A Change

I have been thinking quite a lot about changing the name of the blog. I have never been satisfied with the title, because I never thought it truly sumed up our family. So.........I decided today that life around here is a circus at times.

This blog is an on-going project for me as I learn to navigate the world of blogging. One day, if I do not learn how to give my blog a customized look, I will hire someone to do it for me.

Thanks for being patient as I learn, and thank you for dropping by to visit!

The Crew

Nicholas' First School Papers and What Else Happened

Today was Nicholas' first day to complete what he thinks is official school work!

He was so very proud!

Nicholas with all 3 papers.

Nicholas and the paper he liked the most!

Kensli colored her papers, too, but as you can tell she was not pleased with her pictures. She sat on her little singing zebra and pouted at me! Even mad she is so funny!!!!!!!!!!!!

Which Pooh Character Are You?

Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz!

Never would have guessed! I kind of like the loveable old bear!

THEFAMILY FUNNIES

Kensli is a hilarious child!!!!! She keeps us laughing over little looks or sayings. Here are two of her current funnies.

During lunch, Kensli got down from her chair and went over to the carpet. She raised her hand and said, "Hey, everybody, listen to me! I have a song." At this point we were all looking at her wondering what was coming next. Then she raised her hands over her head and this is the song she sang ( that she obviously wrote), "I got my elbows on...I got my elbows on..........I got my elbows on.........I got my elbows on." She must have repeated the chorus 5 times! For her grand finale she threw her head back, stuck her arms out to the side, raised her eyebrows, closed her eyes, and sang, "Whoo-oooo-oooo!" Needless to say, we laughed and laughed!

Also, Kensli has been telling me lately to, "Back off, Barbie!" She isn't mad when she says this just funny! It usually happens when I am walking through the house! She will chase me, get in front of me, put one hand on her hip, point her finger at me, and say, "Back off, Barbie!" Maybe I should thank her for the compliment!



Nicholas started school this week, and we are working on his scriptures for Sunday School. The 1st verse we are working on is Acts 2:38. We worked Monday morning on "Repent and be baptized......" Later that day I asked him if he could still say his scripture and he said, "Repeat and be rebaptized...." Hard not to laugh!!!!!!!!!!

Course Of Study

FINALLY I have decided on our course of study for the year.

Ricky:

1. Abeka Math
2. Rod and Staff Grammar 4
3. Prima Latina
4. Spelling Power ( I will add this in about a month.)
5. Handwriting (dictation and copy work)
6. Memory (scriptures, history, and poetry)
7. Reader from the Sonlight Program
8. Piano

Kaitlyn:

1. Saxon Math 2
2. First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind
3. The Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading (Phonics)
4. Handwriting-Abeka
5. Memory (scriptures, history, and poetry)
6. Various Readers from the Sonlight Program
7. Piano

Subjects studied together:

1. History- Story of the World Volume 2 and 3--MWF
2. Apologia Science--TTh
3. Art-Drawing with Children on Fridays
4. Books read aloud (Bible, various books of my choosing)--Daily

We will be notebooking everything that can be notebooked. I love the concept of keeping up with what they have learned through notebooks!

Nicholas is starting the Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading, Memory, and Art. He is very excited every day to "do school."

Kensli is just hanging out and learning some with Nicholas. She already knows what "A" says through hearing me tell Nicholas.

Looks like a full and fun year! Add all field trips, church activities, sports, etc. it will be a VERY EXCITING YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last Week In Pictures

Thought I would share a few pictures of last week! Definitely a typical homeschooling family!

Kensli and Me

Ok! Be perfectly honest..........who REALLY likes the way they look in pictures? I know that I do not but these pictures of Kensli were too cute not to post!

SMILE!!!!

Isn't she darling?

Like mother, Like daughter!!!!

I am having a hard time with my other 3 kiddos posing for the camera. Camera comes out and they head for the hills! Sorry, if it seems that Kensli is the only one that has gotten her picture taken lately! I've got to work on some pictures of all of them together!!!!!

