Back To School 2015

Yes, we started school on the day after July 4th.  Seemed like a great idea when I planned it but the morning of we were exhausted!  It was definitely a late start day!  This year we have a 5th grader, 3rd grader, and a preschooler.  We thought about starting kinder with Annie this year but decided to take our time and enjoy her a bit longer!  We took the kids to the mall to pick out a brand new back to school outfit and they found their stuff at JC Penney.  They thought it was the fanciest stuff ever!   So happy they are so easy to please!

My dear Noah J is in 5th grade this year!  It is so hard for me to believe.  We are doing some new school stuff this year and so far (I'm writing this in August) he is loving it.  We chose Sonlight Core E for him.  This covers the second half of American history and is right up his alley.  One of the books used is his very favorite Usborne book about the World Wars.  It is stretching him and really growing him and we are both in love with it.  We are going back to Teaching Textbooks for math this year, simply so he and I don't argue so much about it!  :)  And then we're continuing with our regular things like Easy Grammar, Apples and Pears spelling, and A Reason for Handwriting.  His favorite part of school is definitely the baking class I designed for him.  He is so excited for Sundays to come since he knows he will get to bake with me!  I'm already impressed with his skills. 

Wyatt is in 3rd grade this year!  Now this is easy for me to believe because so often I just lump the two older boys into the same age in my mind.  Feels like he has been doing school for much longer!   We cautiously decided to do Sonlight Core C with him this year, which is the second half of world history.  He is not the biggest fan of listening ot me read aloud and seems to learn much better with hands on so we were not sure how it would go.  After we figured out that he listens best if his hands are busy we started allowing color counts during Sonlight time and now he loves it!  Begs to do Sonlight each day so he "can go on an adventure!"  Yes, it sounds like a quote from the catalog but it is true!  I am so, so pleased and surprised with what a good fit it is.  He is continuing with CLE math because it is working for him and we are trying out Growing with Grammar this year.  He's also thrilled to be learning cursive and typing this year too.   I'm impressed with how quickly he is picking up the typing!

My little Rosie girl is doing another year of preschool.  We really went back and forth on starting kinder this year but decided to hold off so she has some more time to really master writing.  I feel like I pushed Noah too much in the early years in this area so I don't want to make that mistake again.  Of course she LOVES to "do school" so we are still doing daily lessons with her.  We are going through the Memoria Press pre-k program which she loves.  We also do All About Reading Pre-level 1 and we are reading through as many of the choices from Honey For A Child's Heart as we can.  I can't wait to start Sonlight with her because it is a perfect fit for her as well.  She listens along with to the boys stories and really gets into them.  I'm so surprised at how much she understands at such a young age!

And this little guy is pretty much just being a little terror all day.  The first day of school as soon as I sat down to read to the kids he crawled over and started screaming and sobbing.  He was so used to the kids paying attention to him the entire day he was not happy we were looking at books and not him!  Seems like we might be finally getting into a rhythm with him.  Maybe.

He did not want to cooperate with Wyatt to take a pic but then gave his sister girl a big smooch! 

Well, for a little bit till she took the grass from him so he wouldn't put it in his mouth.  Evidently grass tastes good!

I leave you with my gangsta boys.  Here is to another great year of homeschooling!  Oh so hard, but oh so worth it.  Can't imagine my life without these little guys beside me all day.  The whole concept of sending your kids away to school all day every day is so foreign to me now.   I find it hard to remember feeling like that was what I would ever do with my kids.  So glad God gave me a difficult child who I just knew would struggle in a traditional school.    I remember the first time I saw positive info about homeschooling on the computer and I was blown away.  Also thankful God put people in my life to take the plunge with me so I didn't have to start alone.    Being with these kids makes my heart happy!

Math boys!

"Mom, come take a picture of how cute we are!!"  How can I say no to that?  Of course they are cute!  Evidently Wyatt thought it was photo worthy so here they are making an appearance on the blog now!  In our prep for Owen we moved a ton of furniture around and created a little game/puzzle nook behind the couch.  Today the boys decided to do math here together.  They were pretty tickled with it and then had the brilliant idea to share a blanket.  Cause you know, when it is pushing 100 degrees you really need a blanket. :) Although this baby is making me so hot I've got the air cranked pretty low!

I made them take another pic looking like they were actually doing work.  I love how Wyatt put his hand on his head like he was super duper concentrating.  These guys crack me up!  They were actually pretty cute helping each other on their stuff.  Trying to get as much school accomplished as we can in these last weeks before Owen joins us!

Interactive Theater fun!

