May 21, 2008
School's out!!! And we are enjoying the fine weather. Yesterday, I happened to see what I think was a baby groundhog while walking our dog around the 1.25 acres of our property. The little hog played statue to avoid notice of Kayla, the dog, who is really not that smart. Unfortunately, baby hog was gone by the time the kids got outside. But we viewed the abandoned wren's nest (complete with five eggs) in the bag of deer corn feed and sucked on honeysuckles in the backyard. Olivia chased butterflies. And it was a beautiful day.
Now if Joey can just get over his strep throat!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Homeschooling roundup and Adoration
May 1, 2008
Counting down the days. Yes, in just two short weeks, we will be done with school. I can't believe it, but it is true. We will have completed our schoolbooks by then and the kids also have taken their achievement tests, which is required by law annually in VA if you do not homeschool through religious exemption.
Sometimes, when I don't feel I'm doing enough, it really helps to think of all that they have done this year. Not only have they completed their English grammar and Prima Latina, we will finish Story of the World, Book 1, and the Abeka Science books for their grade level. Joey finished first grade math around Christmas and math is a continuing occupation for Olivia and me - continuing through the summer, as well. But I am happy to say she is making progress and scoring at grade level.
But what really makes me happy is to think of all the books we have read aloud this year - or will complete by the end of school.
D'Aulaire's Greek Myths
Marigold Hunt's The Life of Our Lord for Children
Geraldine McGaughren's The Jesse Tree
C.S. Lewis' The Silver Chair
James Baldwin's 50 Famous Stories Retold
A couple of the Odyssey books from Mary Pope Osborne
Misty of Chincoteauge (just for fun)
And many, many stories from the library.
Joey and I are also buddy reading the Childhood of Famous Americans life of John F. Kennedy, his favorite president.
And both kids have read tons of library books on their own this year including many American Girl books. That is what Olivia has been reading since moving to VA. Joey is particularly fond of anything to do with history, the military or presidents. He just likes to read.
Today, I took the kids to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at our local cathedral - St. Andrew's. It is a parish of about 1,500 families and they have four hours of Adoration on the first Thursday of the month. I have always heard of it being done on the First Friday. But anyway, we went for about half an hour and it was beautiful, of course. I came away as refreshed as if I had been on a retreat. There is really something special about that devotion.
But afterward, my son said something I did not expect to hear from him: "I like Adoration."
Ya-hoo!
When I asked why, he said it was because he got to read. But he was reading his First Communion Catechism. I figured he would need something to look at besides the church, so I let him have that. And both kids talked to me on the way home about what they prayed for, which
means they actually were praying. Yay, again. I'm thinking and hoping they actually may have understood what we were doing.
But right now they are outside playing homestead in which they pretend to be pioneers who have set up camp on a muddy island in our creek and make stew out of wild onions and creek water and pretend to shoot deer and moose and things like that.
Fun, fun. It's great to be a kid. And it's great to be a mom, too.
Counting down the days. Yes, in just two short weeks, we will be done with school. I can't believe it, but it is true. We will have completed our schoolbooks by then and the kids also have taken their achievement tests, which is required by law annually in VA if you do not homeschool through religious exemption.
Sometimes, when I don't feel I'm doing enough, it really helps to think of all that they have done this year. Not only have they completed their English grammar and Prima Latina, we will finish Story of the World, Book 1, and the Abeka Science books for their grade level. Joey finished first grade math around Christmas and math is a continuing occupation for Olivia and me - continuing through the summer, as well. But I am happy to say she is making progress and scoring at grade level.
But what really makes me happy is to think of all the books we have read aloud this year - or will complete by the end of school.
D'Aulaire's Greek Myths
Marigold Hunt's The Life of Our Lord for Children
Geraldine McGaughren's The Jesse Tree
C.S. Lewis' The Silver Chair
James Baldwin's 50 Famous Stories Retold
A couple of the Odyssey books from Mary Pope Osborne
Misty of Chincoteauge (just for fun)
And many, many stories from the library.
Joey and I are also buddy reading the Childhood of Famous Americans life of John F. Kennedy, his favorite president.
And both kids have read tons of library books on their own this year including many American Girl books. That is what Olivia has been reading since moving to VA. Joey is particularly fond of anything to do with history, the military or presidents. He just likes to read.
Today, I took the kids to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at our local cathedral - St. Andrew's. It is a parish of about 1,500 families and they have four hours of Adoration on the first Thursday of the month. I have always heard of it being done on the First Friday. But anyway, we went for about half an hour and it was beautiful, of course. I came away as refreshed as if I had been on a retreat. There is really something special about that devotion.
But afterward, my son said something I did not expect to hear from him: "I like Adoration."
Ya-hoo!
When I asked why, he said it was because he got to read. But he was reading his First Communion Catechism. I figured he would need something to look at besides the church, so I let him have that. And both kids talked to me on the way home about what they prayed for, which
means they actually were praying. Yay, again. I'm thinking and hoping they actually may have understood what we were doing.
But right now they are outside playing homestead in which they pretend to be pioneers who have set up camp on a muddy island in our creek and make stew out of wild onions and creek water and pretend to shoot deer and moose and things like that.
Fun, fun. It's great to be a kid. And it's great to be a mom, too.
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