Happy Birthday, Baby!

While it's technically not The Baby's birthday yet, we celebrated on Saturday while her older sister was home from college (and continue to celebrate this week).

It's strange for me celebrating this birthday with my littlest little. After all, this is the first time in my life that my youngest child is older than four. With all other children, by that time, there was another baby here. So now, I have a six year old, and no babies. And this will likely be the last six-year-old birthday I'll celebrate with one of my own children. It's strange and sad and sweet and surreal. I'll miss having littles of my own around, especially since this age, five and six, are my very favorite ages.

A friend updated her twitter with a status about reading picture books to her youngest little, and how she'll miss reading them when her kids get older. It sent my heart racing, sent me into a minor panic. I hadn't thought of that! My youngest little is wandering right out of that picture book stage, and I'm not ready for that!

So today, we'll read a few picture books for The Baby (who will be given a new blogger name when she actually turns six), and Swallowdale for the middles, and I'll be assigning The Last Lecture of Houdin, my eldest boy.

Today's mantra: Embrace the Littles!

Goals for a Homelearning Year

So, now that I have one daughter in college, things have changed quite a bit. One of the things I realized over the past two years that I promised I would change once she graduated was the amount of busy-ness we've been enslaved to. Running, running, running, and pretty soon, here's a stay-at-home mom who no longer stays at home. That means stress for everyone.

At the end of last school year, I made a commitment that I would say "no" more often, that I would stay at home more (a LOT more), that I would not take any jobs--part-time or otherwise, and that I would relax a bit so that we could have an even keel through the whole year, not a swan dive at the beginning and a nose dive toward the middle, leaving us all gasping for air by the end.

The extent of my planning for this school year included one sheet of legal paper, three mason jars and a new library card.

The legal paper looks something like this:


While I know it looks like scrawl to you, it's gold to me. Here. Let me see if I can translate for you:

Goals for This School Year:

*Read as often as possible
*Stay home as often as possible
*Do a lot of nature study/drawing
*Practice music often
*Art classes (talk to Fred D about this)
*Math curriculum--Teaching Textbooks, maybe?
*Keep journals
*Teach girls to read
*Sing together
*Take walks/ride bikes
*Have breakfast every morning (yes, sometimes we get so busy that we don't do this together)
*Take turns making Dad's lunch
*Keep regular bedtimes (not sure we can do this one with much success. I'm a sucker for learning opportunities, even if they pop up at midnight or 2 a.m.)
*Take vitamins
*Consumer math for Houdin
*Volunteer
*Lots of photos
*Houdin drives
*Dates with each child
*Write letters to people we love
*Cook together
*Five in a Row for The Baby
*Limit computer time
*Take day trips

And Most of All:

RELAX

Many of these things are continuations of what we do on a regular basis. Some of them, like getting walks or limiting computer time, are goals.

Because the computer, as you may know, is an issue--a distraction--for many of us. Including me.

So what I've done is fill a jar with a whole lot of little pieces of paper. Each piece of paper is a chore or activity for the person who owns the jar. Each item gives that person a number of points. Those points earn them clues. Those clues lead them to letters. Those letters make up a word. That word is the password for the day. That password gains the person access to the computer. Sometimes they just get the letters. Sometimes they have to go hunting for them. Sometimes the password is five letters long. Sometimes it's ten or twelve.

So what kinds of things do they have on their papers? Here's a smattering:

Wash a car (2)
Write or copy one poem (1)
Take a walk (1)
Dust your bedroom (1)
Do a nice thing for someone (1)
Play the drums (1)
Make rosemary bread (1)
Pull weeds (2)
Harvest cherry tomatoes (2)
Pick apples off the ground for 10 minutes (2)
Read a chapter of a book (1)
Take some outdoor photos (1)
Hug a sibling (1)
Take a shower (2)
Make sugar water for the hummingbirds (1)
Draw something (1)
Draw something from nature (1)
Do 5 situps (1)
Run around the house 1x (1 each time)
Burn the trash (1)
Dust one room (1)
Listen to a podcast that Mom gives you (1)
Clean the kitchen floor (2)
Clean 3 windows, inside and out (2)
Study 3 things in nature (1)
Do something nice for someone (2)
Hug a sibling (1)
Make someone smile (1)
Read one chapter of a nonfiction book (1)
Clean up a mess (2)
Cuddle with an animal (1)
Tell someone you love them (1)
Vacuum the bedrooms (2)
Scrub the sinks (2)
Organize shoes (1)
Clean the glass doors and windows (2)
Fill the birdfeeders (1)
Lay in the hammock for ten minutes (1)
Read your little sibling a story (1)
Write a letter (1)
Collect and identify five leaves (2)
Listen to a chapter of a story read by Mom (1)
Do a math project (1)
Find a location on the map given to you by Mom (1)

