make a difference in the lives of these people through education. She is humble, kind, considerate and obviously very bright.

Her accomplishments are many.

She was ranked in the Top 25 students, 4 years
Treasuer of National Honor Society
She is a 10-year participant in 4H
Member of Future Educators of America
Student Council member, 4 years
Class Council, 3 years
German Club, 3 years

Debate Team, 2 years
Freshman Mentoring, 2 years
Kids Club assistant in Warren for the last 6 years (Christian Outreach program for young children)
Junior Troop Assistant in Girl Scouts, 4 years
Service Learning Club at HNHS
babysat and tutor young children, last 2 years

She hopes to enter the Peace Corps after finishing college.

So

I haven't got the menu made because I've been running around like crazy. A breakfast for E at school. Many doctor's appointments (3) in 2 days for S (cyst on his arm), orthodontist appointments and fitting school, soccer and t-ball in there. My eyes are glazing over. I've also been trying to finalize in my head what we'll be doing this summer for school and coming up with a schedule. Oh, and fighting allergies and a virus. I'll get to it all, just not in my time.

Monday Again

No menu today because I'm working on a OAMC plan. I try to do this when summer heats up and we get so busy. Also, I can micro most stuff and not turn on the oven. A big plus in my circa 1900 kitchen. Today was filled anyway with an ear recheck (finally all clear!), school and lots and lots of laundry. The rainy weekend meant I backed everything up since I'm trying really hard to hand everything and not turn on the dryer again for a long time. I'm also trying to nail down just what we're going to be using next year for school. I need to narrow it down. There is so much great stuff but needless to say you can't do it all. I've got ideas and I'm going to see what I find at the used curriculum sale in June. Now on to Spanish class and stopping at the park because it's too pretty not to. Oh, and Paula, relishes are just raw veggies, usually with hummus or ranch to dip.