grade 1, block I: letter introduction (week 6)

monday, october 26th

main lesson:
form drawing, concentric circles, Form Drawing for Grades 1-4, Ernst Schuberth & Laura Embry-Stine, p.4 (fig 6 & 7)


*introduce with a short story
our was a tale of a picnic at the laurel river (where we camped last september) & of 3 little boys skipping stones

lesson b:
outdoor nature hour; we spent this gorgeous day raking (more) leaves & moving our first pile to the garden for mulch


tuesday, october 27th

main lesson:
*tell story, part #6
introducing swan & 'a' (aaahhh)

*project: sew a felt swan

lesson b:
handwork, continue sewing swan



wednesday, october 28st

main lesson:
(recall story, together)
draw picture of swan in lesson book, add a gold star with the letter 'a'

lesson b:
baking, cinnamon scones


thursday, october 29th

main lesson:
*recall story, part #6 (on own)
*write short summary together, copy into main lesson book

painting day:
lance & the boys all helped me make belly casts when i was pregnant with each our little ones (except poor evyn, our now 7 month old baby girl)

i have had them displayed here & there, but never did i imagine that we would be blessed with so many beautiful children, and so...i am letting go.

we have no room for them, and they are just being moved from here to there, gathering dust, etc.

i always intended for the boys to paint them themselves when they were older ,and today was that day...

this was hard for me to witness...i don't know why, they are just "things", but then they are also so much more than that. these are casts of my children in utero, a remembrance of a time & place where no of us will ever be again. i can remember each of them, when i was, what i was doing...so many of my life events are time lined by my pregnancies. this is something that they boys did not get, somethings that lance does not get. something that is insanely significant but for reasons that i have a hard time putting into words.

anyway...here are the before, during & after photos...



aydin...

ehren...

balance...a bit of insight anyone??

it seems as though our days are so busy lately...not that we go out much. we do try to attend the local festivals and such, & a weekly playgroup.

but i find my self wondering lately...am i missing something??

i get up at 5:30 or 6am and work on knitting, or some other crafting (usually to post in my etsy shop) & enjoy a hot cup of coffee (now that baby sleeps until 7am or so :).

at 6:50am i wake orin up (our 9 yr old) for his shower. and at 7am we begin our lessons...it was his idea to get up early. he said that it is easier to focus without the younger lot up & about (which i thought was a very mature observation).

8am breakfast, chores, walk...then home for more lessons (alternating between orin & aydin). we take a lunch break at noon or so & enjoy some time with papa (though lately he has been sleeping later & we haven't gotten to visit as much).

2pm, papa leaves for work & we have a bit of outside time, then rest time. then our last lesson of the day (handwork, baking, etc).

by then it is nearly 5pm, and the boys play until dinner (6pm). then it's baths, tidy the house & get ready for bed. daily gratitude journal & story, then bed at 9pm.

of course, in between all of this is taking the 2 1/2 yr old potty every two hours, changing baby evyn every 2 hr or so (we use cloth diapers), nursing evyn, getting breakfasts, lunches, & dinners made...starting laundry, putting away dishes, breaking up little spats here & there, getting papa up for this day...etc...

i haven't had a lot of free time lately, but today it worked out that this youngest ones fell asleep just as papa left for work. so, i took the opportunity to check my email & pop in on a few blogs of fellow mamas. i am looking at these gorgeous nature tables, children's playrooms that are just beautifully set up & CLEAN, there are posts about dreams & life...the living of life.

then i look at my own posts...everything is homeschool (or at least a good 80-90%)

i had a mom leave a comment last week about "how do i get it all done?!?" that made me feel good. because honestly right now, my children are my life, and as we are a homeschooling family...homeschool is, in effect, my life as well. we don't do workbooks or a laid out curricula because we follow a waldorf approach.

but still i wonder...is this how life is with 4 children (9, 6, 2 & 6months)??

i wonder if my focus is perhaps skewed, maybe i am missing out on the important things in life. i think that i take the time to listen to the bird's song & to stop & smell the flowers, but do i?? the rest of my day i such a blur that i cannot seem to remember if i did or not...

i would love more "free time" with the boys, just to sit & be...but it just doesn't seem to happen, and i don't necessarily think that it is because i am not letting it. i don't overschedule us with outside lesson & activities, the boys each pick one program/class for the fall & one for the spring, chess club every other friday, and 4-h club once per month.

perhaps it only appears that i am living a busy life because i am so involved in my children's lives...because they are all so young yet?? am i so rapped up in my the "one-thing-after-another" that i don't realize how peaceful our days are for the rest of the family??

which brings me back to my original question...am i missing something??...or is this just how life is when you are a homeschooling family of four??