Each person has a list that's customized for them, so they already know how to do the things they're asked to do. Some things are easy. Some are a little harder. Some might take a second. Some might take all day. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Read aloud books for this year:
Little House on the Prairie Series (no, shamefully, I have not read all of these aloud to my daughters yet. The eldest, who is in school, did read them all, and we quite lived on them for a while, but the youngers haven't had the pleasure of these in the fullest)
American Girl (these were Bard's soul history books when she was young Am. Girl used to have such a GREAT history focus when it first began, complete with a history club for girls. This all ended when they were bought out by Mattel).
Swallows and Amazons Series (we've just finished the first book and are moving on to the second)
Tales from Shakespeare or Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare
Charlotte's Web (we're halfway through this one)
There are many others that are part of Ambleside Online that we will also work through. Reading will be our biggest focus.

And that's it. That's our planning for this year. No more lesson books or elaborate lists or large bills for curriculum orders. No more expecting the same performance levels from everyone.

From now on, theme is RELAX.

::: scenes from the garden :::

Here are a few moments I wish I could savor forever. After returning from the trail and a trip to the thrift store, The Baby ushered Papa out to the garden to peruse her thrifted William Wegman book. Of course Sweetheart, Bard and Joy the Dog had to get in on the act. What a gorgeous day!

This Week's Lessons

Time to focus on the true meaning of this blog...to record what we've been learning.

We began a new schedule here after the Family Gathering was over. It's a simple schedule, but it seems to be working well. Each day, every area of our goals is covered as time allows. I'll post the schedule in another post.

This week, we've been reading Little House in the Big Woods. Wonderful conversations have come from the reading of this classic. Sweetheart wondered why Pa didn't drive the car to town. There was discussion about the difference between their Christmas and modern Christmas. We discussed butchering after the chapter where Ma, Pa and the girls helped with the butchering of the pig.

Each evening, after reading, we have been spending time in song. Bohemian plays the guitar and we choose songs from the songbook, songs that speak to our heart. It has been a wonderful time of family closeness, and everyone has looked forward to it each day.

In the evenings, just before bedtime prayers, I have been reading to Monet out of What Every Fourth Grader Needs to Know. The first reading was from Gulliver's Travels, but as we've read that book and its adaptations before, it wasn't really new to Monet.

All of the children have been spending time each day working on their handwriting, maths and reading. Sweetheart's reading is coming along well. :-) We had a wonderful time with her reading lesson on Wednesday! I couldn't find her reading book, Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, so I wrote out short sentences made of the words that she can read and illustrated them with simple drawings. Every time she finished a sentence, we would dance around the room. :-) She enjoyed that time and is looking forward to more reading lessons. Now, where is that book??? ;-)

Yesterday, Monet, Sweetheart and Houdin had art class where we had a guest teacher. Rob taught the children how to draw faces and how our faces are proportionate to the width of our eyes. We discussed Leonardo DaVinci and his scientific way of drawing. This was helpful, as we began a nature journal recently and discussed how the drawing we do in our nature journals is about observation and not really about art. That was the day (Tuesday) that Sweetheart hit The Baby in the head with the swing. :-/ Bard says that The Baby will look like Harry Potter when we're done with her. :-)

We spent yesterday afternoon at a wonderful park near Bohemian's work. The park had a little building with a stage, so the children put on a play about the underground railroad.

In the evening, we worked on our Christmas knitting and read and then Bohemian played some David Wilcox songs for us on his guitar.

Today, I hope to make a couple of quiches and, since it is Friday, clean the floors.

::: today's reading list :::

Edison recently finished:

• Jedi Under Seige
• Shadow Academy
• Lost Ones
• Lightsabers
• Shards of Alderaan
• (all by by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta)
• Coin Magic by Klutz

He is currently reading Diversity Alliance by the same authors.

Bard recently read:

• The Moon by Night by Madeleine L'Engle
• Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
• Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
• Hamlet by William Shakespeare
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
• The Whisper of Glocken by Carol Kendall
• M.C. Higgens the Great by Virginia Hamilton

She is currently re-reading There's a Girl in My Hammerlock by Jerry Spinelli and Macbeth by William Shakespeare.

