Happy Birthday Brody!

On Sunday, my little boy turned 6! I made a big mistake of buying a candle on Saturday with a number 5 on it and boy was I corrected quickly! I wonder if that was a little bit of denial on my part??

Brody was so excited to open his presents that we let him go for it after everyone was up. Connor got him the new Lava Dragon Webkinz that he has been wanting and he was so surprised. Connor was so happy to give him something that he knew he wanted and it was so special. Connor kept telling Brody that he got it for just $13 and was very excited about the good deal he got!

He also loves a dog book he got from Grandma Louise and a pillow pet Sheep from Kim and Zack. He raked in some serious dough from Grandma & Pa, Nana and Papa, and Uncle Mike and Aunt Dawn too!

Then it was off to breakfast at a new donut shop where the boys enjoyed a donut and some chocolate milk! Then of course we had to return the candle....then to the carousel. We found out that they offer free rides to kids on their birthdays. Brody was so excited about this and it made him feel like royalty to be treated to a free ride.

After that we headed home to have lunch with "the cousins". Brody requested hot dogs! We had a good time and he opened up present #6. Aunt Machelle put together a package where he got to open one a day for 6 days including his birthday. He had SO much fun with it and she made a special sheep basket that she put it all in, it was really special. The last present he opened was called a Trace and Draw and both boys have been enjoying that!

I have to say though, I think the highlight was the cake that daddy made! Yes, you heard it right daddy. He did a mighty fine job too making this boy a monkey cake! When Brody saw it, he said....

"That is EXACTLY the way I wanted it". It doesn't get much better than that! Way to go daddy and happy birthday to a very special boy who doesn't want to stay 5, even though I asked real nice:)

Aunt Lara & Early Birthday Surprises!

We were so blessed to have Aunt Lara visit this past weekend! We were also blessed to have some real down time and relax! The day we were supposed to be busy, Connor wasn't feeling good so it kept us grounded again. We did get to go apple picking on the way home from the airport which was something new for her so that was fun!

She brought early birthday presents for the boys that they were so excited about...new warm jammies! They were perfect...sports theme for Connor and monkeys for Brod! We wanted them to get them early so we could surprise them with our present at the same time. Bryan and I are taking them on The Polar Express train ride from Mount Hood in November as a combo birthday present! They were very excited and I am sure they will be well dressed for the occasion!

They played football, watched football, and played lots of games. We are so glad that she comes out so often to see us. Actually, she comes out so much that Connor was only a little sad when she left this time and he told me this...

"I don't have to be so sad because I KNOW I will see her soon, before I didn't know that".

So precious!

Speakers for Jesus

Today we had our second meeting of a new group that the boys and I joined called Speakers for Jesus. We are really having a great time and it is a real neat group of kids and moms. The goal of the group is to prepare kids for speaking but it also puts focus on leadership encouraging new roles each meeting This week Connor was the time keeper and he was mighty proud of that, it was cute. He had to get up at the end and give a report on every one's goal times and actual times and I think he felt a little powerful with that stopwatch in his hand. Last time he did a poem and did a great job there too. Brody had a show and tell presentation last meeting and a poem this week and did great both times too. The first time he went up, he wanted me with him and this week he just trucked up there all by himself!

The group gets together every other week which gives us time to prepare in between. The main goal is work your way through four 5-7 minute speeches. This might take us some time to get started, but they are on the upcoming schedule for more poems, show and tell, sargent of arms, and Connor will be doing a book critic role that will be challenging.

The group has evolved to accommodate kids coming in younger and has added the show and tell and poem memorization categories. Some of the other roles are Word Master and Impromtu speaker. Connor actually did get called on today for the impromtu category and so did I. We had to come up on the spot with what we could about our favorite bible character. It was fun!

I am real excited about this group we found, and think it will be a good addition to our homeschool plan this year. I can't post pictures, because I don't want to add to the fact that they are nervous, but maybe later in the year we will take a group shot!

I just KNEW this day would come!

I knew it would come and it did. I dreaded it, and although I thought it would be different...it wasn't.


I have to go back to a math lesson I had with Connor 2 years ago when he was in first grade. Yes, you heard it right...1st grade and I struggled!! Actually, I couldn't even figure out a way to gracefully bluff my way through, and Connor knew it. We had been learning 3 different ways to add once we get over 10 and I did great. I was actually a little proud of myself (see what I get) for being able to explain it because it made sense and it is how I process the numbers ever so feebly in my own brain. Well, then came the subtraction and that was a different story. I couldn't explain how I do it and I was really struggling to understand how they were teaching it. Connor loves telling the story, because he got it even though I couldn't. I actually handed him the teacher manual and he proceeded to tell me something like this. "Yah, mom...I get it 13-8 is 5 because 10 +3 is 13". He was number bonding and making tens just like they wanted him to and he did every problem like they wanted and I was just relieved. However, I completely remember thinking that I am going to have to "get" this to teach it to Brod one day, I am in no way off the hook. Well, today it came!


As I was preparing on Sunday, I really thought I got it this time, I even practiced...seriously. Now, I know this is 1st grade math...just don't judge me:) So, today we sat down and it happened all over again. I just couldn't work through the problems one of the ways they were teaching. Luckily for me there is 2 other ways they encourage and both Brody and I got in sync with one in particular and it went like this instead....


