Well, we actually started some school this week   We did grammar review and math most days.  Next week is the big, all subject, marathon that will wear us out week.  It’s hard to get the ball rolling and not just for the kids!  But I am proud we got a few lessons going this week.

So here’s the lineup for this year’s subjects:

Daily Grams for grammar review

Writing Tales(Bugaboo)/Royal Fireworks Press Aesop’s Fable (Cutiepatootie)

All About Spelling 3 and probably 4

Horizons Math

Sonlight Core 3 History: Early American

Sonlight Science 3

Latina Christiana Latin I

music lessons( ukulele for Bugaboo and violin for Cutiepatootie)

PE:  forming a PE group for games and sports weekly

Music/Art: Composer/Artist study quarterly

That is our plan.  Already we are finding the math for Bugaboo is much longer and detailed than previous years.  He is liking the grammar this year much better than last years choice and so next year we may go with their full grammar program.  Cutiepatootie liked last years program and so she may go with that one.  Whatever works for them.

We pick up the rest of our stuff from the house this weekend and get to visit with our friends one last time.  I don’t know how often we will get back that way honestly.  We really do like it here in our new city.  We are excited about all the new things to do.  And we are kinda excited to see what winter brings here.  We know it will snow some.  How much?  A blizzard like last year?  The kids are going to need boots….so Christmas gift idea for you all right now

t

It’s August.  WOW!  Our move went well.  As well as 100+ degree temps along with lifting heavy items can go.  We are in our new place and most boxes are out of the place and stored away in the garage.  We go back soon for the last few items.  Our workout equipment would cost more to replace, so we are driving back to get it and the christmas tree

Our first week in our new place has been good.  We have met a few people through the homeschool group nearby and even had a playdate with one family!  We are also spending more time on the tennis court and are meeting people at that park every time we go.   I remember one gal who told me when she moves she never turns down an invite.  I am taking her advice and trying to follow up with people and do things just to get out.

We spent most of last week looking for new music teachers.  We finally put money down on one place an they start next week.  The price shock is wearing off and the kids realize they may not do anything else this fall.  I am hoping to sign them up for soccer with a homeschool group out in the country, but it depends on the price of soccer shoes first.  Moving meant a pay cut, which means we all must cut back.  So family, when you think about birthday presents, think money toward sports ok?  The kids really want to play some things.  To give you perspective….their music lessons are now more than the car payment.  ACK!

We plan to start school after our last moving weekend this month.  We have a full schedule planned and are excited about our new studies.  We start American History this year as well as picking Latin back up.  In Science we are doing a spiral program, so the kids will get lots of different topics this year.  We are also starting a writing program to focus on this year with daily grammar as well.  We plan to alternate our focus in language arts from writing to grammar each year.  This is our writing year.

So life is at times hectic, at times boring, and at this point, always something new.  We do like the town a lot and the job is going well.

T

We are moving.  After job hunting off and on for over 2 years Dh has a new job with a stable company making much less money.  It means life is about to change in so many ways.  We are leaving our home and trying to short sale.  We are upside down with the economy tanking.  We aren’t alone in this fate.  I just never thought we would have to navigate these waters.  The interview, acceptance and move date have happened in less than a month.  It’s daunting.  We signed the lease on our new rental just as my best friend found out she had breast cancer.  I am devastated for her and her family, but I feel so badly about leaving at just the moment she really needs someone she knows well to spill out her heart to in the worst of times.

Life is changing so much, so fast.

So moving is first up.  Tomorrow we pack, Saturday we drive and unload.

Then Dh starts the job while I get the house in order and somehow find a way to organize in time to start school in August.

While the August calendar is wide open I know it will not be all free time.

The mortgage fun we are having is beyond words.  The phone calls are….interesting.  The paperwork makes me scream.

And then there is life.  It’s precious.  And we all take it for granted.  I had to hug my best friend today and say goodbye not knowing when I will be able to come down to see her.  I have to hope that others will step up and help her out.

I am not alone.  My life is not miserable.  It’s heavy right now.  I am on the brink of stress

Personally, I am ready for Saturday.  But we did have a great week and I shouldn’t focus on the horrible dentist/cavity filling experience from this morning.

We keep working through math daily.  Bugaboo is doing long division now!  Cutiepatootie is working on pictographs and multiplication facts.  Both are also doing logic puzzles and love them.  We are finishing up two books from our history curriculum that revolve around missionaries in different time periods/locations and are enjoying reading about other people in this world.

We went bowling twice this week and to the pool.  Plenty of time playing with neighbor kids and water guns too.  It’s going to be a fun summer

Happy Father’s Day!  We hope to surprise Daddy this year with a gift…we just need to go shopping

It’s FRIDAY!  It’s homeschool convention weekend!  We are heading up today as a family to view the vendors and see if anything new has hit the market.  We are set for fall and anything I find today would be ‘gravy’ for our studies.  I have a few things I am looking for though such as logic workbooks or software.

