Ballet

Last week the girls started back to ballet after taking the year off. I would like to say they chose it voluntarily. Well, they did, sort of. It was that, or something else they wanted to do, that would fit into our schedule.

We made an executive decision that we were no longer going to doing tumbling. (Got tired of sitting at the gym for 3 hours, two days a week and I am not a drop off kind of mom.) And, the year before, we had decided that each child could only do one extracurricular activity.

So, that brought us back to ballet. I am really, really excited about it. The girls will be in classes with kids they have known since they were 3. And I get to hang out with moms I feel I have known forever! ;)

Not to mention, I just love watching my girls dance . . .

Boy Play

is so much different than girl play. I just LOVE watching Boop and his good friend play. They play for hours . . .

Silent Sunday

Homeschooling Blessing

Last year around this time, while I was in my Sunday School class, I made a prayer request for our first week of schooling to go smoothly. I had been homeschooling for a couple of years and knew that getting back into the school routine could be a little challenging. So, I asked for prayer for patience for me and the kids, blah, blah, blah.

One of the men in the class laughed. He went on to say how parents of kids who go to school are thanking God that school is starting. Then he went on to say how homeschoolers always ask for prayer request for the beginning of school.

It got me thinking. My attitude toward the school year starting should most definitely be one of praise and thanksgiving! God has given our family such an awesome, challenging, rewarding, special, hectic, challenging, blessed, awesome, responsibility to educate our children.

That scenario at Sunday School has stuck with me the whole year! And, has really affected the way I approach our education this year. God has given us this AWESOME opportunity, and yes, I do need prayer for patience etc. But, more than that, I am thanking and praising God for letting me spend every waking moment with my children. Helping them grow into the men and women God has created them to be.

They grow up so fast. And it makes my heart sing to know that my husband and I are the biggest influences in our children lives. We are giving them the best foundation to head out into the world. Sure, we will make mistakes. All of us. But, they are our mistakes. Which we all can learn and grow from.

I just can't explain in words, what it means to me to be with my children in every step of their growth . . .

EG's First Playdate

I met a new friend for lunch. Well, she really isn't a new friend, per se. I have known her for awhile but we have just never gotten together outside of church. She has a son that is in between NG and LM. But, he was in school today.

And, she has a daughter EG's age. So, I considered this, EG's first play date. EG knows the girl from the nursery at church. I just kept telling her, as we were getting ready, that we were going to meet "A" today. And they would get to play together. EG said the girl's name over and over and seemed like she knew what was going on.

Of course, they played like to toddlers play. Not really together. But, I just want it to be known, that EG had her first play date . . .

Book Club

Today the girls had their very first meeting for their book club. Well, the book club I am co-ordinating for them.

At the end of last year, I just felt lead to start a book club for them. The following are a couple of reasons why. First, I wanted the girls (kids) to meet regularly with a group of girls (kids) for a school purpose. Secondly, I wanted to meet regularly with a group of moms. Thirdly, I wanted to do something to encourage reading. Lastly, I wanted my girls to get a jump start on "public speaking."

So to that end, this is what the book club looks like, as of today: we get together once a month with 5 other families (total of 18 kids - 8 of which are participating); there will be a time to discuss the book; there might be an activity coordinated around the book and each girl will be given the opportunity to get up in front of the other girls and tell a little something about the book.

Each mom, along with their girl(s), will decided for themselves exactly how they want to approach the public speaking part. Like, for NG, I will encourage her to write a paragraph or so in the beginning. She isn't use to writing so I need to take that into consideration. I might, in the beginning, let her dictate to me. I just don't know yet.

I thought for LM I would let her draw a picture about the book. Then, as her public speaking, have her tell about the picture. I don't, for any of the girls participating, want this to be a bad experience or something they start out dreading.

The following are the books we have chosen for the next few months: The Hundred Dresses; Island of the Blue Dolphins; Charlotte's Web; Misty of Chincoteague; and The Pied Piper of Hamelin.

I, in the beginning, will read the books to LM. NG will be responsible for reading all on her own. We have two times during the day, set aside, for just reading. So, I am confident, if she takes advantage of those opportunities, she will finish the books. But, to be honest, I am kind of excited to read some of the books to LM. A couple of them I have never read before . . .

Artist and Composer Study

Wasn't sure what to post today. If anything. Then, as we were doing MOWs and EG was screaming, I turned up her favorite Grieg song and she was suddenly quiet. Then it dawned on me, I haven't posted how we do artist and composer study. At least I don't think so.

Every twelve weeks, the curriculum I follow, suggests studying a certain composer and artist. Not in any particular order. We have studied DaVinci, Sargent, and Monet to name a few artists. We have studied the Russian composers, Handel and Greig to name a few.

For art study, I print off a copy of the painting and put it in a picture frame and place it on the dining room table. Then I find a good story book that tells the story of the artist. We then, sometimes, try to do some type of hands on project to help the kids understand different artist styles, etc. At the end of a couple weeks, I turn the picture over and have the kids draw the picture from memory.

For our composer study, I buy a CD full of the composers music. We try to listen to it at specific times. Sometimes as background music to math or copywork. Right now, the Grieg CD is in the car, so that is the music we listen to while doing our Meals on Wheels.

We also listen to hymns and folksongs (when I can find the CDs.) As a lover of music, it so important to me, for the kids to listen to all kinds.

When I think about homeschooling, this is just a little bit of how I hoped it would be . . .