Monet recently read:

• The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Hakes Noble
• Midnight on the Moon by Mary Pope Osbourne
• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by
• Favourite Woodland Tales: A Collection
• Oh Say Can You Say by Dr. Seuss
• Eloise in Moscow by Kay Thompson
• Bible Tails Picture Book for Children by The Donut Man

Sweetheart and I are currently reading Meet Felicity from the American Girl Series.

::: saturday and sunday :::

On Saturday, Bohemian and I picked up a free refrigerator that was listed on our local Freecycle list. Today, my dad cleaned it and we plugged it in. It will serve as a second fridge.

Bard and I had a great discussion about what she wants to be when she grows up. We discussed M. Night Shyamalan and how his entire family is comprised of doctors, but at around the age of 11, he decided he wanted to be a filmmaker. Bard says she'd like to be either a filmmaker, a writer, a singer or an actor. She feels those things are too banal for a teen, though, so she's not sure she wants to pursue any of them seriously.

Edison rode to Penny's house and did a bit of work for them. He rode to the bakery, too, and bought himself a donut. He's been thrilled to have this measure of freedom. The freedom does come with a bit of a price, though. When Bohemian and I came home from our trip to pick up the fridge and our fruitless yard-sale outing, it was after noon. Edison was just taking care of the chickens and goats. This has been an ongoing problem, and I actually had to call him home from a friend's house last week because he said he'd done the chores and hadn't. So, when it was time for him to ask if he could ride to Penny's, I told him that he would first have to write up and sign a contract stating that he would complete his animal chores each morning before 9:00 AM. Every word had to be spelled correctly and the punctuation had to be correct. Sure enough, he produced the signed document, and I told him he could go on his outing. This morning, his chores were done by 9:30. I let him know that this wasn't in accordance with the contract. The solution was that he would purchase an alarm clock.

We watched The King and I. We've been on a bit of a Rodgers and Hammerstein kick. When Monet asked if they could watch it, I said that it was a bit complicated and I wasn't sure if he would understand it. He then continued to tell me the entire story, punctuated by agreements from Sweetheart. When I asked him how he knew this, he said it was from The Sound of Movies, which is a documentary about Rodgers and Hammerstein that we watched a couple of months ago. Good retention!

This is how we spent today, Sunday:

Breakfast as a family. Edison set the table. Yogurt pancakes (flipped by Bohemian), hash browns and sausage.
Bard and I discussed the upcoming school year and discussed the possibility of using some of Cadron Creek's curricula. Bard tended toward Where the Brook and River Meet.
I finished True to Form by Elizabeth Berg. Bard and I discussed it a bit and thought it might be a good book about which to do a reading discussion.
Monet read Midnight on the Moon by Mary Pope Osbourne.
Bard and Monet played with (and then fought over) Robotics.
I made potato chips while we played Star Wars Trivial Pursuit. The kids took turns reading the cards aloud. Bard won. Bohemian and I came in second, and Monet and Edison came in third.
I finished my notification letter, which I hope to mail out tomorrow by certified mail.
I joined an e-mail list for Where the Brook and River Meet.

Tomorrow, we will go visit with The Chasers (friends of ours who homeschool. Mrs. Chaser is really one of my best friends. It's so good to have a kindred spirit!) for grilling and a baseball game.

::: volunteering :::

Our children belong to a local Roots & Shoots group. From the website:

Roots & Shoots® engages and inspires youth through community service and service learning. Founded by Dr. Jane Goodall, this global program emphasizes the principle that knowledge leads to compassion, which inspires action. All Roots & Shoots groups show care and concern in three areas: the human community, animals, and the environment.

Through that group, the kids have been able to do some interesting things and have had great opportunities to serve the community. Last night, they were able to serve again.

Georgia, the group leader, called us this week letting us know that she'd received a call from the local Humane Society, which is fairly new and still trying to raise money for a building. The Humane Society is having a yard sale at the fairgrounds today and they needed help setting up their things. Edison was able to do a lot of heavy lifting and general gophering. Bard was able to do organizing and pricing. I was able to do general organizing. I think it was an excellent opportunity to see what people get rid of, as well as see how many great clothes are available for a very inexpensive price! All of the clothing was priced at a quarter a piece. I was able to pick up some dresses for Sweetheart, as well as some Cat's Meow houses for above my kitchen doors. It was also a great opportunity to get to know some other people from the community.

Speaking of which, I was able to get a contact for one of the local 4H groups, which is made up entirely of homeschoolers. I asked Bard if she'd like to participate, and she seemed hopeful. Also, Georgia let me know that a local man is working on starting a theatre group here in our town! I'm excited about that, and I'm sure the kids will be, too. I hope to contact this man today, as well as the 4H lady.