(your thoughts...please!)

grade 1, block I: letter introduction (week 3)

monday, september 28th



main lesson:
*form drawing, "wave running form"

*introduce with a short story,

we actually sang "the ants go marching one by one (hurrah, hurrah!)"

lesson b:

*nature study challenge, #4

http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/2008/03/green-hour-4-it-is-coming-into-focus.html

we finished our "michaelmas star balls", the boys wanted brighter colors, so we used kool-aid

and it was a gorgeous & blustery day in western north carolina...so we flew kites.

it is a bit frustrating to do here. there are so many trees that the winds come from all directions. but the boys kept at it and we had a few good runs. i had to forgo the picture taking to help out though. :)

tuesday, september 29th (Michaelmas)

*we started the day off with a longer than usual walk, relishing the first signs of autumn

main lesson:

*tell story, part #3

introducing mountain, door, and "e" (eeeeehhhh)

project:

*make a picture, misty mountains with a door that opens (and a gold star, for the letter 'e' earned)

*lesson b:

handwork, continue working with knitting mushroom

wednesday, september 30th

main lesson:

(recall story, part #3)

*this week's letter picture was our project yesterday, so we modeled with beeswax for michaelmas. aydin made the dragon...

lesson b:

baking, dragon bread!

thursday, october 1st

main lesson:

(recall story, part #3)

*write short summary togetherThe prince mastered his fear.

painting:

st. michael & the dragon, of course...

lesson b:

*handwork, finish with knitting mushroom.

aydin decided that his 'rope' would be an eel...

the best sister ever!!

today is my 30th birthday! :)

and my younger sister, samantha, sent me the best birthday greeting ever, bar none!

here it is:

Subject: 30 Reasons Why You Deserve The Best Birthday Ever:

1) Batteries in socks.
2) Thumb in tennis racket.
3) Sisters' Day cards.
4) Laughing uncontollably and getting sent from the dinner table.
5) Not being able to tell our voices apart.
6) Best mother in history.
7) Amazing artist.
8) "Keep your claws away from me you beast!"
9) Defending me on the playground.
10) Four kids+homeschool+esty+garden+everything else=AMAZNG!
11) Best lasagna ever!
12) That crazy/old/baby face you make.
13) Vampire feet.
14) Re-telling stories.
15) Perfecting balance in life.
16) Smuggling me bread when I got in trouble and got sent to bed.
17) Always ready to help anyone in need.
18) Giving me the most amazing nephews and niece.
19) Being able to talk to you about anything.
20) Remembers to enjoy the simple things and inspires others to do the same.
21) A positive influence on everyone you meet.
22) The kindest, most caring soul I've ever met.
23) Gorgeous-ness only surpassed by inner beauty.
24) Dancing around with the boys to Dixie Chicks.
25) Always true to yourself and your beliefs.
26) Massive amount of inner strength.
27) Your Christmas treats, delicious!
28) Knowing you are always there, from a phone call to a surprise visit to your house.
29) Inspiring me to be a better person.
30) Being my hero for the past 25 years.

I love you!

Enjoy your day!!
--------------------

is she great or what!! <3

congratulations to mama rose!

orin drew your name in our fandex giveaway...

please send me your address & i'll get it shipped out straight away!

in honor of autumn...a giveaway! :)

in north carolina the fall weather is upon us...the winds are blustery, the leaves are rustling, a chill is in the air...and the colors! oooooh, the colors!

in honor of this festive time of year, we are giving away a "trees", fandex. they are great way to identify all the leaves that are finding their way onto our nature table...:)

to enter, simply leave a comment about one of your favorite autumn tradition & on october 20th (my birthday! :) our boys will draw the name of our lucky winner...