What We Do

For school.  

 This is just to record a few of the resources we like, and some of our favorite books.

Last year, Demetri listened to about ½ of the Tarzan series.  I only got bits and pieces, so I’m still not sure if I like it.  We’re considering Sherlock Holmes.

He read Swiss Family Robinson, Treasure Island, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Hatchet, Number the Stars, The Little Prince, Zia, A Door in the Wall, The Whipping Boys, Little House on the Prairie, The Giver, The Wright Brothers, The Sign of the Beaver, Sounder, Where the Red Fern Grows, Julie of the Wolves, North by Night, Little Women, Just So Stories, The Jungle Book, Kim, and many more that I can’t remember right now.  I wish I’d kept better track:(.  Shawn decided partway through the Wrinkle in Time series that he didn’t like it.  They are halfway through the Scarlett Pimpernel, and A Little Princess (which is being read to the little boys too).  Last year Shawn read Journey to the Center of the Earth with Demetri.  Demetri is reading Pippi Longstocking to the little boys.

The younger boys get lots of Dr. Suess, and picture books.  But what I really like to read to them is Betsy-Tacy.  We stopped after I had the baby, so now I have to get back into it again.

We like to get audio books from libravox.com.  Demetri had an mp3 player (before it went through the washing machine) that he would download books to and then listen while he did chores in the morning.  It might have made him a little slower, but I didn’t really mind.  He also took his audio books to the playground!  I think I’m going to have to get him another mp3 player for his birthday.

We’ve been liking books by Steve Sheinkin for history.  We use Discover the Scriptures for gospel study.  We like the Beethoven’s Wig cd’s for music.  

For “preschool” I usually just buy a workbook they can do at the same time the others are doing school, and we play a few phonics card games here and there.  We use Janeen Brady’s Standin’ Tall Series, and Safety Kids.  

Everyone does math on the computer (even preschoolers).  We use the Linux math game—free, but it’s a whole operating system.  It’s the best math game I’ve seen so far for drilling.  We have a math board game we pull out sometimes, with 3 different math games in it.  They like the dino math one.

Writing consists of writing letters to friends and family, though Demetri has tried a blog and writing a book.  Letters are the most consistent.  I’m working on a short fantasy story that has the kids in it to try to inspire them to write more.  

We use pop-up Chinese, and Growing Up With Chinese, for, you guessed it, Chinese study.  But we haven’t done very well at that one yet.  I’m working on it.  And Shawn thinks the best resources are little kid’s books in Chinese.  I have yet to get through one, even with his help.

We have sports down!  This year I want to focus a little more on drama and piano (the only instrument I can teach them).  We do sporadic art lessons—Olie’s favorite, and last year I conducted a “community” (neighbor kids) cooking class and art over the summer.  Shawn also did Science Saturdays with whatever kids wanted to, usually an experiment, possibly with a short lesson. 

I’ll have to keep writing down my favorite resources as I find or remember them, so that by the end I can remember all the things we liked.

This year we plan on reading Anne of Green Gables—because I’m the mom and it’s one of my favorites, Around the World In 80 Days (Shawn and Demetri), the rest of the Betsy-Tacy books, Little Men, Sheinkin’s Bomb (along with a WWII documentary we have), 5 Little Peppers and How They Grew,  The Second Jungle Book,  The Prince and the Pauper, we might do some more Thornton Burgess this year.  I’m thinking of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!  and other books by Mo Willems. 

I also like suggestions and favorites!

Last week. Well, the memorable parts of it anyway :)

We’ve had some interesting times lately.  Wednesday we went to Paradise Cove with friends and swam with the turtles.  The kids explored, and the baby sat in a sort of stunned/comatose state as he warily watched the water and sand around him.  Demetri got a little careless and jumped from rock to rock instead of slowly climbing them, resulting in a pretty good fall.  I thought for sure it was another trip to the ER as an adult helped him get back to me.  His foot was covered in blood.  But after it was cleaned up, we saw it was just a shallow cut.  It didn’t stop him from screaming into a towel for the next 20 minutes, but I guess that’s just part of his dramatic personality. 

Friday we had “friend homeschool,” as a couple friends like to join us most Fridays.  We wrote beach stories for our books, and now I need to print the pictures of the turtle for them.  Then we played math computer games.  More neighborhood children wandered in and listened to Pandora while I cleaned.  A pillow fight eventually developed, and I had to stop cleaning to make some ground rules. 

1.      Anyone who hits the fan, tv, etc is out till the next round. 

2.      You can’t hit anyone who doesn’t have a pillow. 

3.      If you drop your pillow or sit down on the couch you’re out until the next round. 

4.      If you’re too hard on the little kids and they get hurt you’re out. 

5.      The baby is a bomb.  Anyone who touches him is out.

They had a blast!  We had to stop for a mandatory water break because I could see the sweat dripping from the older boys.  All in all, I think we had 12 children and a whole lot of pillows in the living room.  They did a great job at following the rules!  While they were waiting for Uncle Shawn to get home (because I told them he could whip them all in a pillow fight) we ended up doing karaoke to Disney songs on Youtube.  And the Hokey Pokey.  You should have seen the “too-cool-for-you” 8-12-year-old boys doing the Hokey Pokey.  It was all for Xander.  Sweet kids :).

Saturday one of our (8 yr old) friends came over and made bread with me.  Then we all made personal pizzas.  During lunch he exclaimed, “This is like my second home!”  And my kids told him he was welcome to live here forever and be a brother. Hmm...do I have a say in this? Haha.

Why I Blog

Blogging is a form of procrastination for me.  I like to write, when I actually get around to it, and blogging is an excuse for not currently cleaning the kitchen, doing more laundry, or planning tomorrow’s cub scout activity.  Things you’ve been putting off become more stressful the longer you put them off, and blogging also relieves some of that stress (no idea why).  

I have a new bed.  I love, love, love this bed.  I’ve never been on one so soft.  I am beginning to appreciate that value is relative and subjective.  

I’m exhausted.  Homeschooling is a lot of work.  I don’t know how long we’ll do it, but I’d better get organized in a hurry if it’s going to be very long.  Shawn’s working on putting a curriculum together. 

We’ll be working on perfecting a crockpot chicken pot pie this week.  I have 3 recipes to try.

SO very elated about the new rec center opening next week.  Free gym and swimming pool a 2 minute drive away (the other one we’re allowed to use is 20 minutes each way).  Shawn has volunteered to watch the kids whenever I want to go…think he’s trying to tell me something?!  Anyway, he’s been really good about not bugging me to work out (I think he got too frustrated).  It’ll be a lot easier to go now that there’s one that close, and Shawn can take the boys swimming…if he’s that brave.  It’s hard for one adult to keep an eye on all of them in water.

Pinterest is interesting.  Not sure I have the time, but it sure is entertaining.  One more form of procrastination.