Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Our "official" Christmas pic...
This was a lucky shot - the kids kept making horrible faces... don't mind the bit of red-eye (which fortunately I was able to edit out on the pics I printed for family members)
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Getting ready for a new year...
I can't believe 2008 has gone by so quickly! And things are changing rapidly around here...
First bit of news, my dad has admitted that it is time for him to seek assistance with day-to-day activities. He had a stroke 8 years ago, and now in his 70's is finding things more and more difficult. It is hard for me, watching him age, and knowing that I don't have the time and ability to do much. We (my brother, sister and I) are working with him to get him settled into an assisted living facility, where he will have an apartment of his own, but will still have help with cooking and cleaning. There are activities he can participate in, plus he can keep subbing at the local high school. He'll still have a lot of freedom, but he won't be alone so much. We're planning on renting out his house while the market settles (and eventually goes up, we hope). It is a lot - going through his unstable finances with him, trying to make this as easy as possible, and so forth, but it is unfortunately necessary.
Christmas was good here, despite it being the day we realized my dad needs more help. The kids are still thoroughly enjoying all their gifts, and I have gotten the house well-cleaned, and still had some time to relax! The adults exchanged fewer gifts this year, and I liked that - it made things simpler, and less expensive. We had relatives over on Christmas Eve, and then had Christmas Day to just hang out in our pajamas, watch movies, unwrap gifts, and just enjoy a slow day.
Now we are getting ready for a new year. I am working on our budget, a la Dave Ramsey, and working on plans to keep up with both housework and homeschooling. My main goal for the year is to be more organized, as I definately function better when I have a plan of attack! There are numerous small goals that will help me get there, like planning menus each week and actually shopping with a grocery list, but the main goal is my overall focus. Notice I say goal, not resolution, because I never manage to keep resolutions.
Homeschooling-wise, we are getting ready to study Russia for a couple of weeks, then will move on to Europe and Great Britain or Asia (see sidebar for some of the books we'll be using in our Russian studies). We have just about finished up Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, and we plan on starting The Wind In The Willows in another week. I also plan to start the Read Naturally program (with some minor modifications) with the Elf - he'll do a "cold" read at the beginning of the week, chart the results, practice during the week, and do a "hot" read at the week's end, again charting the results, which will allow him to really see the results! Other than that, we'll continue working with fractions, which he is really enjoying, and continue with writing using Oak Meadow. For the Fairy, we're continuing with Oak Meadow and her much-loved Saxon Math. Our nature studies continue as planned also. I do plan to work in more art appreciation, music appreciation (using Classical Kids, Tchaikovsky Discovers America), and more reading in Story of the World.
So now you are all caught up on the nitty gritty details of our lives! Happy New Year's!
First bit of news, my dad has admitted that it is time for him to seek assistance with day-to-day activities. He had a stroke 8 years ago, and now in his 70's is finding things more and more difficult. It is hard for me, watching him age, and knowing that I don't have the time and ability to do much. We (my brother, sister and I) are working with him to get him settled into an assisted living facility, where he will have an apartment of his own, but will still have help with cooking and cleaning. There are activities he can participate in, plus he can keep subbing at the local high school. He'll still have a lot of freedom, but he won't be alone so much. We're planning on renting out his house while the market settles (and eventually goes up, we hope). It is a lot - going through his unstable finances with him, trying to make this as easy as possible, and so forth, but it is unfortunately necessary.
Christmas was good here, despite it being the day we realized my dad needs more help. The kids are still thoroughly enjoying all their gifts, and I have gotten the house well-cleaned, and still had some time to relax! The adults exchanged fewer gifts this year, and I liked that - it made things simpler, and less expensive. We had relatives over on Christmas Eve, and then had Christmas Day to just hang out in our pajamas, watch movies, unwrap gifts, and just enjoy a slow day.
Now we are getting ready for a new year. I am working on our budget, a la Dave Ramsey, and working on plans to keep up with both housework and homeschooling. My main goal for the year is to be more organized, as I definately function better when I have a plan of attack! There are numerous small goals that will help me get there, like planning menus each week and actually shopping with a grocery list, but the main goal is my overall focus. Notice I say goal, not resolution, because I never manage to keep resolutions.
Homeschooling-wise, we are getting ready to study Russia for a couple of weeks, then will move on to Europe and Great Britain or Asia (see sidebar for some of the books we'll be using in our Russian studies). We have just about finished up Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, and we plan on starting The Wind In The Willows in another week. I also plan to start the Read Naturally program (with some minor modifications) with the Elf - he'll do a "cold" read at the beginning of the week, chart the results, practice during the week, and do a "hot" read at the week's end, again charting the results, which will allow him to really see the results! Other than that, we'll continue working with fractions, which he is really enjoying, and continue with writing using Oak Meadow. For the Fairy, we're continuing with Oak Meadow and her much-loved Saxon Math. Our nature studies continue as planned also. I do plan to work in more art appreciation, music appreciation (using Classical Kids, Tchaikovsky Discovers America), and more reading in Story of the World.
