Keeping It Simple

THANK YOU PATTY !

For a small window of time, I was able to. Now I cannot edit posts or leave comments. :( I already followed all the instructions for "fixes"... Hopefully, I will be able to later. Update: Am able to post and edit from my iPod! Go figure. I have not checked my computer, so all could be well there too. Now I am worried that I may mix up blogs I tried to comment on and blogs that have moderated comments that I was able to leave comments on earlier, and people are going to wonder why this crazy lady left another comment!

I am linking this pond study post from the fall  to Wildnerness Wednesday  at "Homeschooling Newbie". I aspire to do more Nature Studies and am inspired by those who make it a priority. Hopefully summer will persent many opportunties for new explorations! These are some of the drawings from our day of pond exploration.

I don't know how many times I hear myself say "we just need to get back on a normal schedule around here". I am not sure that actually exists. But I do strive for some sort of order and a sense that we are moving forward. I also try to keep in mind that all interruptions, big and little, are a part of our homeschool. To minimize or ignore those defeats the purpose of homeschooling. I don't want these events to go on without my children being a part of them; I want to them to participate in "real life 101". With that being said, we did try this week to hunker down and get back on track with school type things. This week: I worked on getting James back on his Time4Learning . He really enjoys it and it works well for him. It is more of an extra for him, but I like that it keeps him occupied while learning at the same time and he genuinely enjoys it. The math and the science are his favorite subjects in this program. Math! In an effort to work on math in ...

I am not sure how it all began, but I suspect is was with my mom's fondness for Yahtzee. A good family gathering meant playing Yahtzee. No.other.game. Yahtzee was it. We thrive on more variety around here, but I have to confess a fondness for the game of Yahtzee as well. :) I'll also factor in that we are "older" parents now and games can be played sitting on our tushy!! :) And, when Erin was the only "big kid" at home most of the time, playing games was something that I could do with just her after the boys went to bed... no matter how it all began, we do love our games!! A few new ones that we are playing: There's A Moose In The House - This game is listed for ages 8 and up, but I am sure it could be taught to much younger players (a patient teacher may be needed). It took us a few minutes to get all the rules down for this game- like only one moose per room, a "moose trap" card works only for moose in rooms, and for heaven's sake ...

Funny thing is, I always wanted a red haired daughter. Now I have one. :)

This is my amazing daughter, Erin. I try to stay away from mommy brags (at least too often), but I figure an auspicious occasion like this deserves a little bragging. I remember, years ago, reading about some local high school graduates. The local paper gave a lot of type to the very public accomplishments of those young people. Service awards, accolades for musical talent, multiple club affiliations, travel abroad, sports accomplishments, and more were touted about these graduates. It made me consider the much quieter accomplishments of homeschool graduates that I knew. Rarely is anyone going to stand at a podium and tout their accomplishments (unless they fit the mold that the world has set for being considered successful). So, on this very small podium (so to speak) I would like to take a moment to tout my daughter's accomplishments.   This amazing girl watches her Goddaughter (niece) while her sister works, she makes time...

Stop by Surviving a Teacher's Salary to enter this giveaway for The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game. No extra entry for posting this (at least not that I saw)-- just thought someone with littles might enjoy a chance to enter.

One would think that there would be a limit to how many animal stories there are... I have not found that to be so. Another one for the "animal story" list: HERBERT: The True Story Of A Brave Sea Dog  - All three of my boys (even my 13yo) loved this story. This is the story of a boy's dog, Herbert, who was lost at sea and then found after 30 hours in the water. My boys especially enjoyed the "Map of Herbert's Journey" in the front of the book, and the actual pictures of Herbert and his owner, Tim, in the back of the book along with a newpaper article and letters written to Tim about his dog. Tim's words as he went in search of his dog- "this will be the worst day of my life or the best day of my life"- also made a big impression. My boys, dog lovers in a big way, took Tim's predicament to heart. Recently read books that we did not get to with our "Astonishing Animal" study last month turned out to be fun as well: What Do Y...

When our dear friend passed away last week, one of the first things that my sister said was "who is going to snuggle with the girls in the morning? S. snuggled with her girls every morning". How many times do I wake up and start barking orders, or yelling that we are running late, or scolding that no one has gotten started on their chores... Imagine a world where my kids wake up and snuggle with me every morning. I am not sure that will happen all the time, but it sure changes my perspective on my "wake-up attitude". So, in honor of our dear friend, I am going to try to spend a little less time barking and a little more time snuggling. Thanking God for the blessing of my children and being here to spend time with them.

This week brought an unexpected loss. A dear friend, best friend to my sister, passed away last Saturday. There really are no words to adequately describe the shock and sadness that we are all feeling. It is interesting how when someone leaves this earth, all those qualities that made them who they were shine forth. This particular lady was one of a very special kind- passionate mom, loving wife, laughing friend, storyteller, ready with a smile, wicked, interested, interesting, welcoming, friendly, big-hearted, beautiful, funny, honest, chatty, accepting of all, and so much more. I am not sure how God is going to get along without her down here breaking down barriers. No one was left out wherever she went- everyone was worthy of her attention and conversation. We will all miss her more than we can say.

Brave Norman : A True Story A "hard to place" shelter dog finds a home with a loving family. The dog goes blind. In spite of those who say this is too much of a burden, the family keeps their commitment to this dog that they love. In an unexpected turn of events, this "unwanted" dog saves the day at the beach by rescuing a drowning girl!! Really, truly. A true story about a canine hero is the perfect read in James' eyes. Why Do Horses Neigh? This book is leveled for 4-7 year old readers. For James (7yo), a few words needed to be sounded out, but it was just the right difficulty and length for his patience level (which is not very long!). Plus, and this is a big plus when looking for easy reader books, James thought it was interesting. Tara and Tiree, Fearless Friends: A True Story Another one from the Pets to the Rescue series. This book gets off to a heart stopping start with Jim and his dogs walking across the frozen lake, and then J...