Vowel Cookies

Some days, the best part of school is the after-school snack!

I should have known there'd come a day like today, when the kids acted like squirrels, I was exhausted, and the day just dragged and dragged and dragged.  Our high point is above - we made gingerbread vowel cookies.

I also began French today, but Thing 2 was checked out by that point.  Truthfully, so was I.  To top it off, we found Halloween (Thing 1's goldfish) dead at the end of the day.  Mama said there'd be days like this...

Tomorrow will have to be better.

Can't wait for Monday!

Check out my bag centers!  I'm having way too much fun.  Give me a laminator and some time alone and I am one happy mama.  I bought 2 books of pre-made centers at the Chalkboard store last night.  The centers below are all for math, and the other book is chock full of phonics games.  I've got those all laminated but not cut.  Maybe I should have been a kindergarten teacher.  Who knew??

Counting the Days...

Not the kind of counting that ensues when one cannot wait for something to be over.  Quite the contrary, this sort of counting is fun!  Today was day 14 of our school being in session, so we had to celebrate.  Thing 2 began working on a booklet called "My First 100 Days of School" and when we got to the number 14, I brought out the suprise - m 'n' ms.  Since 'm' was our letter this week, it seemed especially apt.  Thing 1 joined in on the fun, but since I am low-carbing to cure my reflux right now, I declined all but one.

(Oops, I just realized that although it's been 2 weeks of school, it's only been 10 days of school, not 14.  So what's a few extra m 'n' ms to Thing 1 and Thing 2??  A happy mistake!)

I have to admit, we had a rough start today.  Both kids woke up early (why oh why?) and although Thing 1 was in an especially good mood and ready to start the day early, Thing 2 clearly woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.  We started our day around 8:40, with Thing 2 dragging his feet and losing a point early in the game.  Thing 1 had a spelling test and a math test and then we worked on math together, trying to figure out exactly where to begin with the level of Saxon we own.  Much of it is too easy for her, so I think we'll be skipping ahead and probably even moving up a level before the year is over.  Once I left Thing 1 to help Thing 2, he rallied and was able to push through his phonics work (games, and still he complained) and then, mercifully, it was recess time.

Before recess, I briefly introduced the concept of maps (for Thing 2) and we headed out on a little science walk to study trees, following our route to the park near our home.  Once outside, the fresh air brightened Thing 2's mood and all was well as we collected leaves, seeds, and looked at bark.  We had intended to sketch trees outside, but the lawn at the park was being mowed and so we came back home to sketch from memory.  We lasted quite a long time outside as both kids marveled at the cicadas in various states of their life cycle.  We saw everything from empty shells (Thing 2 collected a couple) to partially-hatched cicadas, and even a newly-hatched cicada with wings so fresh they were still shriveled and wet.  The kids have an amazing attention span for mother nature.  It's beautiful to watch.  They also spent a long time gathering seeds from a locust tree.  They intend to plant the seeds along with a few others they found.  We'll get to that project next week hopefully.

After our walk, we came home to eat lunch and get back to work.  Our afternoon found us eating m 'n' ms,  looking at our loot from the nature walk, sketching trees, and doing leaf rubbings.  It was a relaxed and fun afternoon, just as Friday should be.

We capped our day by looking at our Dolphin Lapbook (which we completed yesterday) and watching the rest of the dolphin video from earlier in the week.  Although we had a rocky start, we ended on a high note and I know the kids will be excited when Monday rolls around again.

For now, I am thankful it's Friday.  I'm tired and ready for a break, but all in all, it was a great week 2!

(I forgot to mention the prize box.  Under the current system, the kids get a ticket at the end of the week if they've earned their star sticker each day.  They can either save their tickets and turn them in for money at the end of the month or spend them for a prize from the prize box.  Both kids elected to spend 1 ticket this week (I didn't have the prize box up and running yet last week).  Each opted for a dolphin glitter tattoo from the zoo.  Cheap thrills indeed!)

What should have been 10...

Loot from Mother Nature!

Thing 2's leaf rubbing

Thing 1's dolphin tattoo

More Fun With Magnets and Other Lessons

Lesson 1:  Magnets are fun!

Lesson 2:  Mom needs a break somewhere around 2:30 and if she doesn't get it, she turns into a gremlin, or something like that.

Lesson 3:  Homeschooling is all about snuggling on the couch, laughing and learning together.

Lesson 4:  The journey is the destination.

Thing 1 plays with her magnetic, flying butterfly.  If you look closely, you can see the thread which attaches the butterfly to the table.  In Thing 1's right hand is a magnet.  The butterfly is flying! 

Zoo Tales

Perhaps scheduling a field trip but requiring that we do schoolwork first wasn't my best idea today.  We rushed through our work this morning.  The kids were clearly antsy.  But we got through the basics and headed to the zoo in time for the dolphin show.  Sadly, when we got there, the early show had been canceled.  I wasn't going to let the universe conspire against us, this being our second trip to the zoo in as many weeks of school, and so we opted to wait the 3 hours until the next show.  We saw stingrays, big cats, pinnipeds, goats, the children's zoo, and much, much more.  We ate lunch, the kids climbed their favorite tree, and then, finally, it was time for the dolphin show.  I wish I could say the 3 of us were all fresh and happy and excited but by that time of day (and in the 95+ degree heat), we were more wilted than fresh,  more crabby than excited.  The dolphin show was great, as usual, and though we ended our day tired and hot, I also got plenty of pictures for the yearbook and our mission can now be marked 'accomplished.'

