Exam Week for Year 1 Term 2

Twice now I've been mistaken in thinking that exam week would be a simple week of schooling around here. Currently our exams are almost completely oral: I ask an open ended question, he responds. Simple right? Instead, my dear son has gotten into his head that exam week is actually "drama week". He puts on these "plays", sometimes rather involved productions, for almost every naration.

Fitting, I suppose, that today he has enrolled the help of his younger siblings to put on the play of the "Wise Men from the East".

Peacefully BuZzInG!
Misty

Advent has Begun

I do love this season. The lights. The projects. The baking. The candles. The awe in my little ones faces. The anticipation of things to come. We've been celebrating the whole month of December since Sabin was just tiny. Each year it's a little different. Last year we had a Jesse Tree and used Ann Voskamps ornaments to hang and her devotional readings. This year we are focusing on the various names of Jesus, using the ornaments here in black and white. Each child is coloring his or her own set while I read the corresponding scripture and we chat about it.

We're also continuing our annual tradition of adding to our child-friendly nativity. We use a story written by Noel Piper for this.

For the Month:
Songs - The Holly and the Ivy, Sussex Carol
Hymn - Angels From the Realms of Glory, O Come Emmanuel
Books - The Christmas Mystery along with various other Christmas picture books (one each day)
Memory Work
Poem - The Lamb
Bible Passage - Luke 2:1-20

As for our regular lessons, we're finishing up our current term this week and then, with the exception of reading lessons, our school is the above along with various activities, crafts, services, baking, all the fun stuff. :)

Peacefully BuZzInG!
Misty

1st Thanksgiving in "Our" Home

We had such a lovely day together.

 

And so much to be thankful for.

 

Peacefully BuZzInG!
Misty

Brrrrrr.... Cold Snap!

Yesterday we were out in the yard playing catch and swinging in shorts.

 

This afternoon it is 21'F and we have our first bit of snow.

I'm thankful we're snug and cozy inside.

Enjoying some quite time and listening to our folk song selection this month.

 

Peacefully BuZzInG!
Misty

A Boy and His Dog

 Maya is now 16 months old and due to have her first litter of puppies next week. She is such a well-behaved dog. The kids adore her and she thinks they're pretty special too.

Peacefully BuZzInG!
Misty

A Glimpse of Natural History

As part of our school curriculum we are reading a book called The Burgess Bird Book for Children. We just finished a lovely experience with this book today and so I thought I'd write it up here to see again later.

There is kind story through the book in which Peter Rabbit finds out much about the birds from his observations and from talking with Jenny Wren. But really most of the chapters can be read in any old order and the story makes sense just fine. With this in mind, at the beginning of the year I circled all the birds that are common where we live. We observe these birds on our nature walks or out of our windows in the yard or at the feeder. We've been doing that since the Year 0 season. When we read I often give him a choice, "do you want to hear about Sammy Jay or the Mourning Dove?" Then just check off (in pencil of course )what we've read.

Before we read, I quickly google a couple pictures of the bird(s), maybe their nests, sometimes a coloring page if they want, we're about to read about. Sometimes I look up a video too. These are expecially important if the bird is one that we haven't seen much of.

Today we read the chapter about the Osprey and Bald Eagle. The children asked for coloring pages today. I found lovely images via google. We've never seen an osprey before but last winter a bald eagle sat high in a tree and watched us sled riding at the neighborhood park. The children were thrilled with this chapter. They loved hearing how the osprey dove into the water for the fish. Just before I read about the eagle I stopped and showed them a youtube video of osprey diving for fish.

Then narration. When I ask my student to narrate the chapter I ask him to think about what he's learned about the bird.

Then the eagle part of the story. In which we held our breath waiting to see who would end up with the fish. Then narration again.

We finished with a video of an eagle stealing a fish from an osprey.

We don't always, or even usually, take this much time with BBB. Usually just a part. But the various pieces have left the book fascinating for us and curious to make more of our own observations or see for ourselves what we have heard.

Love of nature according to CM is caught more than taught. I've had to first train myself to love God's creation. Birds are so interesting and they're everywhere. You just have to stop for a minute to look a little closer than you otherwise might have.

