Other than that the crazy weather just can't make up its mind! We went from overly hot each day to downright chilly half the day, and fairly warm the other half. I'd rather be a little cold though than overheated - I can always pile on a extra layer or two, but can only go so far in taking stuff off!
Childwise, the kids are just enjoying summer. We finally moved our piano, an old upright, from my mom's garage to ours - it will soon go into the living room - and the Elf spends a lot of time banging away on it. It is in desperate need of tuning, but I still enjoy his compositions. He pretends to read music too. I think this fall might be a good time for him to start some lessons. I have several friend-recommended teachers on my list already! And the Fairy has decided she would rather do Arabic/belly dancing than ballet, but no one seems to teach it for 5 year olds. I think mainly she likes the outfits, all the bells, the scarves. I don't blame her - they do look really exotic and pretty.
Oh, any recommendations for an enjoyable read-aloud for a 5 year old and a 7 year old? We are down to the last 2 chapters of James and the Giant Peach, and while I have some ideas as to what to read next, I am always looking for more ideas! We did read a great little book this week - A Birthday for the Princess, by Anita Lobel, full of Anita's trademark beautiful illustrations. A great little story with a happy ending that both kids enjoyed. The Elf thought it was funny that she spent her days doing copy work, since he's done a fair amount of copy work himself. And while I am giving recommendations, we really enjoyed The Spiderwick Chronicles. Couple of scary moments in there, especially for the Fairy, but overall a good film. The kids plan to name one of our kittens-to-be after the Brownie in the movie - Thimbletack, which I think is a fantastic name for a cat.
We're still reading up on Ancient Greek history. I dug out my Encyclopedia of Mythology to go more in-depth with some of the pantheon of gods and goddesses. Of course, the kids soon noticed the other books on that shelf, and have spent the last week studying gnomes and fairies on their own, with the help of books like this, this, and this. This has led to an outpouring of gnome home designs and fairy sketches - I'll have to scan some and post pictures. Anyhow, I think we'll be right on track with starting in Ancient Rome in the fall.
In other news, while I have applied for a couple of jobs, I think I have come up with a way to make the one I have work for me if necessary. No one likes the closing shift (5'ish to 11'ish), so I thought I would offer to take it 4 times a week, and no other hours. That way, I have all day to be with my children. We could actually homeschool in the mornings, and have the afternoons free. We could go to park days and on field trips. It's not a perfect solution, but I've got to keep reminding myself that this is only for another couple of years. And in the meantime, maybe I will find a better job (keeping fingers crossed).
ETA: Just after posting this, I checked my email, and lo and behold, there is a local dance studio that offers belly dancing for children! I think we may have to do a drop-in session.
Have you read The Velveteen Rabbit to them yet? There is a beautiful illustrated version you can probably get at your library. We read this every couple of years. It just takes 2 or 3 nights of light bedtime reading. This year we're following it by The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, which could be very sad if you have sensitive kids, though!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a perfect work schedule! Especially if M can be home with them at night (or your mom to cover overlap). You'll be tired, for sure, but you'll be able to enjoy slow mornings with your kids.
ReplyDeleteGlad you found some belly dancing. I could've sworn that our local parks & rec had a belly dance troupe (?) that started pretty young but I don't have a schedule around to check. I do know that I've seen them perform at local festivals - how fun would that be!