Tomorrow, we have a full day of school.  I discovered that I need to supplement Thing 2's curriculum.  We are able to complete his work easily by lunch time and sometimes before that.  I need to keep him busy, so tonight I found myself scouring the shelves at our library for puzzles, books on the letter M (his letter for the week), and phonics workbooks to pull games and activities from.  I came home with some great things and then spent the evening making copies and creating games (i.e., the lily pad game for discerning consonants and vowels, and the Consonant Shopping Trip).  Tomorrow should be fun!

I find myself constantly evaluating whether I like homeschooling or not and whether the kids and I will last more than a year.  If I had to share my thoughts today, I would say that I am lovin' it!  I treasure the time I get to spend with my children, I enjoy learning alongside them, and I love how school helps to organize our day together.  I was always the sort of mom who confessed, somewhat sheepishly, that I didn't especially like to play with my children.  I suppose I doubted myself based on that and thought my distaste for play marked me as 'not likely to succeed at homeschooling.'  What I am finding instead is that maybe I simply didn't know what to do with the kids all day.  Doing school together gives us a plan for spending quality time together and it is truly wonderful (at least so far)...

Re-set Button

On Friday, my veteran homeschooling friend successfully helped my push the re-set button.  She gave me the courage (and the nudge) to dive in to our curriculum and gave me a few pointers to help smooth out the bumps we experienced the first week.  One of her best ideas was to nip complaining in the bud.  Since Thing 1 and 2 are successfully following a '3 strikes and you're out' policy (that is, you don't get your sticker for the day), I decided to add complaining to the list of strikes.  Thing 2 is my whiner, but I heard nary a complaint from him today.  Here's hoping it continues to work.  It will make our lives so much more pleasant.

If I had to characterize today, it would be pure joy.  The day flowed beautifully, the kids were in sync with me and with one another, and we got all our work done.  We cuddled on the couch to do read-alouds, did running club, and ate our favorite lunch - ramen noodles.  I wish all days could be like this, but I know that's not a fair expectation.  There will certainly be more days like today, but the waters will also turn rough at times and I have to expect that and learn to ride it out with grace (inspiration below).

For now, I'm sitting in the after-glow of a harmonious day of homeschooling.  I can't wait to take the kids to the pool and to put them to bed.  They are the lights of my life and I am so fortunate to have them.

P.S.  Zoo field trip again tomorrow - the camera is already packed.  ;)  Dolphin show - here we come!

Still Wallowing in the Muck

...of self-doubt that is.  We were off to a slow start today as the Things fought and fought and fought.  It all started with the crisis of the last nectarine at breakfast (which was given to Thing 2 who happened to wake up earlier than Thing 1) and spiraled rapidly down from there.  Luckily, the star chart at school kept the Things (mostly) on their best behavior.

My intention had been to start a dolphin lapbook today (a link forwarded to me by a veteran homeschooling friend).  We didn't quite get there, although I have all the materials printed and ready to go.  Instead, I did some math and spelling with Thing 1 while Thing 2 did some cutting.  Turns out Thing 2 has quite a penchant (and a talent) for cutting.  He even rivals Thing 1.


For her part, Thing 1 (4th grade) tested into 9th/10th grade spelling, and (humble as she is) she positively glowed over it.  I think I need to look into spelling bees for her, but a preliminary search didn't yield much.  I'll keep digging.


We also launched our running club today - woohoo!  We each logged 2 miles (4 laps around our block).  For each mile, we earn one of these little cuties which goes on a necklace.  At first I had thought we'd do 2 sessions a week, but I think we'll limit it to Fridays only, weather permitting, to keep the running flame alive.

After a brief reconnaissance mission to the library for dolphin materials, we ate lunch and then, at the request of Thing 2, launched into our science experiment for the day - magnets.  If the kids could name a highlight of the day, this might be it.  They must have played for 45 minutes with magnets, starting at our little school table, and then running all over the house to test things.  They also played a fishing game to which T.S. Geisel himself would have given the seal of approval.  (See pictures below.)

Tomorrow, my friend and homeschool guru  (same one who suggested the dolphin lapbook) is coming over to rescue me from my impending newbie meltdown.  I know I can do this;  it's just going to take hard work and dedication and a whole lot of faith.

Overall, my assessment of the day is that we thrived for parts of it and survived the rest of it (perhaps homeschooling is yet another metaphor for life).

Peace, light, & love to all.  May gratitude for the little things carry you (and me!) through the rest of it.

Thing 1 and Thing 2 fish for fish in a dish with magnets.
Dr. Seuss would be proud!  (Please disregard that the
dish is actually a cardboard box.) 

more fun with magnets