Caps Without Markers

Sounds better than markers without caps. For some reason.

I wanted to be sure I didn't give the wrong impression of a smoothly-running, no-speed-bumps kind of school.

Today it was 110 in the yard and about 100 degrees in the house. We don't have air conditioning. Almost no one here does--with average year-round temperatures around 70 and lows in the 50s, why on earth would you need it? We just open our windows at night and wake up to a cool, fresh house. Shut the windows and it stays cool during the heat of the day. Usually. You only need it about 7 days out of the year. Today was one of those days--and tomorrow should be another one. Whew!

Last night we had sundowners, which are hot winds coming down the mountains (instead of outr usual cool mountain air, or occasionally cool ocean breezes). The sundowners just started up again tonight--it had dropped to 94 outside, but now at nearly 9pm it's back up to 99. this means we can't cool the house off overnight--which means tomorrow will be muy toasty.

So, I'm sure you can understand why Pixie didn't ever get around to doing her math today--she had ridden her scooter outside in the morning for a bit at recess, only it was so hot that upon her return she got in a cool bath and I just didn't have the heart to make her get out. We'll double up tomorrow.

The real fiasco was Wombles, though--dear Wombles, playing so well in his room while I taught Bud his Math. Dear Wombles, playing so well with his trains while we finished up the Gupta Dynasty of India.


Dear Wombles. Pixie saw him and started yelling. His clothes were soaking, but not with sweat.



Dear Wombles--he put five markers in his pocket without the caps on. "Do you know what that stuff does to a kid?" (Name the movie, -ish).



It made the marker I just cleaned off the tile look positively tame.

Under the Clothes

When I got home from teaching Spanish this afternoon, J had the kids doing their science. With a window air-conditioning unit in the sliding glass door (since the fire, our new windows cannot accommodate one). Brilliant. He's amazing. It's the only thing keeping the main part of the house remotely comfortable right now. We're trying to use fans to blow the air into the kids' rooms.

A Monk's Supper

For our history curriculum, I'm leaning a lot on Susan Wise Bauer's Story of the World. The kids love to listen to me read, and while selective, the story of history is written in an engaging style. This year we're on year two which covers from the fall of Rome until the rise of the Renaissance.

Side note: Thank you to Mr. Macmillan, my 6th grade teacher, for making sure I will never misspell renaissance. And for playing Tracy Chapman's Talkin' About a Revolution for us in class when you taught us where and what apartheid was.

Anyway, Story of the World has an activity book with everything from crafts to map and globe work to games to projects. Perfect for me. I'm all about implementing other people's good ideas!

One of the features I've come to love is when the activities we can choose from include a recipe/menu for a meal. A few weeks ago, for example, we ate like Roman soldiers. We roasted food over the open fire (grill) and ate it with no utensils. (No one ever taught me how to never misspell "utensils," but thank you spellcheck).

During our "Christianity Comes to Britain" week, we learned (among many other things) about the establishment of monasteries. And we got to cook a monk's supper!

Now, does this look like a list of ingredients that would make a seven-year-old, a five-year-old, and a two-year-old happy?





Turns out that you can add a magical ingredient:


PARTICIPATION! Probably a better seasoning than hunger for this age group.

I forgot apples at the store, so we had to make do with nectarines. Add some sourdough bread and Irish sharp cheddar and, Ta-Da! The kids ate it up! Bud thought lentil soup was delicious. Amazing.

We did pretend it was Christmas, though, so we got to butter our bread. :)




PS: I just Googled Tad Macmillan... he's now a principal for one of the middle schools in the town where I had him for a social studies teacher in sixth grade. Wish he was still in the classroom, but so glad he's still serving kids in the town I love!

Happy Birthday, Wombles!

Happy Birthday to you...



Happy Birthday to you...



Happy Birthday, Dear Wombles...



Happy Birthday to you!





Many Happy Returns of the Day of Thy Birth
May Sunshine and Gladness be Given
And May Our Dear Savior Prepare You on Earth
For a Glorious Birthday in Heaven!



We Love You!

Preparing for a Birthday

Tomorrow Wombles turns three. I can't believe it!

I am in the process of prepping his cake, which I'll actually "make" tomorrow. It will be fun. Two hours ago, I told J I was making a train cake. He looked at me like I was crazy. I said, "I watched a video online--it looks pretty easy."

That's when Pixie chimed in, "Mom, you can't trust those movies." And then she apparently said something about them being professionals, which I didn't hear because I was already looking for balloons in the garage.

Oh, the wisdom of a 7.5 year old! Or maybe she's seen me in action a few too many times.

It will be OK. I'm going to put the next cake in as soon as Cuatro allows me to stand comfortably again, and then wrap some presents. J has already done a stellar decorating job.

Want to know what Wombles wants for his birthday?

Yellow.

Yellow.
Yellow.

Sweet Dreams, Wombles! See you tomorrow when you're three!