I've been reading How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk and have been getting a lot out of it. I've been using some of the skills I'm learning, and they seem to work. I'm about 1/4 of the way through the book and hope to get Bohemian to read it, too. I may even have Bard read it. It's a helpful way to communicate, though some of it feels forced. We'll see how it works.

Monet is in the kitchen making smoothies. We didn't have the standard frozen blueberries, but we did have frozen grapes, so he decided to try that instead. They turned out really well! I'm enjoying a tasty frozen beverage right now. :-)

::: what a trip, plus the nickel puzzle :::

Tonight we began discussing what we will do with the balance of our summer. I feel funny saying that, because with all of the rain we've had, it doesn't seem like summer has been here very long at all.

But it has, and now we are faced with making the most of it.

Because we've spent so much of our time working on the house, there hasn't been a lot of recreational time. Our down-time has consisted mostly of watching videos or actually eating dinner. Pretty sedate.

So tonight we started discussing options for making the summer a bit more active. The options ranged from going to the Indiana Dunes to heading to the local water parks. We'd particularly like to become more involved in biking on Rail Trails, something we did fairly often before the beginning of The House. Bohemian and I have both put on weight since we've moved here, which is a surprise, because I really thought a move to the country would solve our weight problems. Actually, we seem to drive more now, eat more (those doggone Amish cooks) and are less active. Plus, Bohemian has a desk job and spends about three hours a day commuting, not to mention all of the time he spends in his car for work-related errands. Very sedate.

In other news, I've been working on my notification letter for this year. I think I have it finished, but I'm nervous about sending it because I gave exactly what the Ohio regulations ask for, but I think it's less than the district wants, and since this is a new district for us, I'm not sure how homeschool-friendly they are. Also, the district instructs us to send notifications to a liason that "handles" homeschooling notifications, though regs say we only have to send them to the super. I suppose I'll send it in, and if it's inadequate to them, I'll contact the homeschool list I'm on and see what I should do.

And in still other news, we've been watching a lot of musicals lately. June 28th was the birthdate of Richard Charles Rodgers', of Rodgers and Hammerstein fame. We rented The Sound of Movies from Netflix, followed by Oklahoma!, both the 1999 stage play and the original movie. The Light Opera is performing South Pacific this month and next, so I hope to take one or several of the kids to see that. I just wish it weren't so expensive! We also watched Pirates of Penzance and Funny Girl. Oklahoma! has been the most popular so far, and everyone seems to agree that they like the stage production best. Do you have a favorite musical that's suitable for families? Post it in the comments. I'd love to hear about it.

Yesterday, we went to see a friend of ours playing music on the lawn of the Arts Center. We took a picnic and hung out for a while, followed it with a trip to the bookstore, then lunch at Subway, and, finally, a trip to Wal*Mart, where Bard helped Monet pick a few goodies with his "good job" change. I also picked up some more loot for the Quiet Time Box--a couple more Bionicles and Magnetix and a Hot Wheels car that has magnetic wheels.

Today, Monet was preparing a stage play of his own. He created puppets out of paper lunchbags, construction paper and yarn. He gave each a name and personality and wrote a script on the computer, asking Bard for spelling help. We had a bit of a meltdown because he couldn't figure out the logistics for the actual performance location, but he finally settled on using the porch.

Bard just finished the book The Westing Game and insists that it's a really great book, so I'm reading it now. So far, she's right. It's holding my interest, though by the end of the third chapter, I've figured out the first set of clues.

Edison and I went out to run errands today. We had to buy chicken feed, pay a bill and pick up some groceries. While we were at the store, he weighed the grapes that I bought, determined the total weight, divided it to determine the average weight per bunch, and determined the price per bunch based on the average weight of each bunch. He also calculated sale prices when we went to a local gift shop that's going out of business, determining the final price based on the original price and deducting the percentage off.

Bard and Edison have both been reading Math for Smarty Pants and The I Hate Mathematics Book. Bard presented me with the following riddle. I got it right...can you?

You're at a carnival game booth.  The sign says "Pay a nickel to win a quarter!  Increase your 5 cents by 500 percent!"  At the booth you see three full sacks labeled as follows:

Quarters

Nickels

Quarters and Nickels

The carnie explains that the bags are indeed full of coins and explains the game with the following rhyme.

One sack has quarters; another has nickels;
The third sack, however, is really a tickle.
It's a mixture of both, a fair share of each;
finding which sack is which is within your reach.

The carnie also gives you these two clues:  First of all, every sack is labeled wrong.  Second, he'll reach into one sack and pull out a coin for you to see.

 Which sack would you have him pull from?