Peacefully BuZzInG!
Misty

Trick-or-Treating 2014

One week before Trick-or-Treating, in hearing conversations about what his older siblings planned for Halloween costumes, the littlest Little piped up with "I want to be a tree!" His mama acknowledged and left the conversation thinking he'd change his mind or forget once he saw the costume I already had for him. But he didn't. Two days before after having tried on his cute little chickie costume he awoke asking, "Where's my twee costume?" I figured I better get myself in gear. At least it seemed simple, a few leaves on brown clothes wa-lah! However, we was specific. He saw a picture of a Christmas tree costume and his mind was set. Thankfully, it wasn't much more involved than my original idea. Sabin and Chloe were fabulous about entertaining their little brother while I spent the morning of Halloween finishing it up. I just love how it turned out! And he was SO excited!!! Which of course made the late night before completely worth it. :)

 

Here is the Christmas Tree and his Flower Fairy sister (She was going for the Cicely Mary Barker look).

And here is the crew. The Batman in the middle is Sabin. The others are some friends we enjoyed the evening with.

Peacefully BuZzInG!

Misty

Pumpkins

Peacefully BuZzInG!
Misty

One Night in October

This really happened.

It was such a lovely warm day. The Littles talked cheerfully of how late they were out playing when all the neighborhood children were already in bed. It's hard to believe that it is almost the end of October. We have had such mild weather.

Peacefully BuZzInG!
Misty

Our Living Room - From March to September

Living Room as we originally saw it.

Fortunately, I have no pictures of the way it was on the day it became ours. :)

 Finishing the demo work.

 

New floors. New paint. Ahhh!!! Clean.



 

 

We waited over a week for the carpet to come. Wow! Is it lovely! A light fixture was also added to the middle of the room.

 

 

The Living Room today. There are still changes to be made in time. But for now, I am thrilled with the progress.

 

 

This last picture was taken the night before I finished decorating the shelves. You'll just have to imagine what I put up there. :) The doorway to the right is the kitchen, to the left is a sliding door to the backyard.

 

Peacefully BuZzInG!

Misty



Lessons Learned Over a New Oven

What I learned today....

- A new oven looks really shiny.
- Test cakes are always a good idea.
- Upsidedown cakes are best if baked before inverting.
- An inverted, unbaked cake can quickly dull a new shiny oven.
- Cloth diapers are excellent for cleaning up cake batter, which is incidentally of similar consistency to ...
- A brilliant five year old can bring a smile even to a puddle of cake batter and salt water. ("Mama, I always think you are beautiful.")
- Half a cake is better than no cake.
- A freshly cleaned new oven is really shiny.

Peacefully BuZzInG!
Misty

Why Don't You Have Any Princess Clothes?

"Mama, I want to be a princess," says the pretty little girl with the peanut butter smile chatting over the lunch table. This statement went along perfectly with what God had been showing me through my morning devotions the past few days.

"I am a princess." I smiled at her.
"Mama, are you really?!" her eyes bright and shining now.
"Yes, I am," I told her. "I'm the daughter of the King and that makes me a princess."
"A real true king?" she asked then.
"Yes, really. The King of kings, God Himself, and He says that whoever puts their trust in His Son get to be one of His children." I waited to see how she would take this tidbit. A moments pause, then she wiggled in her chair, followed by a giggle of delight.
"Really, Mama?! Wow. I want to be one of His princesses too."

She chewed thoughtfully for a moment. Then asked, "but Mama, why don't you have any princess clothes?"

On any other day, how would I answer this? But oh for grace.... Just the morning before I read the verses in  Isaiah 61:1-3
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
² To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
 ³ To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."

Which got me thinking about other gifts that can be worn like a garment. For a moment, I wondered if my little girl would just roll her eyes at me. But I plunged in sharing excitedly about the beautiful dresses of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control (Gal 5:22-23). Then of the lovely dresses of tender mercies, kindness, humility, forbearance, and forgiveness (Col. 3:12-17). You know what? This precious child of mine caught my excitement. It was like I was telling her the story of a fairy princess, but this was true. She loved it.

We talked long about our dresses and how sometimes we choose to where ugly rags of grumpiness, or meanness instead of our lovely gowns of praise and kindness.

Days later we continue to chat about those dresses. What are we wearing today? And maybe we could make dresses that remind us of our princess garments...

Peacefully BuZzInG
Misty
 

No More Training Wheels

On Wednesday evening, Chloe decided it was time to take her training wheels off. She wasn't happy when I made her wait until the next morning. She was so ready to ride like a big girl. And after a few tries, some mama coaching and some brotherly love.....

She did it!

 Confident as anything just 3 days later.

Peacefully BuZzInG!
Misty

Wildflower Hike in July

Gorgeous hike at Mount Falcon. We saw so many different flowers.

 (I love how often I take flower pictures with her little feet right there.)

 "rocks in mines pocket"

Peacefully BuZzInG!
Misty

Fun in the Sun

 Oh how much joy this little one brings to our days. He loves it when we laugh with him.

Peacefully BuZzInG!

Misty