Monday, May 21, 2012
Wendy's First Gymnastics Recital
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Sunday
You are my strong tower
Shelter over me
Beautiful and might
Everlasting King
You are my strong tower
Fortress when I'm weak
Your name is true and holy
And your face is all I seek
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
To Nyquil or Not To Nyquil...
After over a week of poor sleep due to coughing, and several nights of being kept awake until the wee hours due to said coughing...the answer is definitely TO NYQUIL.Here's hoping it works.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Playroom-slash-Schoolroom
After we got the kids' shared bedroom moved upstairs, it was finally time to tackle her old bedroom! The lavender had to go; I was envisioning something much brighter. The room has two big windows and lets in quite a bit of light - perfect for a learning and creative play space. I decided on a honey-cantaloupe-type color, and four coats of paint later (yes, FOUR) I'm really happy with how it turned out!
The kids have really enjoyed having the playroom set up. It's been great to be able to do school in the same place where David is playing; we all are able to spend more time together that way. (And David isn't off in another room using glitter glue as chapstick...not that he's ever done that before.) We'll need to change some things as the kids grow, but for now we love this room!
The kids have really enjoyed having the playroom set up. It's been great to be able to do school in the same place where David is playing; we all are able to spend more time together that way. (And David isn't off in another room using glitter glue as chapstick...not that he's ever done that before.) We'll need to change some things as the kids grow, but for now we love this room!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Kids' Shared Bedroom
Yesterday I mentioned that we had been working on some projects. Oh, boy, have we ever!
Since David moved out of his cradle in our room more than two years ago, he moved into Wendy's bedroom. They enjoy sharing a room, and it works out pretty well for us. What wasn't working for us was having both beds, dressers, hanging clothes, books, toys, stuffed animals, etc. all in one smallish bedroom. The room is right off of the living room, which was also a problem; if James and I wanted to watch a movie, the kids would have a hard time falling asleep. And have I mentioned it was Wendy's bedroom? It was painted a lovely lavender color, with pink gingham curtains...a bit girly now that both kids were sharing.
We have a room upstairs that had been our "dump and run" room since we moved here 5 years ago. It was jam-packed with Christmas decorations, things waiting to be taken to Goodwill, outgrown baby/kid clothes, random items that didn't have another home, and all of the collapsed boxes from when we moved in. James and I cleaned out that room, which took about 3 days and ten years off my life. We made several trips to Goodwill, and we finally got the kids' outgrown clothes sorted & put in the attic.
My sister-in-law (who is awesome) helped me strip wallpaper and paint the upstairs room a bright spring green. That is now the kids' shared bedroom. Wendy's side is very girly and is decorated with flowers and butterflies and Disney fairies. David's side is decorated with a giant poster of a John Deere tractor and many cars/trucks/trains/planes. They love their new room, and it's working great for them!
Stay tuned for details on the new Playroom-slash-Schoolroom...
Since David moved out of his cradle in our room more than two years ago, he moved into Wendy's bedroom. They enjoy sharing a room, and it works out pretty well for us. What wasn't working for us was having both beds, dressers, hanging clothes, books, toys, stuffed animals, etc. all in one smallish bedroom. The room is right off of the living room, which was also a problem; if James and I wanted to watch a movie, the kids would have a hard time falling asleep. And have I mentioned it was Wendy's bedroom? It was painted a lovely lavender color, with pink gingham curtains...a bit girly now that both kids were sharing.
We have a room upstairs that had been our "dump and run" room since we moved here 5 years ago. It was jam-packed with Christmas decorations, things waiting to be taken to Goodwill, outgrown baby/kid clothes, random items that didn't have another home, and all of the collapsed boxes from when we moved in. James and I cleaned out that room, which took about 3 days and ten years off my life. We made several trips to Goodwill, and we finally got the kids' outgrown clothes sorted & put in the attic.
My sister-in-law (who is awesome) helped me strip wallpaper and paint the upstairs room a bright spring green. That is now the kids' shared bedroom. Wendy's side is very girly and is decorated with flowers and butterflies and Disney fairies. David's side is decorated with a giant poster of a John Deere tractor and many cars/trucks/trains/planes. They love their new room, and it's working great for them!
Stay tuned for details on the new Playroom-slash-Schoolroom...
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
When Good Planning Goes Bad
When we decided to homeschool, I did a lot of research on planning and organization. I would love to live in an organized house, but I lack the follow-through to really make a success of many organizing projects. I knew my time would be limited, what with teaching a kindergartener and wrangling a toddler at the same time. I decided to devote a week (which turned into two) to plan out the entire year, make library lists, tear apart workbooks, and file all papers into weekly folders. It took hours and hours of work, but at the end of it I felt confident that we were well prepared for our school year.
Well.
The major flaw in the plan was that it didn't allow much wiggle-room for unexpected things. Because history, Bible, copywork and unit studies were all coordinated with holidays and seasons and trips, it wouldn't take much to upset the balance of things. (The math curriculum is pretty forgiving; with 160 lessons spread over 180 days of school, we have quite a bit of flexibility.) I was so careful in my lesson planning. Things would overlap beautifully, creating a perfect opportunity for maximum learning and retention.
Well.
Then we started working on some projects.
Then we got behind on those projects.
Then the kids got sick.
Then I had a two-week headache. (Ouch.)
Then we had family visiting.
Then I got sick.
Which brings us up to date. Because my beautiful, intricately-woven schedule didn't allow for flexibility, I had to make some major changes. I reworked all of our lesson plans for November, and we will be caught up by Thanksgiving. We'll have to double up here and there, but we will still focus on the important things and enjoy ourselves.
Today we learned about the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, were introduced to subtraction, and practiced handwriting. After Wendy takes a much-needed nap, we'll work on reading. We're going to keep plugging along, day by day, and we will make it work!
Well.
The major flaw in the plan was that it didn't allow much wiggle-room for unexpected things. Because history, Bible, copywork and unit studies were all coordinated with holidays and seasons and trips, it wouldn't take much to upset the balance of things. (The math curriculum is pretty forgiving; with 160 lessons spread over 180 days of school, we have quite a bit of flexibility.) I was so careful in my lesson planning. Things would overlap beautifully, creating a perfect opportunity for maximum learning and retention.
Well.
Then we started working on some projects.
Then we got behind on those projects.
Then the kids got sick.
Then I had a two-week headache. (Ouch.)
Then we had family visiting.
Then I got sick.
Which brings us up to date. Because my beautiful, intricately-woven schedule didn't allow for flexibility, I had to make some major changes. I reworked all of our lesson plans for November, and we will be caught up by Thanksgiving. We'll have to double up here and there, but we will still focus on the important things and enjoy ourselves.
Today we learned about the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, were introduced to subtraction, and practiced handwriting. After Wendy takes a much-needed nap, we'll work on reading. We're going to keep plugging along, day by day, and we will make it work!
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