Escape
Where I’d often love to be:
What I’d often like to be doing:
But…
Someone sweet usually needs me.
I love you, Galoot.
Today is…Wednesday Oct 6, 2010
When all three boys are there for the message, it gets a little crowded:
And busy:
And my hands are quite full:
Looking back, I love it! In the moment, however, I’m usually a little flustered.
Which is why I’m really enjoying writing this blog. I love looking back and seeing what actually got accomplished. Knowing that I did more than what I can remember at the end of a long day. It also helps me isolate some great learning experiences which get hidden or lost in the busyness of the day. And, very importantly, this blog makes me want to do better the next day—because I know I’ll be writing about the work we did, and I want to have something to show!
Today we…
Started with prayer.
Discussed the gospel picture of Daniel in the Lions Den. Again we talked about having courage to do what we know is right, and about how Heavenly Father will help us.
Read part of our morning message:
Then we got interrupted with a potty break and a hungry Galoot. We never got back to the message, but we did read a story while I nursed (Scoop joined us, of course):
Then we went off to the gym (mommy/exercise group), where the boys always learn a lot about sharing and get to play some organized games.
Then home for snack. The boys were a little hard to convince to come inside, but they did eventually come. And for our Thanksgiving snack I made: Apple and Peanut Butter Turkeys (yes, of course I made one for me. Why do you ask?)!
Aren’t they soooo cute?!
Okay. Maybe slightly more scary than cute. But tasty and simple to make.
In fact, it was especially tasty with the addition of the ice cream I’d bribed told the boys they could have to encourage them to come inside:
The boys’ wonderful Auntie came by (Hubby’s youngest sister) with her sweet little boy (just a month older than Galoot), and we had a fun time visiting for the rest of the day. It was so nice to have someone to visit and chat and nurse and hold boys with! Its weird how you can get lonely surrounded by little boys, and a visit from friends and relatives is such a blessing.
As we visited, I made some more freezer meals, Ettin napped for a while, Galoot napped and nursed, and Giant kept busy with:
painting (we tried making hand turkeys, but I think I’ll try again tomorrow when I can give him more attention and help),
and hammering things (he found some screws in one of the sheds),
and reading about Thanksgiving (his wonderful Auntie even read him some stories while mommy worked on freezer meals):
and cutting and taping things:
like his nose. Though thankfully he didn’t cut it.
Busy and blessed as always!
Today is…Tuesday Oct 5th, 2010
It was quite sweet actually. On our walk/run to gymnastics this morning, I was feeling rather rushed (and thus grumpy).
My Giant piped up, “It’s so beautiful outside!”
I took another look around and saw the multi-coloured Fall leaves swirling around the sidewalk. I saw the sun peeking behind some clouds. I felt the wind and smelled the fresh air. Yes, it was beautiful.
But we were still late.
As we came close to the top of the hill which is on our route to gymnastics, Giant exclaimed, “This is gonna be so fun! We’ll say Wheeee as we go down the hill!”
Man I love that kid’s attitude!
We were going to get there at the same time, regardless of my frustration or franticness. So why not enjoy the beauty of the day and the fun of the ride while we go? I have a lot to learn. Thankfully, I have good teachers.
What did I teach them today?
Well, we started with a prayer and a gospel picture. We talked about having courage to have faith and stand up for what we believe is true, just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego:
Ettin was having sock and shoe issues during our discussion:
But he made it over to help with the Morning Message (‘unday Mommy!):
Giant and I spent some extra time practicing saying the numbers 10-14 in order. Those elevens, twelves, and thirteens can be so tricky!
Then we left for gymnastics and the library.
The boys devoured books after we got home.
Okay, maybe they watched a movie we’d picked up at the library.
tsk. Must I actually admit that?
Actually, the movie made our after lunch learning time a bit more challenging because I had to find Giant things to do that were more fun than watching a movie or playing computer games (which he desperately wanted to do after having watched a movie in the morning).