And, according to him, tomorrow is when he'll "be THREE, and Bigger, and have children."

Being bigger means having children...and making their birthday cakes.

Spider Spotting

Bud just came running in: "Mom! Mom! There is something going on outside, and it is not good."

"Really? What is it?"

"There's a black widow under the picnic table!"

"On the ground?"

"YEAH! I know it is one and I'll tell you how I know. I saw the red hourglass!"

I went out, knowing he was right. Of course, no self-respecting black widow is going to be sitting still, on the ground, in the middle of the day. It just isn't done. So I knew there wasn't anything to fear.

I knew because I was there on Wednesday night when J went out and poisoned four of the things. At the other two webs we checked, no one was home...but we'll call again.

He had seen some suspicious webs, so he went out with the flashlight and the poison spray (they are way too fast and sneaky to just smash them in a good old-fashioned way, unless they have been poisoned first).

This one was under the edge of the picnic table. I remember spotting the web a while back and seeing her when she was an adolescent (not yet poisonous), but I hadn't gotten back to it. These spiders grow up so fast these days!

I'm pretty proud of Bud, though, for the efficient identification and reporting! Makes a Mama feel safer.

Of course, then he and Pixie were seeing black widows everywhere. I had to explain the "if the web looks like one Charlotte would make, it's not a black widow web."

There's episode #315 in the series!

Have a good weekend!

Time Out

I feel like all I've talked about lately is how our little school is going. I guess it is the start of a new school year, and things are going well, which is fun. But it's not the only thing in the works. Oh no!

This week was my first week back at teaching after school Spanish at the local elementary school. I think it's going to go well--I'm really happy with it, when I take time to think about how I feel about it--and since I'm teaching one less class per day than last year, it seems much more do-able.

Plus the kindergarten class hasn't started yet. Gravy! Except all of my things were packed up and moved. So I'm spending that time sorting things out. What great timing!

Also, this week and next I get to teach at our neighborhood women's Bible study. I find this an incredibly rewarding and draining exercise....and one that I should be working on right now, as a matter of fact. This year we are doing 1st and 2nd Samuel. Since I had the first study this week, I got to prep a bit of an introduction, and it really blew my hair back (as J says). Wow! I can't wait to spend more time with it!

Except for the stressful reality that I spent about a month, off and on, working on this week's. And so far I've spent a little of yesterday working on next week's. YIKES!

So, uh, literally, I can't wait to spend more time with it. Must go now. I will try to resurface soon, in spite of the mini-conference at church this weekend (which I may or may not be able to attend; see above) and getting ready for Wombles' third birthday next week. Seriously, third?

Can someone please send potty-training tips? I was asking for them from a friend recently, and her seven-year-old daughter ran and got me a book that she thought would be helpful. You might want to check it out-- American Girls Dolls' Bitty Twins Go Potty (there are tips for parents in the back). The only trouble is that my three-year-old exhibits none of the signs of readiness that are usually evidenced in a 15-month-old (at least, according to the book). Sure, if he's really in the mood for jelly bellies and the timing's right, he might just poop in the potty. But more likely not.

I went and visited my sweet brand-new niece last month and saw her itty-bitty diapers. When I came home, Wombles was obviously way too big for diapers anymore. He's unconvinced.

I'd like to point out that I do have two other children who regularly use the potty (OK, Bud sometimes uses the yard, and has been known to use the garage or the corner in the front room behind the chair...but those are entirely intentional).

Where was I? Samuel.

PS Here's who we had over to lunch one recent Sunday. We thought there were five students coming to church...but there were 13.



PPS In case you're wondering about the can at the top: Sweetened Condensed Milk. I have recently learned to make caramel. My last batch was actually like the candy...I think it WAS the candy! My favorite part? "Good Source of Calcium." Hmmmm. Yummy source? Yes. Good...?

Outta There!

Tonight, Bud lost his first tooth.


There were many, many shrieks of glee. There was clapping, and dancing, and cheering.

There was still most of a root firmly attached. That's what you get with a high pain tolerance, I guess. No letting it wiggle around forever!

Then at bedtime, he decided he wanted to keep it. No money was worth the exchange. It was "special to him." So J suggested we put it over on his dresser instead of under his pillow. "Nooo! The tooth fairy will find it!"

So then J suggested that he hide it in one of Bud's dresser drawers. "NO! She can get in through the tiniest cracks!"

(Fairies, of course, are metaphysical).

There was not even to be a note telling her she could take it, but would have to bring it back upon request.

The only safe place is in J's pocket, because he can defend it from the tooth fairy.

Nice that daddies can defend you...and your lost teeth.

We Demand Tribute

Today we dressed up as ancient Celts and went and sacked Rome!

It was awesome.

And by, "we" I mean the three students. Someone has to maintain decorum. Also, Pixie said when we started that I could be a captured prisoner...but 10 minutes into it I was Boadicea. Again, Awesome.