So now you are all caught up on the nitty gritty details of our lives! Happy New Year's!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Christmassy stuff...
Here are some of the books we have read this month....
Great collection of holiday stories from around the world. Covers cultures ranging from Russian to Mexican to Syrian.
A good intro to Kwanzaa for young children. This book explains the basic tenents behind the holiday.
A very good intro to Hanukkah. This book shares the history of Hanukkah, the menorah, and more.
A great follow-up to the book above. This one is a funny look at celebrating Hanukkah, and now my kids are begging me to make latkes!
A funny/touching tale of a girl who loses her mother's diamond ring while making traditional Christmas tamales.
We loved this story, so much that we read 3 versions of it! Old Befana is thought to be a witch by her neighbors. She rides a broom and delivers gifts and cookies to children all over Italy.
This was a sweet tale of a crippled boy and a lonely Christmas tree. I liked it, but it brought tears to my eyes.
Anyone who loves Olivia like the Fairy does needs to have this book, where Olivia causes her familiar mayhem. And speaking of Olivia, Nickolodeon TV is releasing an animated Olivia series in January.
Great collection of holiday stories from around the world. Covers cultures ranging from Russian to Mexican to Syrian.
A good intro to Kwanzaa for young children. This book explains the basic tenents behind the holiday.
A very good intro to Hanukkah. This book shares the history of Hanukkah, the menorah, and more.
A great follow-up to the book above. This one is a funny look at celebrating Hanukkah, and now my kids are begging me to make latkes!
A funny/touching tale of a girl who loses her mother's diamond ring while making traditional Christmas tamales.
We loved this story, so much that we read 3 versions of it! Old Befana is thought to be a witch by her neighbors. She rides a broom and delivers gifts and cookies to children all over Italy.
This was a sweet tale of a crippled boy and a lonely Christmas tree. I liked it, but it brought tears to my eyes.
A funny tale of three French hens and a wily Brooklyn fox.
Anyone who loves Olivia like the Fairy does needs to have this book, where Olivia causes her familiar mayhem. And speaking of Olivia, Nickolodeon TV is releasing an animated Olivia series in January.
We love the tale of the Nutcracker, and Maurice Sendak is one of my all-time favorite illustrators. Gorgeous book!
This was another fun read - gave a good message about not needing to buy a lot of "stuff" at Christmas, and having fun with what you have on hand. Great illustrations too.
And of course, we will read How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Babar and Father Christmas, and The Night Before Christmas as well. All holiday favorites!
For our gifts of globally diverse Christmas cookies, we have chosen the following:
Chocolate chip cookies (American)
Springerle (German)
Merenges (Puerto Rican meringues)
Pebber Nodder (Danish spice cookies)
and
Almond Cookies (Chinese)
I know it comes out to a lot of cookies, and a lot of baking, so I purposefully chose easy recipes.
I'll be back after the holidays, so wishing you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel, and more!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Where does time go?
Geesh...
Well, we are in the middle of a month of Christmas fun! Cleaning the house, planning which of many cookies to bake, attending 4H holiday parties, cooking class, maybe a library gingerbread decorating workshop, a recent field trip, a Solstice party to attend, needing to get a tree, shopping for a few gifts (we're really cutting back on shopping this year), and so on... and on... and on.
School-wise, we're reading about Christmas (and other winter holidays) around the world. the Fairy has decided she wants to become Jewish because she loves the menorah and the dreidel so much. the Elf wants to live in Germany, where Christmas is a month-long celebration. We have also read, so far, about Mexico and Italy. The cookies we are making (trying to narrow it down to 6 kinds) will be packaged in cookie tins, with little cards explaining where each came from - good gifts for the relatives!
In science, we have read about bird migration (How Do Birds Find Their Way? and Luck) and this week animal tracks (Big Tracks, Little Tracks and Moose Tracks!), which fits right in with the new unit started in the Elf's weekly science class. We need, over the next couple of days, to make some animal track castings, probably from our dog. We also read more about molecules and the kids are hoping to make some models or drawings of some simple molecules over the next week.
the Elf is now reading from Arthur's Loose Tooth, which is a level up from the reading he has been doing, and he's handling it quite well. I had a talk with him about his reluctance to read and write, and explained that the more he does it, the easier it will get, like anything else. He understood, and compared it to riding a bicycle. After we had the talk, he gave that evening's reading much more effort. We'll have to see how it goes with writing (any tips?)! the Fairy is continuing her alphabet work, but I have a problem. She's quite good with letter sounds, but doesn't seem to get the difference between a letter sound and a letter name. If I ask her what a letter is, 9 times out of 10, she just gives me the sound. Any practical advice?
