Well, today I had my "Mom's time" class - so the kids got to go outside to play in the babysitting - which is always good. 

 

Went through the scripture mastery again - they are still great with the 3 they have memorized.   Did some reading cards with Echo - think I may add another letter sound soon.  And got Delta to do his sentences - in lower case.  He prefers the upper case (it is easier) - but he did the lower case just fine.  Just had to convince him that the small "t" wasn't a "j". (which is a letter he hasn't even officially done...)

 

We also read a whole chapter of The House at Pooh Corner too!   He kept having me show various words out of the book....

Ladybugs are out!

I figure we will do the AofF in a while.... most of the scriptures we are doing are a bit shorter.   I DO have to tape the kids saying them sometime.... it is so cute!

 

So today:  It was my babycircle day, so the kids were in babysitter (more PE!) - apparently they went outside for a while.   Delta had his violin lesson, and did great considering the lack of practice....  He would do better if we practiced, but he is doing great.  I'll try to get practicing again with him though.

 

We didn't really do any reading, although Delta was reading a book with me, and I had him figure out a number of the words.   

 

We went outside this evening - it was a beautiful day.  The kids played in the yard for quite a while.   They also found some ladybugs - Delta was upset at first (I have no idea who taught him to be scared of ladybugs - he was for a while last year, but I told him that they are our friends, and eventually had him even hold one....) - anyway, I reminded him that they are our friends, and they help our gardens, that they don't hurt - but maybe just tickle a bit.  Anyway, Delta and Echo spent a number of minutes looking at them.  (I hope they didn't hurt them, I was a little busy....)

 

Wish I could memorize like that!

So - today's update....

Had our last day of lil' gardeners. It was definately interesting.... right now their little yards are in the back of the mini-van - darned if I know where we will put them!

This afternoon, Echo wanted to do cards - so we started with the scripture mastery. This is the first time Mike has been around while they have been doing them - and Echo said - word-for-word 3 scriptures with no prompting except the book name, and maybe the first word in the scripture. Mike had her do the first 1 three times because he couldn't believe it! I too am amazed, she has them better memorized than I do! Delta got 2 of the 3 right - on one he puts in part of another scripture.

Echo then did reading cards - she did some pretty good - some not. I don't think she is ready for more stuff yet. I really got to get it back more into games. Delta didn't want to do his sentences, but got me the House at Pooh Corner - but got distracted after a paragraph, so I didn't push it.

Again, I'm doing HORRIBLE at violin practice with Delta - it just seems like so much work at the moment.

Doubts

I have to admit that I get huge waves of doubt every so often.... Most recently seeing the brochures for the local French-Immersion School's kindergarten in the library, and seeing the (same) school's big sign on the road that they are accepting registrations (which means they aren't full....) for the fall. If I wasn't homeschooling, I'd want them to be in immersion (and as French is what is available.... it would be French....) - so it gives me waves of doubt. I had the same waves of doubt when Bravo registered Zulu (my grandson) for French Immersion Kindergarten.... and even just when the even closer school had the signs up for registration in (English) Kindergarten.

Yet I'm sure that homeschooling is right for our family. I know that Mike will teach them German, so the 2nd language will happen (maybe not fluently like in an immersion....) I know my son will be happier at home, and they are both doing well at home. It is just hard to be sure.

But, it is hard to find support in some ways. Fortunately, my husband fully supports this - I know some people have to do it without spousal support. My mom is against it, the older kids think we are nuts, Mike's siblings are against it (haven't mentioned it to my siblings, I don't think.) My dad is good with it, I believe. So when doubts happen, there aren't many people to talk to about it.

Same Ol'

Hm - guess I haven't updated this for a couple of days!

 

Doing the standards - I am very impressed with the scripture study.   Echo has 3 scriptures MEMORIZED....  I give her the book of the reference and she says the chapter and verse number (so far everything has been in different books) - and then she says the whole scripture!  (Sometimes I have to give her the first word or so.)  Delta is pretty much the same - although today he sort-of combined 2 scriptures together....    I have also memorized the scriptures, but for the life of me I can't remember the book/chapter/verse numbers to go with them....

 

Echo is doing reading cards - I haven't provided any new material.  She is doing good with the sounds of each letter we have done (sometimes mixes up C and G) - and will sound out all the letters of the word - but today anyway once she does the sound for each letter, no matter what the word (mostly) she figures it says "POP"....  so I'm having fun trying to get her to blend it out I guess....      Delta is still working on the sentences, and can figure most of the first 15 out (although I suspect he has memorized the last few words, which is apparently normal.....).   He isn't doing as well with the 15 sentences in lower case though - and I'm kind of disappointed in the book because it really doesn't discuss that much about how to transition them to understanding both cases.....    

 

We haven't been practicing the violin nearly enough, as I just don't have the energy!

 

We have been doing a lot of reading in "The house at Pooh Corner" though.....

Violin Concert

I feel like a lot of days I'm saying the same thing - but that is the way it is....

 

Today I took them to the Y - and they went into babysitting while I got to rest sore muscles in the swimming pool, and then just sit and relax a bit too.  They got to run around.  (Phys-ed - right???)     They then played on the big play structure.

 

I don't remember if I did reading and stuff in the morning or not - I don't think so.

 

But tonight was Delta's violin concert.   Echo wasn't happy (she stayed home with a babysitter - but after the Christmas fiasco with her.....)  I'll be writing more tomorrow, but the concert went great - Delta's class did everything just right, and it was really cute too.   We also got to stay to listen to all the music  (Music, and Music Appreciation!) - he seemed to like it better when the kids got into the songs he hears all the time on his CD.   (They had the cellists play, then Delta's class, then the other beginner class.   Then they had about 6 or so special numbers - then they do what is called a Play-off.  They basically play from the Suzuki repetoire - starting with some of the harder songs, and working their way back to the ones in the first book, all the way to Twinkle.  For each song, more students come on stage and join in.)

Little Gardeners

I forgot to mention that yesterday they had their little gardeners program.  The "yard" that they are growing in a roasting pan is sure growing good.... they got to cut the grass with scissors.  They planted some parsley in a cup yesterday   Today they did the baby circle - babysitting.   The one group that generally does the babysitting was full today (a few new mom's with kids to be babysat happened, I think) - so they got to go with the nursery school class next to our thing.  They have done that a couple of times (when the one group were short staff due to illness, etc.)   It is kind of cool, as Echo is technically too young for the nursery school class, but they say she does great in there (at least with Delta there.)  They also got to go to the large muscle room - which is an indoor jungle-gym setup.   But apparently Delta prefers the other group....  oh well.   Today Delta also had his violin lesson.   It didn't go too badly considering how little practice we did last week.   These evening, we did scripture mastery again - the kids pretty much have all 3 quotes memorized!   I've got to get a bit better on them I think... LOL.     Echo did fine with her cards - but I'm not ready to add on to them as there is still some confusion now and then.   Delta did good with his sentances - except he is definately trying to memorize them, and figure out the first few words then just "quote" the rest.  (the book warns that that will happen - so after they are reading the sentences well, it has other "silly" ones that start off similarily, and then end differently.)    I had him do a couple, just to show that he can't be memorizing, or guessing.   I also had him do some of the sentences in lower case - which is where the program introduces them.   He did pretty good - he knows the lower case letters - although it was definately harder for him.    I'm not sure how it will work when we get to that stage with Echo, as the book really doesn't have much in it about switching to using both upper and lower case letters.....  and she won't be able to make the switch very easily.    But that is a while away.   That was about it!