After decorating our Celtic brooches, pinning on cloaks, and painting faces, we were ready to set off on our pillaging adventure that would eventually take us to Rome (where the money is!).

Allow me to introduce our warriors:

Pixie, with eagle eyes capable of spotting a vulnerable village from miles away:


Bud, the leading scout with a fierce roar:


And Wombles, when I asked him to look fierce:



After crossing the channel (street), we were off into the woodlands of Gaul.



Good thing there was a local water supply to refill our casks!


I did break character long enough to forbid them to actually drink it.

Here, Pixie spots a village.


Demanding tribute!


Richer villages paid two M & Ms each. If the Visigoths or Vandals had been there first, we only got one. Poor villages.

As we neared Rome, Bud found a pool with polliwogs. Good thing he'd worn his boots!


Actually, not such a good thing, as by the time we had reached the Alps he was complaining of blisters. As he explained, "Rubber shoes hurt after a while." But there's no going back when you're already to the Alps! (Plus I don't know that Wombles could have navigated the steep downhill return). I had socks on with my sneakers, though, and we made camp while I removed my socks and donated them. And actually, they were J's socks, since I didn't have any that were clean and sporty and white. Ah, the hardships of war. Not to make light of real hardships of war.

Moving on.

There it is! Do you see it? ROME! At the top of the hill (or seven)!


They were afraid. They were very, very afraid. And we partied with M&Ms like it was ...380 AD?



We did other things today, like math and spelling and phonics. But my guess is that none of us will remember that part very well.



PS Lest you worry that I am training up little imperialists, after we received the payload from Rome Bud was ready to return home the way we came to give the money back to the poor villages. Apparently "pillage" is not a concept he can absorb yet...and I can't WAIT to get to the Robin Hood era later this year!

Week One is Done!

Actually, we're two weeks in, but whatever.

Whoo-hoo! We have gotten off to a great start in our school.

My kindergartner gives me spontaneous hugs and kisses and tells me I'm "the best homeschool teacher in the world."

He also is very excited about beginning to read. Three letter words, watch out! Bud has you all figured out.


My second grader exhibits just the right combination of malaise and enthusiasm. We've discovered the 14-book Oz series, and she's a library addict. We've started a writing program this year, and she loves it.

All the enthusiasm of a fresh start!

Wombles is the first kid to grab his notebook and supplies and get to the table for "school," which mostly for him involves covering entire sheets of paper with his new markers. I occasionally give him an age-appropriate sorting activity, like with the math teddy bear counters. It keeps him occupied for a really long time.



And guess what else? WE EVEN HAD P.E. LAST WEEK! Here are photos to prove it:




So what if a neighbor stopped by and thought it looked like Calvinball. We're working on the basics, man. We'd been playing 15 minutes before I realized they didn't know you actually had to have the ball in order to tag someone. It was pretty hilarious.


This week in we're on Beowulf (Bud: Bear-wolf) and the ancient Celts. Tomorrow they get to paint their faces blue, but I'm thinking they're a little young for Braveheart...

Four weeks from now, when I am totally burned out and thinking that homeschooling this year is the dumbest thing I've done in a decade, could someone please send me a link to this post? Thank you.

What's Better than Butter?

I'm looking for help on this one.


Does anyone else have this problem? What is the matter with me?

And this is just a shelf in the freezer (not counting what was in the fridge). Can anyone help me with an explanation?

Some possibilities:

(1) Due to Cuatro's influence, I eat butter on absolutely everything.
(2) Anytime butter goes for less than $2/pound, I buy out the store.
(3) Due to Cuatro's influence, I eat butter plain. Three times a day.


That's all. I look forward to a possible diagnosis (and remedy?). For now, though, I have to go and make some caramel. Using a stick of butter, of course.

Football Season

Just a quick note to say we haven't dropped off the face of the earth. Yet.

Today was the first Saturday of college football, and we were happily all ready for it.


Wombles has his jersey and is so thrilled with it. When I went back to Georgia last week to visit Cupcake and the Sugarplum Fairy (my adorable new niece) I picked up some red-and-black. Wombles was thrilled, but wanted to know where the pants were....Bud got the full football outfit (helmet, pants, everything) for his birthday an Wombles wants to be like him. Oh well, it's a start!

Even Pixie, who never wears T-shirts, ran to get in on the action:


My little Sweetpea! How I love her.

And that love has nothing to do with her proclamation yesterday: "I'm more of a Georgia fan than I am an Irish fan." It may have been in the moment. It may have been hasty. But coming from a little girl who said, "Go Irish!" before she said, "Mama" (seriously), it was a tectonic shift.

J is handling this pretty well. We'll see if it's just a flash in the pan!

And in case you needed proof that Sugarplum is alive, well, and adorable, here she is with her lovely Mama:


Go, Georgia!