13-8......You can't take 8 from 3, so take 8 from the 10 and add the 2 numbers you have left for your answer. VOILLA! He jumped on that and we were writing them a certain way crossing out the 8 and the 1 and writing the 2 underneath then throwing in a plus sign....then the light went off and he did it. I have to say I have mixed emotions. I am thrilled that we both figured out how to get through the lessons, but I feel defeated to work it out "making tens" in subtraction.


Then to top it off the same day Connor begins multiplying into the hundreds and thousands! Now, there has not been a lesson that he has not been able to just get and do. He rarely needs anything explained twice but today of all days, I heard words I have not heard from him with a math book in front of him...."Mom, I just don't get it"! Wow, that was bad timing for me! Well, we struggled through the lesson and I said to myself we will just practice more tomorrow.

Well, now as I finish this post tomorrow is here and both kids did amazing today! They do both "get it" and worked through their leson today applying what they "learned" yesterday with no problems at all! God is good!

Oh yah to top it off yesterday morning I was reading from "Home Education" on arithmetic by Charlotte Mason and read this....

"There is no one subject in which good teaching effects more, as there is none in which slovenly teaching has more mischievous results".

Seriously, how is that for timing?...There goes my teacher of the year award...AGAIN!

Cuddle Up with an Old Classic

This past week I finished up a couple of books which have certainly earned their role as a "classic" story. I happen to love not just an old story but an old copy of that story. I love that unmistakable old book smell and wish someone would make a candle! I'm not sure how well it would sell, but I would buy it! I like worn pages and even old markings like library stamps.



The boys and I read "Lassie Come Home". I found this at a used book sale at the library for .50. I wasn't sure if this was the original story version and after some research I found it was. I want to get the old movie and watch it together, which would be fun . We had another book just called Lassie which is what confused me. However, I know now that was from a movie that was made much later and it looks like to me it doesn't even go with the original story, so I stuck that in the donate pile. The book was fantastic and I would highly recommend everyone reading it or reading it again! The only part I didn't enjoy was trying to capture the accent when reading aloud to my boys. I'm sure I sounded more like a red neck wanna be, but they don't know the difference. We had some great discussions as we progressed through this story and there are some great lines into human and canine behavior. I thought I was going to come out of my seat when she got back on her trail after her first major injury, and I wanted to jump through the pages and beat those boys that were so mean to her when she was trying to cross the river. (great talk on unsupervised kids and making wise choices) We studied maps as we read, and even bought an atlas so we could track her trip a little better. It was memorable!



I also finished "The Good Earth" yesterday which was truly remarkable. My mom and I found an old copy at a used bookstore that is wonderful. The pages are a dull yellow and they aren't completely even at the edges. There are even some errors in the book and it looks as though each page was hand typed...the copying is so rough. It has a label on it that says even though it was produced in wartime it meets the government standards for paper conservation and other essential materials. I loved every page of this story and each time I wasn't reading it, I felt I was rushing around before the commercial break was over. I don't think I have ever had such a love/hate relationship with a character as I did with Wung Lang. He was a very dynamic man and I would hate him one chapter, adore him the next and my respect for him did the same wavering back and forth. However, I must of overall liked him, because the ending made me sad. This is a book full of characters that you can't forget! I found out it was the first in a series and I wonder if the next two are any good....Mom, I'm sure you will e-mail me on this one!

Mom- Your engine is making an explosion!

These are the words I heard last night as we got in the car after bible study from my dear sweet Brody. We were already driving and I saw no signs of anything bad, so I asked him what the hec he was talking about. He said..."remember mom, we learned that when you start your car, it is like making an explosion?" Connor backed him up and they proceeded tell me details from a science lesson over a year ago! It was such a great moment for me. Not only did it reinforce to me that they are learning in the homeschool environment we are providing for them, but it was also good for me another way. Sometimes, I want them to tell me what they are learning in the form of narration. Because they are young, and we are learning this technique together, I sometimes feel that they aren't giving back the right information or in the right amount. It just helped to reinforce that they are getting what they need at the time and that things are being planted that will come up at times when they might need or want it. For instance, over a year later! Their minds are incredible!

Also, yesterday and even better...Brody "got it" in a much important area of life. He had lied to me about something and I knew it. I had to work pretty hard to reach his heart on this one, but when I did, I knew that too! It is such a beautiful moment for me to experience a time like this. He felt truly bad and knew in his heart it was the wrong thing to do. His apology was real and sincere and then he just climbed on my lap for a few minutes which was priceless! My little boy is growing up!

They're GRRRRREEEATT!

We worked on an art project last week posted at Ms. Julie's Place and I think the kids did fantastic! Since these originals were drawn they have created at least 10 more each! They have also taken the same outline and made lions, leopards, wolves and even a fox. I just loving have a place like this to share their artwork and keep it preserved since I can't keep everything!

On the planner this week, is the Greek Vases which came at the same time we are actually studying Greek history and mythology! Yeah!

School Pictures!

This week I finally got this task of taking the school pictures off my to do list and it feels great! This year was different in that Connor was my tough one! Usually he is a piece of cake and Brody takes about 1000 shots to get the right one! In the end though, I am happy with both of them!

I'm also really glad I got them done, because we are having some cool weather and I thought these shirts would be great for pictures! I don't know what is wrong with me, but I

am actually enjoying it! We had a wood stove put in this week, and I can't wait to get a fire going!