A Brother's Love

Things Hero(7) can do for the baby:

• Get her in and out of the crib: Let down the side and lift her with ease
  
• Carry her: One arm under her bottom, one arm around her back, held close to his body
  
• Sing to her: Jesus Loves Me, Zaccheus, Living By Faith, all sung in a sweet, albeit off-key, voice
• Read to her: reads color/shape/animal books, asks her to repeat after him
  
• Play with her: Pat-a-cake, peekaboo, shaking toys until she's interested
  
• Give her a bottle: Prop up her head, make sure bottle doesn't clog
• Feed her snacks: Go to the cupboard, find appropriate snacks in their place
• Love her: A baby couldn't ask to be loved more by a big brother!
  

Things Awesome McAwesome(6) can do for the baby:

• Get her in and out of the crib: Nearly break the side of the crib while crying in frustration about not being able to get it down. As soon as mom comes to help, the side suddenly goes down. "Oh, that was easy!" he says.
• Carry her: Wrap arms around her from behind, mom waits for her to slide through, she braces herself to fall through
• Sing to her: Jesus Loves Me, etc. in his best monster voice, 'helps' her do the motions, mom bites her tongue to keep from telling him (again!) to be gentle
• Read to her: Tosses Hardy Boys, Johnny Tremain, etc. towards her
• Play with her: Shoot Nerf darts at her ("But, Mom, it wasn't her face, just her back and bottom!"), steamroll her legs
• Give her a bottle: Force her down, stick the bottle in her mouth, walk away
• Feed her snacks: Go to the pantry, stare at the snacks for several minutes, cry that he can't find them, put them on the counter, forget to give them to her
• Love her: A baby couldn't ask to be loved more by a big brother!

*All of the above are true events. They are not fabricated or exaggerated. No babies were permanently harmed in the making of this post.*

What Is and Isn't Working

Well, it's been a while since I've posted anything new. Not because there's been nothing to report, but because we're still trying to figure out how the whole schoolwork, housework, family fun thing is going to balance out. And by the time I've finished the day, I either have felt too tired to put words to my thoughts, or I've felt like I can't possibly care about one more thing!

We took Labor Day off and went down to my parents' house, and while we certainly could have done some schoolwork this morning when we got home, I decided I just wasn't ready. It's really not a big deal because we're already 'ahead' by a couple weeks. So if you'll forgive my forthcoming ramblings, I'm going to line out what is and isn't working for us so far:

What IS working:

• Morning Preparations and Chores: Sweetheart Girl still needs some encouragement, but the older boys have it all down to a science. It's so refreshing to be able to skip the "get dressed," "brush your teeth," "clear the table," etc. mantra that was previously the norm.
  

• Awesome McAwesome’s video teacher for Language Arts: Not having to prepare every lesson for every subject has been a lifesaver for me. While he is watching a lesson, I can prepare his Arithmetic lesson, read with Hero, teach Sweetheart Girl her blends, or spend time with Minion 1 and Minion 2 in Tot School. (I didn't forget Twinkle- she's usually sleeping at this time.)

• Minion 1’s and Minion 2’s Tot School: Still have to post more on this, but basically I'm collecting manipulatives and 'learning' toys for them to occupy themselves when I'm busy. I also try to spend at least 15 solid minutes with each in purposeful learning. Minion 1 is getting pretty good with his colors- Minion 2’s not too interested in much thinking! Obviously, I'm going to have a different learning type there, but we'll get it figured out! BTW, Tot School toys are special, and only come out at school time.

• Science: Apologia's Astronomy is wonderful! The boys are really taking to it. Plus, there are so many activities, we're having a hard time doing them all (I know we don't have to, but they look fun!). Daddy-man is teaching this class, so it gives me time to focus on something else. Oh, who am I kidding?! I like to listen in, too!
  

What ISN'T working:

• An early starting time: While I love getting it all done early, I am just not a 'get up and go' person. I've tried, and some days are better than others, but as a whole, I'm finding I would rather take a little more time in the mornings to get myself ready (nevermind the diaper changes, clothes, and hair for the young ones!). We've tried doing school in the afternoon during the littles' naptime, but I also think that's too late for us, so...still working on that.