"ALEX" INK

This is what can happen when you lay out your art supplies and do not check them before hand.

Yesterday, the kids were really bored, so I thought that I would let them create something absolutely wonderful. I did not notice that someone had added an ink pad to our art supplies. As you know, ink and small kids do not go well together. I was busy cooking lunch when I glanced up at my beautiful, quiet (for a change), creative children to find Kensli working on body art!

Can't you see how proud she is? While I was taking this picture, she kept saying, "LOOK, MOMMY, LOOK!"
Thankfully it was child ink and will come off in water. I put her at the sink with some plastic dishes and when she was through "washing dishes" it was all gone! Whew! Hope this is not the beginning of a career or something!

Not My Nature!

I am not naturally organized! Way too many other "fun" things to fill my day! I used to have to make myself organize when I taught in public school. Homeschooling was a definite challenge for me last year because of two reasons- Kensli and Lack of Organization! This year, I am challenging myself to be different. I know that in order for us to get the most out of this year, I have to be organized.

Here are the things I am working on in order to accomplish my mission.

1. Creating a month of lesson plans at a time. I don't know if I will be able to keep up with this, but I would like to keep two weeks ahead.

2. A yearly planning calendar. I want to do seasonal projects and celebrate cultural holidays from Vietnam, Guatemala and China. I have to plan in advance for these celebrations, because most supplies have to be ordered.

3. Weekly assignment sheets. Ricky likes to see what is planned for his week on Monday morning. Kaitlyn needs to have her days scheduled, because she is like me.

I know that there are a few other ideas I would like to add, but figure I need to start small and build up!

Off to organize............

Keeping Ricky Busy

Airplanes, go-carts, tree houses, and invisible ink are just some of the interesting projects you will find in The Dangerous Book for Boys. This book takes you back to when there was time in the day for simple exploring. Any boy would find something in this book to keep him interested for quite sometime.

My kids have been making and flying airplanes all morning. Ricky is so excited about the book that he has checked our garage for a supply of old lumber and extra bike tires. I think that a tree house and homemade go-cart are in our future!

LAST DAY

Today is the last day of Kensli's quarantine! We can now resume our life of going places for no known reason! I have missed church and friends!

A New Friend

The company that Toby works for sent Kensli this new friend. Her name is Tabby and she is a cute and friendly bear. Kensli and Nicholas both wanted to take a picture with the new friend.

Tabby

Nicholas and Tabby

Kensli and Tabby

A CHANGE

Today, I decided to give the blog a new look! Hope that it doesn't confuse, but I like the way this one looks. Until I change again......................

BACK TO SCHOOL

August 20, 2007
So much has happened this year that I didn't know if I would be ready to start school. Around our house, school really never ends or begins; it is an ever-learning experience. This year has been so different! With all the medical situations that have occurred, there has been no school since June 29th. So I guess I feel the need to put an official goal in front of ME! Maybe this will challenge me to get back in the groove.

This year I will not use a packaged curriculum, and I will be taking the next week to get everything ready to go.

Nicholas will start school this year. I will be working with him about an hour a day!
GO, NICHOLAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kensli Update

Every day brings us one day closer to Kensli being able to be out and about. It brings me one day closer to freedom. When the doctor said "two weeks" of quarantine, I thought, "No Problem!" Well, that is harder than I thought! Didn't realize just how long two weeks could be.

Kensli acts like she never even had heart surgery! The stitches have been removed and only a light, long, thin scab marks the spot. Her bathing suit line has not been damaged, which I am sure she has really worried about. She is running, jumping, climbing, hitting, pinching, kicking, and anything else that she thinks about.

We have six more weeks of restricted activity, but I do not know how the doctor thinks we can accomplish that. On the bright side, I am just thankful she is acting this way! Life could be so vastly different! To God be the glory!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kensli goes back for her next checkup on September 14, 2007.