Ever Straddled the Border?

When you head south on Waterton Lake you get to a point where you cross into the United States. The kids got a real kick out of being able to put one foot in Canada and the other in the U.S.

I just think it is a very cute picture.

Waterton

Ah, Waterton. Such a romantic place. The beauty is breathtaking and on August 28 Waterton was as breathtaking as I have ever seen her.

We were priviledged to go on a twilight boat ride with my sister's family. This is a photo Clayton captured. You can even see the moon.

Those of you who know Waterton, Ab, have you ever seen Waterton Lake so calm? I haven't. It was a trip I will not forget.

Pudding Printing

I decided to throw caution to the wind today and try to teach printing with pudding. I knew that it might get messy but I never expected this.

Jarett who is 7 and not in the picture was just as bad but he couldn't wait for me to download the images on my camera so I would have room on the memory card to take a picture. He wanted in the shower right away.

Note to self, always have the camera ready.

We did this little activity for Jarett, who hates to write and struggles with printing. Even with pudding he didn't last too long. We got to E but he was much more willing to listen and learn how the letters are made. I think they had a fun time.

Adam who is almost 9 practiced his cursive writing. Can you imagine how many kids might just love penmanship if their first exposure to it included playing with pudding? I think we might even maintain the art of penmanship in the age of computers if teachers took this approach.

Well who is to say, but for this family it was a hoot!!! I think big brother and sister will be a little insulted that we didn't include them. Maybe next time.

Karina

Stone Fox

The book "Stone Fox" was a hit. Clayton liked it so much he read in the morning before work, and then finished when he came home for lunch. And yes, they did have an emotional response. Jarett my 7 year old said, "mom why do you always pick such sad books." "What do you mean,"I said. "I mean in "Where the Red Fern Grows" the dogs die, in "Little Britches" the dad dies and in "Stone Fox" the dog dies too." I guess I better pick a happier one next time.

Clayton started to read "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" by Richard Bach to the kids last night. That one is happy I think.

Karina

P.S. no family reading tonight, both mom and dad have headaches.

Day 2

Today went quite well. There were very many happy moments and I am seeing a disturbing trend. My kids want to learn. I had planned a week of light learning along with heavy cleaning to prepare for our first official homeschooling week. Boy was I off base. They are complaining that we aren't learning enough, and I don't think it is because they would rather learn than clean. They just seem more motivated to learn. All of them, even the young ones seem keen to learn. Now this doesn't mean that when we actually do sit down to learn something there isn't fidgeting, fighting, or odd questions out of the blue but they are trying.

We are trying to finish My First Book of Canadian History and today we discussed the Metis Rebellion of 1885. I was pleasantly surprised with how much they remembered from previous conversations and the connections they made.

For "recess" we danced to music very loud, and skipped rope. Well, the kids skipped rope.

We tidied up the 3rd level and Abby and I put together the grocery list so that we could go shopping in the afternoon. Abby and I had a lovely time shopping together. We went to the Teacher Resource store and she purchased a sketch book and two unit studies to work on this year. Ancient Greece and China. She asked if she could get an ipod touch if she completed these materials. Her father and I will have to discuss it but I think it might be a good deal. They are lengthy unit studies that cover all of the subjects while teaching the topics. I hope she enjoys them

Well this isn't a very exciting blog post but I need to be recording the daily successes so when I have those very trying days I can look back and say, "Hey, we are doing alright".

Karina

Books Read and Reading

I thought I might keep a record of the books our family has and is reading here. Sometimes homeschooling mom's feel they are not doing enough. Keeping a good record helps combat that discouragement. So, beginning in August we read "Little Britches" by Ralph Moody together as a family. I love this book. It was my 4th reading and the kids 2nd reading. We read it 2 years ago. What a difference a few years makes. My older two children 11, 13 remembered the book quite well. The 9 and 7 year old not so much. But the 9 and 7 year old sat much better through the reading than I remember them being able to last time and the 11, and 13 year olds had more to say. It is and was for us a very emotional reading, especially for Carter who is so attached to his daddy. I won't spoil the ending but you can imagine I'm sure.

Carter and Abby listened to Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis. They spent one whole afternoon and finished it. (It was a requirement for them to attend an educational camp and they both wanted to attend) I'm not sure their reaction to it, but I liked to see them put their minds to reading and accomplish the goal.

Clayton is now reading to them "Stone Fox" by John Reynolds Gardiner. Such a great little book that can be read in under 2 hours. There may be an emotional response to this one as well. I know I was teary when I read it.

So that is what we are reading so far. This weeks goal is to finish "My first History of Canada" , begin our daily reading, and get our house organized for easy facilitating of learning. I love the flexibility of homeschooling. We can work our way up to full throttle.

Karina

A New School Year

I can't tell you how typical this blog is of my life. Start something and sporadically continue it. How frustrating is that. So again for the millionth time, I will commit to doing better. I have friends who actually read this blog and they are disappointed daily in my lack of thoughts. I repent and seek forgiveness.

This past year has been a crazy time. My in-laws moved back, I was diagnosed with a type of Rheumatoid Arthritis, I was the president of a newly created private school, I resigned that position, and now we are back to a new beginning.

We began our back to school night routine this evening. The goal is for lights out at 10pm so that mom and dad can have some time to themselves. It is 10:24pm and I still hear chatting, running water, and Carter just asked if he should turn out all the lights. Not bad for the first run.

Clayton has agreed to read to the children most nights, an hour or so before bed. I think this will be very helpful. I plan to tidy the house while he is doing this and I really think that will help with the chaos of morning routines. I'm crossing my fingers.

I am happy to be beginning again. I have a few hopes for this new school year.

1. I will learn how to be "unapologetically" KARINA
2. I will feel confident in the choices I have made in educating my children.
3. I will treat myself like a caring mother would. Feed myself nutritious meals, take care of my body, get enough sleep, speak kind words and be encouraging.
4. I will learn to value my own opinion.
5. I will listen more intently to my children's needs.

As you can see, this year is mostly about ME. Selfish you say. No, not selfish, more like self-awareness, self-care, self-nourishment and self-discipline. My plan is to be an example of wholeness for my children. Freedom is our goal and when we are whole we are free from addictions of all kinds. Addictions to food, sleep, abusive people, fear, hate, and so many other idols that create bondage. I am setting out on a journey to more freedom and hopefully my kids will follow.

Unapologetically,
Karina