• Hero’s SOS Math: Okay, it's not so much that the curriculum is bad, but it's way too easy for Hero so we need to get something else. He will learn new things in his current level, but not enough that he couldn't learn it in the built-in 'review' weeks of the next level. Unfortunately, buying what I want isn't an option right now, so I need to decide if I need to just come up with my own math lessons in the meantime.

• Sweetheart Girl: Everything about her during school time isn't working!! She's ready for more than I had prepared for her, and she is not happy with not being able to do more! The Pre-K (or K4) stuff is just too easy, so while I didn't want to start K5 early, I may go ahead and do so 'unofficially.'

• History: Again, what we have is fine, but next year I will look for something that we can all do together. I'm on the hunt...

There may be more added to the lists as the year continues. After all, we are only a month in and have a long way to go! Maybe some of these will switch lists! I guess we'll see.

A Morning at the Park

Last night was a bit rough.  Twinkle woke up, and while I was only up with her for about 20 minutes, it took me a while to fall asleep again.  Then Sweetheart Girl woke up because she was cold and couldn't get back into her sleeping bag (she was on the older boys' floor), and after that it took me forever to get back to sleep!  Needless to say, I was not ready to get up this morning...thankfully, my wonderful husband let me stay in bed.  Not only did he get the kids breakfast, he even got them going on all their morning chores!  What a man!

Of course, he had to leave eventually, and I was up, but hardly awake.  Since most of the kids were already dressed, I decided we needed a break.  We went to the playground.  We'll call it P.E.  We had a good time, but even though we were there by 8:00 and left at about 9:00, we were all a mess of red faces, sweaty hair, and tired little bodies!  Here are some pictures:

Then the older kids decided that Twinkle needed to have some fun, too!    

Notice that while she started with a smile (with Hero), by the time Sweetheart Girl got to her, she was a little unsure of this whole slide thing…

Then they went to play Air Baseball with some new friends.

  Look!  We do have grass in Tucson!!  (pay no attention to the brown spot right next to Sweetheart Girl)

Here’s some family trivia.  So far, all of my children have been afraid of grass when they reached the toddler age…

Ready to go home!

Saturday Sillies- Homeschool Edition

I saw a funny video on youtube this week with this title:

You might be a homeschooler if...

Since I didn't like the music to which the video was set, I just copied the funnies.  I laughed on just about all of them whether they were true or not!  Since I'm not sure exactly how to correctly give credit here, I'll just say the video was posted by liveoutloud247.  Ready?

You might be homeschooler if...

You come to school in your pajamas

Your biology lab consists of assisting in your sibling’s birth

Your stack of books to check out at the library are taller than the librarian

Your PE comes from chasing little toddlers around

Your school bus is a 12 passenger van

You consider schoolwork after lunch to be cruel and unusual punishment

Your father has ever told the cashier at Wal-mart, “We’re on a field trip”

Your social life is viewed by some to be one rung lower than that of a Benedictine monk

Your teacher has ever written your report card on a napkin

You have to move dirty laundry off your desk before you can start school

The signatures on your diploma all have the same last name

Everybody else in the world is referred to as “non-homies”

Your first real date is on your honeymoon

The word “homework” sounds like a foreign language

Your yearbook is also your baby book

A snow day means you shovel the driveway after you finish your schoolwork

You enjoy the pastime of watching the public school kids walk home from the bus stop

You have to look at the clock to see if you can call your public school friends yet

Health class consists of eating breakfast

You have to decide what year you want to graduate

Your teacher can kiss your principal and no one thinks it’s unusual

You get to school and your teacher asks if you finished your chores

Your dress code is “No nudity allowed”