We have had a great week in our studies.  We wrapped up the history reading portion of our curriculum and now have two books to finish reading.  Both are about missionaries so the kids really enjoy them and I don’t think we will wait all summer to read.  A  little each day and before fall we will finish.  Math is consistent with one lesson a day.  I wish they would want to do more to get done but honestly, if they keep at this pace they won’t have the long break and I won’t have to reteach things come fall   They also do logic every day.  Once they finish…which could be 30 minutes or HOURS depending on the day/attitude/lack of sleep/stubborn will, they are off to play.  They are also watching Avatar:The Last Airbender from Nickelodeon on Netflix/Wii and are happy it’s been hot or rainy to get an episode in each day.  Dh and I loved the series and now the kids are enjoying as well.  Cutiepatootie commented, “The world would sure be different if we had airbending or waterbending.”  Yep, it sure would be!

We went bowling this week, to the pool, to the park with friends, to music lessons and had outside play time with the neighbor kids.  Summer is shaping up to be a fun one.

Have a great weekend!

It was a short school week but we have gotten a lot done!  We are moving ahead in math….finally at lesson 120.  We have to get through to 160 though, so lots more to learn!  Bugaboo is adding fractions now and doing division with remainders.  Cutiepatootie is in the thick of multiplication facts and graphs.  In History we have moved through World War I and II very quickly this week.  We are also trying to wrap up our Aesop Fables and poems.  We plan on doing all the history readings and then finish the read alouds we have left.

Music lessons continue going well.  Cutiepatootie has to practice on her recital piece and Bugaboo is learning the music notes now instead of playing from tabulature.

We went to the pool once this week but I expect it to be more often in the future.

The kids had dentist appointments today.  Bugaboo has a cavity.  One of his sealants had fallen off at some point and the tooth will be filled in two weeks.  Even with insurance it’s almost $200. 

We plan to do the Home Depot Kids building event tomorrow and kayak some.  Church Sunday and maybe the pool.  Going to relax!!!  Have a good one!

It’s FRIDAY!  I am so glad.  Not glad about cleaning bathrooms and the floors but glad the week of catching up is over!  We somehow managed to get the laundry caught up and have more to do.  We actually cooked all our meals this week and did not have to go out.

In school we moved past the Industrial Revolution to touch on American Native Americans in the Great Plains and how their land was lost.  We also started reading a book set in WWII in Holland.  We are going through math one lesson a day now and hope to get a few extra lessons in here and there.  The pool opens this weekend so we expect to be there a LOT this summer.  Motivation to get things done

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Thank you servicemen and women!

Our kids have always enjoyed music.  Since dh and I both love music we have enjoyed sharing our favorite artists and styles of music with our children.  The piano lessons only lasted a few month.  They didn’t want to learn to read music.  They would hear it once and play it.  Okay, nice, but you have to learn notes!  We stopped so they wouldn’t get frustrated with the intention of picking it up later.

When they asked to play instruments this winter Dh agreed and so the lessons began.  They love it.  They rarely have to be told to practice.  They take instruction at home well for improvement.  They LOVE playing.

Yesterday Bugaboo’s instructor told us more about how he’s teaching him and he went on to say it’s clear Bugaboo has a natural ear for music.  So he’s training him to play longer pieces by ear.  WOW.  This is an accomplished guitarist and author of a ‘how to play guitar’ book!  Bugaboo is still young so he won’t do longer or more lessons a week but his teacher is impressed.  We are too

I see it in both children though.  Cutiepatootie will hear something and play it on the piano.  I saw Bugaboo do this last week.  They tinker together and make the most beautiful sounds just playing randomly together.  It’s neat to see their process.

A natural ear.  How cool.  I have to read music to play.  They just have to hear it and can play on their own.  *big grin*

Testing is done, and we have big plans next week.  We finished up History early today.  We do have Math and Logic tomorrow as well as reading.  Can’t really say much more than that.  Don’t expect a report next week.  We will be sunbathing, kayaking, beach bums next week

Our week last week was full, yet productive.  We completed all our planned lessons, went to gymnastics, played outside A LOT, had our P.E. Field Day, went to music lessons, played more outside and soaked up a lot of sun.

Then we went to Nags Head on Saturday for some more sun and sand!  It was a blast and had I remembered to take a camera I would have posted a picture.  However, as a true road trip, we literally had nothing but the clothes on our backs and swim suits.  We will be going back soon and will take more provisions…like a camera.

Mother’s Day here was wonderful!  I was served breakfast in bed with coffee, had doors opened for me, sushi for lunch, and time with my husband and kids.

So it’s Monday now.  We are doing our CAT testing this week.  It went well today.  More tomorrow and Wednesday.

We are busy this week with other things but it’s the internet so I can’t say exactly what.  Just know we can’t wait until Saturday!!

Have a wonderful week.

T