The Morning After

Well, it is almost 9am and the girls are still asleep as far as I know. I looked in on them a bit ago and it was silent in the tent. My husband is "standing guard" out on a buffalo robe and all is well.

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Daddy protecting the girls!

Opps I spoke too soon. The girls are now up and squealing! LOL I just gathered in a who bunch of tomatos and zuchinni and BASIL. I love the smell of basil in my kitchen. So the day is beginning with bacon and eggs and a few more games to finish out the badges the juniors are working on. Then it is time for them to break down the campsite, clean out the fire pit, and leave no trace of themselves.

This afternoon after dropping them off to their mothers we are heading to our friends farm for a friendly gathering and a feast. I cannot wait. This is the last time I will see some of these folks till next summer. Oh and somewhere in all that we have to fit in a primer lesson, maybe we will do that tonight before bed. I want to try and keep it fairly regular, every Sunday so that it becomes routine for the kids.

Girl (scout) s Just Want To Have Fun!

My daughter is in the middle of a GirlScout Birthday party. We are earning 2 patches and the girls will go home with some more camping knowledge that they may or may not have had when they arrived. So far they have put up the tent, made up the fire (not lit yet), make fruit salad and dehydrated strawberries in a solar oven, learned about personal hygiene and what colors they look best in, played some balloon games, opened birthday presents and gone on a treasure hunt.
After their free time they will make, eat , and clean up dinner, play some more games, light the fire, sing songs, get jammies on, have sparklers, and end the night with fireworks before retiring to their tent. I am fairly strict about bedtimes and as this is a party, I am allowing talking till 11pm but NO LATER (I am actually hoping to enforce 10:30 but it will depend when they get into their sleep sacks)!
Oh, and before they go to sleep they will do a friendship circle where they take turns sitting in the middle as their friends give them compliments. This is actually hard for girls and women to do. We want to blow them off or say, "Oh, no, I am not that". This is good for self esteem to be able to TAKE a compliment.

The First Week of Hell, ooops School

So all the planning is done and the getting things just so is complete. I was ready for the first day of school. The morning dawned...and...the children whined and complained and I cried and yelled and told them they were horrible and that I had gone though a lot to make things great for them and they were ungrateful beasts and forget it and just get out of my sight and no fun stuff for them!!!!!!


Sigh...


So I thought about it, realized I couldn't take it personally, wondered if it could be PMS (which I am happy to report it was) and went back into the schoolroom with a smile on my face...TO START AGAIN.  And we all approached it more gently and with respect for one another. And actually had a fine time of it.
          So we didn't have such a good start, but that's what do overs are for and since then , we have had a fine time of it. I am noticing where I have to tweak the curriculum for this one and that one and how I need to drop grammer to one day a week orally, leaving Language Arts 3 days and Spelling 2 days (not including the test on a third day). The original grammer 3 days, LA 5 days and Spelling 5 days was just too much and I see that now. Plus we didn't have a really good Math day and by tweeking LA it allows for Math 3 days with review the other 2 days. All in all, it will be a good year. Next week I am going to work the Yoga into the morning routine and concentrate on getting their drawing lessons going as well.

And then when we get everything going in a wonderfully smooth rhythm...we will start the field trips! We must have a field trip a week from Sept to Nov. It is going to be a fun fall!

Twas two nights before school starts...

twas two nights before school starts, and all through the house
.the chidren are sleeping and Mom's on the couch
Blogging about all the fun that they've had
the whole summer long with she and with Dad.

But inside Mom giggles and jumps just a bit
Can't wait for on Monday, in the schoolroom they'll sit
With new pencils and books, their eager bright faces
Ready to learn about new people and places.

Ok, the reality is that the children will frown
When introduced to the new subjects in town
But that is ok cause when given the choices
"Stay at home to learn" say both of their voices

So on English, on Math, on Science and Art
and let's not forget History playing it's part
But until Monday comes and the school bell does ring.
A trip to the mall is just the thing.

This year we are using a lot of the same stuff for both but here it is:
For Tristan:
-Explode the Code and Sequencial Spelling
-Learning Language Arts Through Literature Orange Level
-Evan Moor's Daily Science grade 4
-Charlotte Mason English for the thoughtful child
-Story of the World Part II: Middle Ages
-Drawing for Children (as an art curriculum)
-Eclectic Math based on "What Your 2nd Grader Needs To Know"

For Hannah:
-K12 Spelling grade 4
-LLATL Orange level
-Evan Moor Science greade 4
-Charlotte Mason Simply Grammer
-Story of the World Part II: Middle Ages
-Drawing for Children
-Eclectic Math based on "What your 4th grader needs to know"

This year should be fun and challenging for them both.

MoonCamp

Well camp is over and the house is clean once more. Mooncamp was a huge success! We had 6 children and they learned all about Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. We made lapbooks that the children added to as the week went by. Everyday it was grounding and yoga and crafts and running amuck in the back yard. Everyday there were stories to touch the soul and teach them about where they came from and where they are heading. I was surprised that even the oldest were entranced with the picture books I selected. I was afraid some were too young, but they loved them. We did guided meditations and it was amazing what the children shared about their individual journeys. And although this was supposed to be a one time thing, the children and Moms liked it so much that we've decided to meet once a month and continue the fun.

 These photos are of Tristan doing yoga, Hannah nature sketching, and of the Elves surrounded by all the elements that the girls put together.

The Birthdays are Done!

Hey everyone! Around here August is birthday month. All three of our angels turn another year older along with one grandfather, one aunt and several other good friends. I feel like we live on birthday cake and ice cream LOL

But now they are all over and we are just trying to put together all the lego kits, read the new books and grow into the new clothes LOL Now to figure our a gift for My Husband whose birthday is in September. Every year we get to this part of the year and money is so tight that we have skipped his birthday or just made presents (which is nice, don't get me wrong). This year is different. This year I am getting him....ooops...he might be reading this hehehe. Sorry Honey, no early hints!!!!

Moon Camp Coming Up!

So I always seem to have these cool ideas, get others involved and then dread the activity LOL. I stress that although I think it will be fun and neat, that others will think it is boring and not worth their time. So we have Moonday Camp coming this next week. We are getting together with some of our other friends who Worship in the Earth Religions and teaching the kids a little about the five elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. One mother is teaching Yoga poses for each element and one mother is doing some Chakra stuff with them. I am putting together a lapbook that they will fill in about the elements. It should be very cool. We are going to sew dream journals, bake pizza,  make beads from salt dough, do sunprints, and meditate. The kids will also paint, play with water balloons, and dance to lively pagan music while spinning like tornados. It should be a fun time!

In the meantime, we have cubscouts Waterballoon Battleship this weekend and Sunday we may go hiking. Lots to do in our busy world.

Up all night!

ok, so the month of August usually finds me up all night A LOT. I am usually planning my curriculum and then planning each 6 week unit, then each week and finally each day. I LOVE planning. But this year, I managed to get all that done last month and now I am still up, planning .

Next week is Moon Camp. We are teaching the kids about all the elements, including spirit. I have to make sure I have all the supplies I need. I have been trying to do this all day but just have not. And look, now it is 3am and I am blogging instead of preparing. This should tell me something, shouldn't it???? Ok, going to get off here now and plan for next week. I am sure I will post as we go.

Gearing Up for the coming year

So here it is, almost mid August. We've had a busy busy summer with travel and camping and the beach. There has been boyscout camp and girlscout camp, riding lessons and piano lessons. And of course plenty of days just at home, playing in the yard, chasing fireflies, staying up late just because.

And now...we are two weeks away from starting preschool, second grade, and fourth grade. More later