Library

We made it to the library this week.  I always feel super-organized and almost super-mommyish when I get my kids to the library.  My little ones love the library. Julia heads straight to the endless assortment of pink books: Barbie, Disney, Strawberry Shortcake, etc.  And Eli and Harry stick together as they scour the shelves for anything having to do with LEGOs.

 

 

I am finding that there is not an endless assortment of LEGO books. Hence, it would seem that we continue to check out the same books repeatedly.  Eli really loves it. He takes the book down to the basement, to his LEGO workshop, and then tries to replicate what he sees in the book he has checked out at the library. Eli has actually gotten pretty good at it and I love the fact that it helps to expand his mind to new possibilities.  Harry and Eli seem to becoming best friends. They do a lot of stuff together. 

 

Every kid should have a best friend, and when it is your brother, it is even better.

 

 

Homeschool Curriculum

I have to share something I am really excited about...

CHEMISTRY!

What!?!  Me, excited about some nerdy science stuff?  Why yes, I am.  As a homeschooler, I am always looking for ways to freshen up the day, do something exciting and stimulating that will keep my kids engaged.  I realized that the science aspect of our school year was almost completely non-existent.  I started poking around for a good curriculum to add to the mix.

And this is what I found...



I was grateful that they posted the first two chapters on their website.  It intrigued me and so I just bought the whole darn thing.  Best purchase, ever.  This lady knows her stuff.  I wish someone had taught chemistry to me this way when I was in high school.  We have done three chapters now and it has been a huge success. The book is engaging, simple, but not simplified.  For example, chapter three is all about the structure of an atom.  We talked about electron clouds, electron order, and then electron configuration, like the  neon atom is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶. Does this look familiar to anyone?  I mean, it is scary-looking stuff, right?  Wrong. Not to my kids.  They picked it up so fast. And you should see the way their eyes light up when I tell them to get out the chemistry stuff.  Zach begs to read the paragraphs out loud. He loves it so much.  This is the way learning is supposed to be.

Ellen McHenry has also written a follow-up book called Carbon Chemistry.  It is organic chemistry for middle school kids.  I can't wait to tackle that next.

We have also had much success with a new Latin book I found called Getting Started With Latin.  I love it way more than the last one we were doing.  It has a logical order of building Latin skills for the very beginner.  I probably spend 5-10 minutes a day doing Latin with each of my boys, and they are building a solid foundation. I don't think any education is complete without Latin.  It is invaluable.



I think now that my boys are well into their tenth year of life and 5th graders, I am finally hitting my educational stride.  I wouldn't say that it gets any easier, because that would be a gross exaggeration.  I still yell and lose my temper. There are still a lot of tears and resistance, but it is worth it. I can see connections being made. I believe in the process and know that in the long run, it will pay huge dividends.

Our Favorite Book

We love to read books. These three are big fans.  Can you guess what one of their favorites books is these days?

Of course, he just couldn't resist a few bites, even for a photo shoot.

A Plethora of Books

Our bedtime routine for Eli is quite simple. One of us goes in there, lays on the bed with him, and reads him a few books. Then we might sing a song or two, turn off the lights and lay with him for a few minutes, then say goodnight and he goes to bed.

Well, a few nights ago he went in his room first, picked out a "few" books, and then told Daddy he was ready.


"Daddy, come read some books to me!"


It is a good thing it was only 8:30.  Rinar had plenty of time to get it done before midnight.

Nobody Drowned!

We got back on track today with our schoolwork. My kids did their reading, writing, and 'rithmetic. Yeah for me! But I just remembered...we didn't practice the violin!!! AAARRGH! I have got to be more diligent at having them practice. They are really starting to get it. I decided to start reading a new book to them, so we started the first Lemony Snicket book.

Do you have any recommendations for good children read out-loud books?

After reading to the for 30 minutes, I fell asleep on the futon. I was expecting my friend to come over with her three little children around 12:30. Well, at 12 I heard the kids and a little girl, who I assumed was our neighbor. Then I heard them around the pool and the sound of a little boy, who I also thought was the neighbor, a 3 year old that I am certain does not know how to swim. It pulled me right out of my nap because I didn't want anyone drowning in the pool. So I rushed to the balcony to make sure everything was okay and I saw a teenager and several little children I did not recognize. I was very confused, owing partly to the fact that I was not completely awake. Then I heard my friend's voice and realized that they were here early with some of her family that I didn't know. What a relief! Nobody drowned. I still have a perfect record.

With solar heating, our pool warmed up considerably this week and the water was quite warm. I love having the swimming pool swimmable because the kids stay busy for hours and then they sleep really well at night. They play hard when they are swimming. It is great. It is one of the many benefits of the desert. I decided to go running while everyone was hanging out, and after about 2 miles it was bloomin' hot! I couldn't believe it. But I got it done, so I am going to give myself a pat on the back.


These pictures are from a couple of years ago, but the kids look about the same. Raef is in the floatie and Zach is holding on to the wall.

Aaahhh summertime!