Happy First Day of School!

This is the schoolroom from the living room. 

New school cupboards Sweetheart installed this weekend.  They are leftovers from the kitchen and bath cabinets we were given.  It is so much nicer that what I had before and I can hide the junk. I had a place to lay everything out this morning before we started.  Love that!

Looking back the other way back towards the living room.

 

 

 

Shh!  Don't tell my kids it is a holiday.  They don't know that everyone didn't start school today.
We're done for the morning.
We started our Scripture Memory work box at breakfast.  Prayed for the day after breakfast clean up.  I also measured them on the kitchen door jam so we can check how much they're growing.  Then they opened little gifts of flashcards (not as cool as Legos) and a poetry book.  (Thanks Grandma Eileen for the book!) 
Then we took these pictures.  It's a cloudy day here so they are pretty dark.  We even got a few rain showers.  Hopefully Sweetheart and his friend missed those being up in the woods getting firewood.
We talked about our new school schedule.  Yes, we were already behind.  Ahem.  But I did good and didn't say so. 
We did our Calendar Time in a cool notebook idea I found online.  Will add link later if requested.  A short math lesson followed.
Then they worked on their math while I made smoothies and everyone had a break.  The idea that the more you focus and attend to your math, the longer your break will be was its own lesson.  I rotated the laundry and prepped a bit for dinner with Cupcake's help.
We then all did our first Chinese lesson together.  Cupcake's pronunciation is spot on!  Just fifteen minutes for that and then onto Handwriting and Grammar.  The Handwriting went great, but Grammar stunk. 
Normally, we'd have History or Science time, but we don't have all our books in yet for that.  Wasn't it just July?  Whatever.
So now it's a few chores like check for chicken eggs and rotate laundry and make lunch.  After lunch and clean up, I've instituted a Quiet Time.  Cupcake's naps are dwindling which changes life.  I figure a quiet half hour lets her fall asleep if she needs to and gives everyone a break even when she doesn't sleep.  Plus, the boys can happily read quietly in their room.  I plan to take that half hour with a cup of tea and a book (Tenant of Wildfell Hall) for me in my room as well. 
After that everyone awake can come downstairs for project time:  art & handicrafts, music, building, etc.  Then we'll spend some time outside, hopefully each day.  Around three we'll settle in for tea time and read aloud time. 
We'll see how it all goes!

Yes! A Post! With Pictures!

I Love this Gate

I am still using my little netbook and my tablet thing these days which make blogging a challenge.  I have also been reading and creating so much that my thoughts are quite scattered and finding a few minutes to write is a challenge.  I am enjoying reading what everyone else has to say though.  I am trying to leave comments as I am able so you know I've popped by, but many times, I just can't.

It's been so interesting to see the changes around here as we head into Autumn.  It will be our first Autumn here in Idaho and I am excited to see what she brings.  The fields around our valley still have some green to them, but most field crops and all the hayfields have been mowed.

It has been a dry Summer here. The rains that had accompanied every day of Spring ended on June 21st.  They have only briefly dropped by for quick visits that barely moisten the ground.  And I find that I miss them.  In Colorado, it was quite common to have afternoon showers throughout the Spring and Summer.  All is new and different here.  Some days, I feel like I moved to another planet, not another state.

For a girl born in the desert who lived nearly all her life in cities, this is quite a change.  There are a lot of challenges, but so many wonderful gifts as well.  There are the gifts from the bounty of the land, but also the gifts of new friends.  People are quite open and welcoming here.  Though I know a few think we're crazy and wonder if we'll make it through a full winter, most are just happy we are here.

I have been heads down quite a bit as I am studying myself and preparing for our first "official" season as homeschoolers.  That being said, we have actually "done school" nearly everyday of summer.  To say that Pumpkin is a motivated learner is an understatement.  And anything Pumpkin does, Dumpling believes he needs to be a part of.  :)  At only 21 months apart, they are best friends and rivals.  Dumpling gets "frusterated" because he simply cannot do all that Pumpkin can.  And he can't.  Those 21 months at this age mean a lot.

We bought a book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons to use in teaching Pumpkin to read about a year ago.  I had read that so many people loved it.  Somehow, I managed to be a "real" teacher for many years, but didn't know how to teach someone to read.  My sister had taught me as she learned back when I was four so I don't even remember I time I wasn't reading.  I kept asking when we'd learn to teach kids to read in my teacher education courses, but it was not done.  Weird.

Luckily, I ended up teaching older kiddos most years so we all survived.  The year I taught Kindergarten I was taught the summer before how to teach the Language Arts curriculum.  But that is not the same as teaching someone to read!  I wonder how many kids are struggling in schools today because their teachers do not know how to teach this basic thing.  We learned a lot of other things, but sadly, the college I got my certification from was heavy on theory to the total neglect of practicality.  (This was NOT Biola where I got my BA.)

Anyway, we had bought this book and I struggled with the theory behind it all.  I kept picking it up to read it and understand it so I could teach it, but I just didn't get it.  One day I laughed out loud when I read a post of Renee's talking about teaching her children to read.  She had the same book.  Want to know what she did?  She had her husband teach it!  I knew that was the answer.  The book is so...left-brained...that it is perfect for Sweetheart and Pumpkin.  I told him he should be the one to teach it.  Well, one day this summer they sat down and started it.  100 lessons later, Pumpkin is reading!

We've worked it out for Sweetheart to do the lessons with Pumpkin each morning after breakfast.  Cupcake usually heads down for a nap and I would do some morning housework and then "do school" with Dumpling.  He was more interested in just hanging out one on one with Mommy, but he has learned quite a lot in those morning times.