You don’t own a TV

You are firmly convinced that high school causes brain damage

You sleep until 9:30 on weekdays, but wake up at 6:30 on Sundays

You have more siblings than you do sweaters

Your favorite author is Jane Austen, G.K. Chesterson, or P.G. Wodehouse

You have ever suffered through Saxon Math

You taunt high-schooled friends during finals week

You spend more than 2 hours a day reading and writing…voluntarily

You regularly utilize words like: malingering, tedious, and indubitably

Shop class includes watching your older brother fix his car

You don’t know what cafeteria food tastes like

Your parents spend more money on schoolbooks than school clothes

You’ve never forgotten the combination to your locker

Your teacher frequently takes a nap during class

Heeheeheehee

First Week of School

Well, our first week is over!  I’m more tired than I thought I would be, and we couldn’t even do all of our subjects this week!  I guess it will take some time to adjust to the ‘new normal.’

I feel like I have so much to say, but then again my brain can’t even put it all together!  Hero is really enjoying his classes that are on the computer, and in his eagerness, he’s already 2 weeks ahead!  Granted, most of it is all review, so it’s not very challenging yet.

McAwesome can’t start his Language Arts until next week, so we just focused on Math.  Again, it’s all review, so we did 10 lessons without a problem.  We could have done more, but…I decided to take it easy on him!

The boys loved their first Astronomy class with Daddy-man!  It’s fun to see what they each pick up on from the lessons, and I’m looking forward to going over their notebooks as they complete them over the year.  They even already had a chance for their first (failed) field trip!  The Perseid Meteor Shower took place last night (or was it this morning?- don’t ask me, I was asleep!).  Daddy-man woke up a little after midnight to check it out, but there wasn’t much to see so he didn’t wake the boys up for it.  They were disappointed, and I read this morning that the best of it happened just before dawn.  Oh, well…

Here are some pictures from the week:

Hero hard at work!

Sweetheart Girl had to have things to do, too!

Minion 1 playing with some magnets during blanket time

Minion 2 trying to be as close to off the blanket as he could! I’m on to you, Kid!

I guess I didn’t get any pics of McAwesome- Oops!  Classic second-born child syndrome!

Wordless Wednesday- Can You Put Words to This Hair?

2010-2011 Curriculum

Here's the rundown of our school year and the materials we will be using:

 

1st Grade- Awesome McAwesome

Language Arts- A Beka (Video Streaming, includes Reading,

     Writing, Phonics, Spelling, Poetry, etc.)

Arithmetic- A Beka "Arithmetic 1" (Parent-taught)

History- A Beka "My America and My World" (Parent-taught)

 

3rd Grade- Hero

Language Arts- Switched on Schoolhouse 300

Mathematics- Switched on Schoolhouse 300

History & Geography- Switched on Schoolhouse 300

Reading List (so far)-

    * The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
    * The Mouse and the Motorcycle  

    * Encyclopedia Brown

    * Little House on the Prairie Series (the first three)
    * Charlotte's Web

    * Sarah, Plain and Tall

    * At least 3 missionary biographies (I don't have any yet)

    * We'll see what else!  I take suggestions!

 

Joint Classes- Hero and McAwesome

Science- Apologia "Exploring Creation With Astronomy"

Character Training- Pearables "Lessons in Responsibility for

     Boys"

Art- Various Crafts from "The Fantastic Rainy Day Book,"

     any Usborne books I can get from the library, and fun

     ideas I find online.  I have no formal curriculum but want

     to study at least two famous artists and their works. 

Sweetheart Girl, and sometimes the Minions, will be  included!

Bible- McAwesome’s Video Streaming Classes include Bible, so between that, family devotions, and individual devotions,

     we won't have a more formal Bible class this year.  We

     will work on Sunday School and Children's Church

     memory verses throughout the week and other passages

     as well, utilizing THIS memorization system at

     Raising Olives.  (LOVE that site!)

 

K4- Sweetheart Girl

Workbooks from Walmart!

Letter of the Week Activities from Confessions of a Homeschooler

 

Tot School- The Minions

I'm collecting various manipulatives, but more on Tot School later!

 

I'm trying to remain flexible since this is our first year schooling with all of these kiddos!  We start in 6 days!