kidding around

We have hit day 24 of our school year. What have we learned this year, so far:

*All 3 kids play and converse with one another SO MUCH MORE. Do they still argue? Sure, they’re kids. But the one thing that Simon says repeatedly is that he likes learning at home because he hangs out and learns with his sisters.

*I do not miss the morning rush or the the commute back and forth from home, to work, to school. NOT AT ALL.

*I need to prioritize my daily exercise which means I am out of the house by 6:30 am…sounds crazy, but the day run much smoother on these days.

*I do not miss the homework, paperwork, and projects that came with school. NOT AT ALL.

*It’s okay to get questions or problems wrong. There are no grades, just understanding of information and not slacking. This is particularly difficult for my one child which can REALLY make the day go in the wrong direction.

*Teaching a child to read is no easy task. My patience is constantly tested. BUT, watching her conquer her challenges is a very gratifying thing to witness.

*Reading great literature to my children makes me SO very happy. I love this time in our day. We read at night as well, but our morning reading is based on what the kids are learning in History.

*My 7th grader finished her school day in record time- I do believe she will be fluent in Spanish and French by the end of the school year (kidding, maybe not!).

*It’s so much fun to discuss our country’s past. Simon and Ellie are learning about early American History. Since I am teaching and learning along with them, my adult perspective is so much different from when I was their age. All adults should re-visit the history of our country. Very interesting.

*We are finished with school before lunch. The kids love this and love the time they have outside. Little do they know, we will probably add a bit more to their load once snow falls. (fun stuff, of course)

*People like to give dirty looks to us if we are at the grocery store in the early afternoon. Apparently, people don’t like to see kids at that time.

So, as you can see, lots is being discovered and I didn’t even get to the academic part! It’s going well, but there are days I feel like a failure and it’s not all flowers and butterflies. But then, I look at the scene pictured above and KNOW this just a time in our life. One day, those 3 kids will be out in the world learning, working, and discovering on their own and that makes me so happy…

Do they miss “school”? Nope. I keep asking them making sure I’m not screwing up their lives, but they are convincing. I’m a fortunate mom.

Take yourself back to childhood, remember when something like a new pair of shoes was the biggest, happiest event of your life?!

This summer, Penny began camping out on the floor next to our bed. In the middle of the night, if she is awakened by a scary dream, she just comes downstairs and slips into her pre-made bed. I woke up one morning to this image and it made feel so grateful for the simplicity childhood CAN be…new shoes? YES.

Each week, Ellie asks if she can bake something in the kitchen. I consider this a real test of my patience and need to control (ahem!). BUT, give me a break- I bake for a job and let me tell you I strategize quite a bit when tackling recipes!

I have done well and Ellie has been more than capable to make cookies, cakes and these amazing cupcakes! I DID want to join the fun and made the maple buttercream. It required lots of butter, MORE maple syrup and egg yolks so you can see I was trying to prevent a flop…but somehow, I am sure Ellie would have been just fine!

A word of warning: these cupcakes and frosting require a total of 4 cups of maple syrup. So if you happen to have your own supply or don’t mind plunking down some money for this ingredient alone, you will not be disappointed.

Bring on the Fall baking!!

One of the main things I really love about my kids at home is the direct involvement I have with them in learning. I LOVE to learn beside them and it’s been fun to share the excitement in history and writing (not so much in dictation).

Penny and I are reading Story of the World, it’s a classical approach to learning and begins with the Ancient times. I like the idea of her listening to me read and then basically narrate what she just learned. I also like children learning about HISTORY with lots of substance. We began the school year with an archaeological dig in our sandbox, sent out Family Tree forms to immediate family and have read many books on nomads.

Yesterday, as I was explaining the Fertile Crescent and how some of the nomads stayed and eventually became farmers, she was so troubled that they tamed animals to eat. Somehow, she was okay with them hunting, but to care for an animal and then slaughter them to eat really got her mind spinning. I can’t tell you how much it thrilled me to watch her connect information!

Anyway, today we read a book about the Cave of Lascaux.

She has been waiting for this day all week! We set up her “cave”, made paint out of chalk and decided on her drawing. We were both amazed that some of the drawings found in the cave were as big as 16 ft! So, she wanted to create the largest horse ever!

Of course, older brother and sister were lured to the dining room to see what she was doing. They were slightly jealous of all the fun…I am sure I can think of SOMETHING for them as they study American History.

In order to add interest to the dining room and not cause a conflict, Simon was invited to use his artistic talent.

Why not?