The best thing we have added to our schedule this school year has been multiple trips to go see the Interactive Theater Company.  They have special homeschool shows that don't cost too much and are  perfect time for us.  And it is so nice cause they are in the Heights which is convenient and easy since we are familiar with the area.  The plays have been so funny - Noah and Wyatt laugh hysterically the entire time.  Annie really loves them too,  but some of the loud speaking/yelling makes her kind of nervous.  But I don't mind cause that means we get to snuggle!  The first show of the season Noah got pulled up on stage and got to play a part.  He was either Lewis or Clark, I can't remember.  I was so shocked he was brave enough to get up there.  He is constantly surprising me!  The boys requested that I put gel in their hair and spike it up in the front this particular day.  They were so cute... it hardly looks different but they really thought they looked fancy!  My favorite part of the day is that we always go to Berryhill's afterwards for lunch.  They insisted that I snap their picture on this bench in the parking lot. 

And they were super excited that for the last show of the season Joshua stayed awake and came with them. 

Can't wait for all of the new shows next year!

Red-winged Blackbird!

 We were outside doing school on the back porch when what to our wondering eyes should appear?  Yes, a Red-Winged Blackbird!  Yes, I know this is an extremely common bird, but we have never seen one before.  To be honest I didn't even know what it was.  But Noah J certainly did!  This boy prides himself on knowing every single bird that comes into our yard, male and female!  Every time I think he is yanking my chain we pull out bird field guide and he is always right.  :) So we stopped what we were doing and pulled out our Prisma colors and nature journals.  When we first started our nature journals Noah really HATED them.  Mostly because I was forcing him to write in it.  But this year I decided I really wanted him to develop a love of recording the things he finds interesting in God's creation, so I told him I would be his scribe.  Ta da!!  We suddenly have a boy who loves nature journaling.  :)   Love homeschooling outside in the springtime weather!

Not Back To School and why my kids are always sick!

We had so much fun celebrating not back to school day this year!!  Every year we got out to breakfast with a friend or two and celebrate not going to school like the rest of the kids are in our district that day.  Check out our little babies last year... can you even believe how they have grown?? And our circle of friends has grown too, and I am so thankful for that!!  The last two years have been very difficult friendship wise and I finally feel like I am surrounded by ladies that love me and my kids and will be here for the long haul.  I thank God for each of you!!  You know who you are.  ;)

And just in case you were wondering why my kids are always sick.  It's cause I photograph things like this instead of getting her to stop.  ;) 

Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria!!

This year we are studying American history with My Father's World Adventures.  I really loved spending all of first grade in Bible history, but I am excited to be learning something new (to them) this year.  Our first project was making foil ships after we learned about Christopher Columbus.  Please don't comment criticizing the shapes of my sails...  I realize they are not accurate but the kids did them and I didn't have the heart to get them to fix it.  :)  We took them outside and luckily it was a nice and windy day so they really flew all around the bucket.  Annie had just woken up but insisted on being a part of it all... I love how crazy he hair is!

The learning only lasted so long, though, before Annie threw herself into a bucket and the next thing I knew they were all in on the action!!  The best part of homeschooling for sure, these impromptu play times in the midst of learning.  :)  Annie found the headband in the garage and insisted on wearing it.... so ridiculous looking!

Wyatt ran inside and got his bag of coins and insisted I photograph him searching for a "treasure" at the bottom of his bucket AND the big reveal where he showed off what he found, LOL.  I love him!

And of course it wouldn't be a normal hour without Annie having a fit of some sort!!  She cracks me up in this picture!! 

This same day Wyatt Cade begged me to let him finish the Go For The Code workbook and then go out to Menchies to celebrate.  He had over 20 pages left and that kid did them all in one sitting!! He is certainly ready to start reading, and now I know what he is capable of, so he can't complain this year when he has to do more than two pages!!

A Menchies Celebration!

The big news this past week was that Wyatt finished his Get Ready for the Code book!!  Folks, I thought this day would never come.  And the crazy part is that he FLEW through it.  It makes me wonder if something just clicked or if he finally decided he wants to learn to read.  I'm really excited cause I know he will fly through the next two books and be good and ready for kinder come August.  Yay!!  He requested that he be treated just the same as Noah and get to do something special when he finishes his "splode" the code books.  After we said no to Itz he decided on a trip to Menchies, and of course we took a few pics!

He even brought Orangey along for some yogurt!

Little momma loves her some yogurt and made quite a mess of herself!

And Noah J had fun taking pics of his daddy with his favorite Menchies character - the marshmallow man!

While we were waiting on Wyatt to finish his mountain of ice cream Josh took a ton of pics of us.  I just love these shots of Noah J's gorgeous little face.

He's giving you the smolder in that last shot... can you tell?!  :) 

I attempted the smolder as well but was rather unsuccessful!