So he painted:
He cut pumpkins. He coloured pictures:
He helped Mommy make some freezer meals:
He played games with Mommy and Galoot:
We read Thanksgiving stories (Thanksgiving is the Theme for this week until Monday) after Ettin woke up:
Ettin, I’m sure, listened intently while he played with his cars:
(Galoot was well behaved for most of the afternoon, hanging out nearby or in his chair):
Thank you, Galoot.
Today is…Monday Oct 4, 2010
Today is also my hubby’s and my 8th anniversary.
Today is also Ettin’s 2nd Birthday.
Today is also Gym day and Stay and Play day.
Today is a very busy day.
And we started it late.
Soooo, multitasking mommy nursed a baby and sang alphabet songs (“The A says ‘a.’ The A says ‘a.’ Every letter makes a sound, the A says ‘a.’ Like? —and Giant fills in a word here, like alligator or apple, etc. Thank You LeapFrog 😉 ).
Then we discussed a gospel picture. We talked about how Daniel was able to know and interpret King Nebuchadnezzar’s (I’ve got to use that name in my family somewhere, at some point—perhaps for a pet) dream through the power of the Lord. We reviewed that Daniel and his friends were able to be wise because they followed the Lord and ate healthy foods:
Do you know which picture I wanted to post? This one:
Why? Because it doesn’t show this chaos:
Do you know why I didn’t put up this picture?
Because it doesn’t show how things really happen. I’m trying to show you what homeschooling in a real life setting looks like for us. Hopefully it becomes more orderly, but for now, I’ll share the chaos too.
This morning’s Cause of Chaos? Hinderment of Order? A sweet Galoot that needed a snuggle (which really inhibits a whole lot of tidying up):
I love him. I adore him. I’ll take the mess that comes along with the privilage of being his (and his brothers’) mommy.
We went to Gym (mommy/exercise group), and even had enough time to stop by Stay and Play (on Mondays, the kids get to play and the mommies get to “make and mingle.” We bring things to work on while our children are supervised. Awesome!).
When we got home for lunch, Daddy worked on math with the boys (counting, adding, subtracting) and fine motor skills (chalk drawing):
With Snakes and Ladders!
Our Daddy is the best!
Ettin went down for a nap and Galoot went down for a nap.
Giant and I took advantage of this perfect quiet learning time to make Ettin a card (for his birthday) and hang it on the wall for him (very important, though I’m not exactly sure why):
And bake some cupcakes:
And make a really marvelous mess:
Such is life.
Ettin woke up and joined in the fun (…yes, he is drinking cupcake batter—isn’t that the best part of baking cupcakes?):
Then Ettin worked on his Montessori type water pouring:
Right.
‘Cause I planned that.
Right 😉
I have to admit, preparing for a birthday is a very fun way to spend a school day!
Today is…Friday, Oct 1 2010
Wet.
Very Wet.
This is how we started our school morning.
This required getting dressed for a second time before heading out (yes, slightly late) to the gym (exercise/play group).
But they did have fun 😉
We looked at our gospel picture, and Giant hammed it up for the camera (noticed the dirty diaper by his knee? Have I mentioned I have three little boys? ‘nough said):
We were talking about Shadrach Meshach and Abednego. About how they stayed strong and wise by eating healthy food instead of the King’s rich fair (I should put this picture up on my fridge as a good reminder!). I also started discussing how the Word of Wisdom teaches us to eat healthy foods too.
Then, in the middle of our discussion, Giant pops up and starts rummaging through the paper drawer.
*um.
This, being an affront to my teacher self, was not acceptable.
I called him back to sit on the carpet.
“But, I know it mommy,” He explained.
I felt I needed to wait. So I waited.
And he wrote this (with help to figure out all of the sounds, once I realized what it was he felt was so important to do):
🙂 Sometimes I understand why I need to to listen to that still small voice, and wait.
We skipped the morning message. Giant had done way more letter and sound work than I had planned, so we left it at that.
After gym, I bribed enticed the boys to come home for a snack of apples and peanut butter:
And read a cute story about Blue Burt and his worm friend trying to turn back the clock from Fall to Summer.
Then I went crazy packing and cleaning before we left to stay with family for the weekend.
Thus ended our school day.