But . . . Are They Socialized?

 
In my life this week . . . I'm adjusting to our full schedule of activities and have to admit I am quite surprised at how much faster time seems to fly lately.  Seriously, it was just last Thursday, when I was wondering how in the world it was already almost Friday and now . . . it's already the next Friday and I feel as though I haven't had a chance to catch my breath.  It's been a great week, though, with lots of laughs and time with friends.

This week as I sleep at night, I dream elaborately and deeply.  I was telling a friend yesterday that it's like I am down in a pit and when I wake up I have to climb out of it.  Could it be what I'm eating?  We have been consuming a lot more treats lately!   I remember, as a little girl, Cookie Monster's warning not to eat cookies before bed or you might have bad dreams.  Maybe he is smarter than he lets on.

And speaking of too many treats, I have an idea I'm tossing around my head.  We've had birthdays and celebrations around here for the last several weeks and have become closely re-aquainted with our sweet teeth.  The kids are relentless in their requests for candies and sweets.  What if I make up some Treat Cards and each week each person gets THREE (adults included!!).  If we use them, then fine.  We will still be eating less treats than we are now.  If we save our cards, we can use them toward something more fun than a sweet.   Maybe three unused Treat Cards could earn one major prize.  Like a movie at the movie theater!   Or a special trip to the park.  I'll have to think this one through a little more and IF we do it, I'll let you know how it goes.  

In our homeschool this week . . .  We went on an amazing field trip to Thomas Jefferson's lesser known plantation, Poplar Forest.  We learned how to write with a real quill pen, mold bricks and make clay marbles, as well as discovered many interesting facts about the man who called his outhouse a "necessary."   We learned Jefferson was something like $107,000 in debt when he died in 1826.  That's about $2,035,000 in today's money!  Was he the founding father of the American tradition of living beyond our means?  He built everything in symmetry and did physical exercises every day with his daughter.   One time a pregnant woman, someone Jefferson didn't really know all that well, came to dinner at his home in Monticello, had the baby and stayed there for three months.   Things were mighty different back then.  Or were they? Hmm.



Charlie gets the brick molds ready.



Miriam practices writing with a real quill pen.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share . . .  Using mini marshmallows to do kindergarten math is motivating and effective. (Although, see a couple of paragraphs above and understand that we probably won't do it too often again.) 

Questions I have . . . Does anyone else have a daughter as dramatic as mine?  

I am inspired by . . .  all the cool stuff I see on Pinterest.  I'm trying not to make it a new addiction to add to my collection.  But it's so fun!

Places we're going and people we're seeing . . . Everywhere and everyone!  It's been a very social week.  Monday was Classical Conversations, frozen yogurt at Sweet Bee's, Walmart (where the kids ran into some Awana friends), dance class (where Charlie met a friend who helped him construct a new lego set) and BSF for Glenn and Miriam.   Tuesday was BSF for Charlie and me, while Miriam went for her weekly girl time with her buddies for the morning.  Wednesday we had a surprise visit from a friend and went to church to help set up supper and go to Awana.  Thursday we had our field trip with CC friends and then today we got to stop by a friend's house for tea.  Tomorrow we've been invited to dinner with some dear friends at their home and I'm very excited about it!  We don't often get invited places . . . sometimes I get the feeling people think we're a bit weird!  

Are we?  

A bit weird? 

It's okay, we know . . .

My favorite thing this week . . . The kids completed two math assessments perfectly and I wish you could have seen how excited they were!  High fives all around.

What's working for us . . . A lot of tweaking and tinkering around with the schedule has been going on here and I've found that focusing on one to two major subjects a day works best for my kids.  I know, I know they need to be able to go from one thing to the other one day when they have jobs and when they are in high school and college.  But right now they are barely 5 and 6.  We're doing what works for them now and will add in the wilder scheduling later when they can handle it.  Today we focused on reading.  Yesterday was history.  The day before was math and geography.  

Things I'm working on . . . smiling at my husband more, for no particular reason.

Things I'm reading . . . Believe it or not, I am still wading through Julie and Julia.  Two weeks later.

I'm cooking . . . this ridiculously wonderful bread.   I had to laugh that while the bread was baking, I was doing an aerobics video.  Somehow, I felt counterproductive! 

I'm grateful for . . . how God never fails to show my kids how great He is.  Today I almost busted my grain mill because it was clogged and I didn't know what to do. So I prayed over it.  (Do you think I'm crazy?  I don't!)  When I figured out how to fix it and it worked again easily and immediately, my daughter's eyes shone into mine as she sweetly said, "God blessed us!"  Indeed!  I figured it out, but God gave me this brain and intuition, so all the praise and thanks go to Him.

I'm praying for . . . wisdom to know if we should cut out any activities from our schedule.   

A photo to share . . .

Friends