Over the last few years, I have been sporadically reading about Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education.  I LOVE it!  As one in love with reading and writing, married to another one in love with reading and writing, it is a perfect fit for our family.  I've laughed to discover several of my favorite writers (Tonia, Ann, Sally) have used or are using, her ideas.

There are some great websites out there with a lot of information on Charlotte Mason.  I had read some of the various things and e-books they offered.  I like the quotations from Charlotte the best, but felt a bit lost in the various writings other people wrote to explain what she said.  I was finally able to just sit down with her original writings and LOVE them.  There are simple to understand on their own to me.  Maybe it is because I am always reading other English authors from that time period, I don't know.  :)

To me, it is a bit like devotional books.  Well-written ones have a purpose and can provide insight, but if all we read is what others say about the Bible with an occasional quotation from the Bible thrown in, we will miss so much.  (No, I am not equating CM with Scripture.)  We need to read direct from the source of anything to truly understand it.

That said, I did get Educating the WholeHearted Child by the Clarksons.  Sally's writings have often ministered to my heart and have made our home a much better place.  As we move into this time of more formal education in our home, getting this book made sense.  And I am so glad I did.  It is so well written and researched and organized.  It's a bit overwhelming to suddenly have so much laid before you, but in a wonderful way.

See, it's not just a regurgitation of Charlotte's writings.  It is a framework, an outline, for creating a home that educates children not just in reading and writing, but more importantly shows how to disciple your children in Christ.  It is living a one-piece life at its finest.

You know, I wasn't planning on writing this post this morning.  I was going to share all sorts of other things!  Like about all the art we are making, all the pickles and preserves I'm putting up, our berry hunting trip, and our Tasha Tudor weekend.  But the goat is roaring and the kids are all up so I must go now.  Hope you all have a wonderful day!  I'll try to get back and write on some of the other thoughts soon.

Today's Project

I love how the trees here dapple the light. It is so lovely.

This idea for a large bulletin board is just what I've been looking for! I love google. I had been looking on craigslist for a used one, but they were still too expensive or too far away. The camouflage fabric is so not us, but we'll head to the fabric store and find something.

I wasn't really planning to start more directed learning with Pumpkin until the baby arrives and we settle into life with that, but he is more than ready RIGHT NOW and wants to learn everything TODAY. :) I'll post pictures when I get it all together. (Ok, when will that happen? Luckily, I am just talking about the bulletin board.)

I finished up all my sewing of baby things and used up all my flannel. I made about 10 washcloths, 6 cloth diaper burp rags with flannel decor, and a bunch of all flannel burp cloths, and three blankets. LOVING the softness of it all. So does Dumpling. He's got a little square of the flannel he loves to rub on his cheek and play with. Of course, then Pumpkin wanted one. He's not as tactile as Dumpling so his square has become a car cover for the lego convertible he made.

Tomorrow night is my home visit with the midwives. I was hoping to have the nursery all set up, but it hasn't worked out. The crib I was going to borrow ended up not happening. Back to craigslist! I should be able to get most of the things I am planning to borrow when my Bunco group comes over next week. Crazy, I know, but I will keep it all realllly simple.

Plus, I may get company tomorrow as my Dad and Stepmom may be coming through town to see us. I hope so! I miss them.

And, I was able to make plans to meet up with Janna next Friday. We haven't been able to get together due to moves and babies. Her having a baby while I was moving and now her moving while I am having a baby just have complicated it all. I am looking forward to meeting her little Beth.

Pumpkin and Dumpling are finishing up breakfast as I type. Pumpkin asked for some Banana Dippers. I had to ask what he was talking about. He said, "Get some yogurt and honey and raisins and cut up some bananas and you dip it." No problem, we've got all that. So I mixed it all up for he and he is over there, "Mmm! That's good stuff!" Sounds good to me.

Now here is Dumpling wanting some. I love that they love good food. Reality check- Pumpkin ate his while wearing the Krispy Kreme hat he got yesterday from the donut store. It's not all perfect. ;)

Score!

I just raided the bargain bins at Target and think we are set with preschool/homeschool supplies! From books and clocks to tubs and counting blocks~ we are ready to roll. I even bought two giant calculators for the boys' "computers". Pumpkin loves to type his numbers on the computer and goes up to 65. He also enjoys typing out the words he can spell which obviously doesn't work on a calculator, but he's pretty happy.

They had a ton of things we can use for their ages and so I thought I would pass it on to others out there who might be interested. I usually avoid the bargain bins area, but I am glad we saw them today.

Also, can I just say how much I enjoy driving around here? So many beautiful farms and fields with golden wheat, barley, lots of corn and sugar beets. My favorite though is the acres and acres of sunflowers. Tomorrow I am planning on taking my camera with me to the midwife's and hopefully will be able to take some shots.

I am waiting for another load of laundry to finish rinsing. I just poured some vinegar in to help soften everything. It works as well as Downy, but without the smell which bothers me. And, no, it doesn't smell like vinegar either once the load is down.

I picked up some more clothespins at Target as well to use on my new clothesline that Sweetheart hung up this morning before work. I have one load up and drying already, but I needed more pins to hang the rest. I have my grandma's old clothespin bag I am using. It is rather plain, old and faded, but the one I made a few years ago is still in storage. This one will be fine for now. (I have no idea how my everyday one came to be packed and my grandma's wasn't since I rarely used it! Such are the mysteries of this move.)

We were able to pick up some really nice furniture from Craig's List this weekend for REALLY cheap. I am almost giddy to have comfortable places to sit! Come over everyone and we can visit now and have some tea. Though since it is quite warm out today, I need to brew up some iced tea. You'd love it here. The trees are truly amazing to me.

Well, off to discover what we are having for lunch. Hope you are enjoying a wonderful day as well.