the Fairy loves her math program. Seriously. I know lots of people say/think Saxon looks boring, repetative, etc., but it works well with both of mine. My only trouble with the Fairy is limiting it to the lesson I want to cover - she is eager to move ahead quickly. So I am making an effort to involve her in more math around the house and more math games. the Elf is progressing steadily through his combination of Saxon and Math Steps. I like using the Math Steps to supplement ideas from Saxon, as he completed much of Saxon 2 last year, and we are finishing it up sloooowly this year. It's pretty easy to do, because Math Steps is divided into units, each covering one part of second grade math, whereas Saxon integrates it all, so I just choose 4 different worksheets a week from Math Steps to focus on different parts of the week's Saxon lesson. We got a set of Cuisinare rods last week, and I am learning how to use them with the kids. It has drawn my attention to the fact that the Elf loves patterning and so I am looking at getting him a nice set of wooden pattern blocks. Speaking of blocks, I found these gorgeous architectural blocks, but they are a bit on the pricey side...
My semester is just about over - yaaay! Because I need the break! I have a final paper I need to finish (on the need for solitude in society/people), and then I start up fresh mid-January. I'll have to take a picture of the self-portrait mandala I did as soon as I can locate my camera!
On another note, how do you decide which extra classes your kids should take? We are financially limited, so I can only allow one extra class for each of my children, and they have a hard time deciding! the Elf is trying to choose from piano lessons, gymnastics and Taekwando, while the Fairy is having a hard time choosing between ballet and gymnastics. I don't know...
Well, we are in the middle of a month of Christmas fun! Cleaning the house, planning which of many cookies to bake, attending 4H holiday parties, cooking class, maybe a library gingerbread decorating workshop, a recent field trip, a Solstice party to attend, needing to get a tree, shopping for a few gifts (we're really cutting back on shopping this year), and so on... and on... and on.
School-wise, we're reading about Christmas (and other winter holidays) around the world. the Fairy has decided she wants to become Jewish because she loves the menorah and the dreidel so much. the Elf wants to live in Germany, where Christmas is a month-long celebration. We have also read, so far, about Mexico and Italy. The cookies we are making (trying to narrow it down to 6 kinds) will be packaged in cookie tins, with little cards explaining where each came from - good gifts for the relatives!
In science, we have read about bird migration (How Do Birds Find Their Way? and Luck) and this week animal tracks (Big Tracks, Little Tracks and Moose Tracks!), which fits right in with the new unit started in the Elf's weekly science class. We need, over the next couple of days, to make some animal track castings, probably from our dog. We also read more about molecules and the kids are hoping to make some models or drawings of some simple molecules over the next week.
the Elf is now reading from Arthur's Loose Tooth, which is a level up from the reading he has been doing, and he's handling it quite well. I had a talk with him about his reluctance to read and write, and explained that the more he does it, the easier it will get, like anything else. He understood, and compared it to riding a bicycle. After we had the talk, he gave that evening's reading much more effort. We'll have to see how it goes with writing (any tips?)! the Fairy is continuing her alphabet work, but I have a problem. She's quite good with letter sounds, but doesn't seem to get the difference between a letter sound and a letter name. If I ask her what a letter is, 9 times out of 10, she just gives me the sound. Any practical advice?
the Fairy loves her math program. Seriously. I know lots of people say/think Saxon looks boring, repetative, etc., but it works well with both of mine. My only trouble with the Fairy is limiting it to the lesson I want to cover - she is eager to move ahead quickly. So I am making an effort to involve her in more math around the house and more math games. the Elf is progressing steadily through his combination of Saxon and Math Steps. I like using the Math Steps to supplement ideas from Saxon, as he completed much of Saxon 2 last year, and we are finishing it up sloooowly this year. It's pretty easy to do, because Math Steps is divided into units, each covering one part of second grade math, whereas Saxon integrates it all, so I just choose 4 different worksheets a week from Math Steps to focus on different parts of the week's Saxon lesson. We got a set of Cuisinare rods last week, and I am learning how to use them with the kids. It has drawn my attention to the fact that the Elf loves patterning and so I am looking at getting him a nice set of wooden pattern blocks. Speaking of blocks, I found these gorgeous architectural blocks, but they are a bit on the pricey side...
My semester is just about over - yaaay! Because I need the break! I have a final paper I need to finish (on the need for solitude in society/people), and then I start up fresh mid-January. I'll have to take a picture of the self-portrait mandala I did as soon as I can locate my camera!
On another note, how do you decide which extra classes your kids should take? We are financially limited, so I can only allow one extra class for each of my children, and they have a hard time deciding! the Elf is trying to choose from piano lessons, gymnastics and Taekwando, while the Fairy is having a hard time choosing between ballet and gymnastics. I don't know...