Sonlight Garden

A good...no, great day

Somebody took his gnome.

We had such a great day yesterday. We kept to our key subjects. The little ones played with math using the gnomes and gems. The gnomes led to the bigger kids finding the box that the gnomes tree fort was packed away in. We finger painted. That was great fun. The conversations in my kitchen were priceless. We made caramel apples. We first tried to make homemade caramel, but without a candy thermometer it went from awesome to burnt in a matter of seconds. That led to a trip to the grocery store for packaged caramel and a candy thermometer. We will conquer homemade caramel one of these days!!

We are in the sixth week of our school year. I am evaluating what is working and what isn't.

Of course all of Amelia's items we pretty much ditched. It just wasn't working for her. She was willing to do the work but I could see it just wasn't clicking with her. We are now just reading more and "playing" with math. She is working on a phonics workbook and we are following the Alphabet Path. And of course crafts.

For the most part I am happy with the choices for Catherine. Math is an everyday occurrence, I have also added the manipulatives. I have lightened up on the workload for her as far as how often she is doing each particular subject. We ditched the phonics workbook, she didn't need it anymore and it was just busy work. She has turned into an incredible reader. At the age of six the words she can pronounce and her comprehension is amazing. I really want to encourage this so I want to make more time for reading for her. 

For Patrick and Mary Jane math, science, and history are keepers. The science and history are great spines. I am not happy with the Language Arts aspect of their curriculum. The workbooks are overkill and just silly busy work. So I am researching and thinking about the best approach for them. Again I am so drawn to Charlotte Mason's methods. I am not sure why I fight it. Maybe it is because I don't feel sure of how to implement it or if I am doing it correctly. 

Julia is enrolled in the cottage school and is doing great! I compare her education to Joe's and the difference is amazing. The difference is between a child who loves to read EVERYTHING and a child who will only read when he has to. There is a huge difference in how these children express themselves on paper, from their spelling to their grammar. 

Anyway, I have much more to say about this but the natives are restless so it is time to hit "publish". No time to link to anything also. I will be back soon.

Have some fun today!! 

Patrick and Football

I haven't really posted alot about Patrick and football this year. This is Patrick's first year in pads. He was hesitant at first but when he found out his Dad was one of the coaches he was all in. 

Patrick is a funny kid. He is very focused and serious on the field.

When the coaches call the players over he is usually the first one there.

One morning before one of his games he was sitting at the kitchen table studying the playbook because he wasn't sure of one of his assignments.

I love this picture. Those are my guys. Joe is always on the sidelines watching his brother, Terry the coach, and Patrick waiting to get back in the game. 

And speaking of coaching. We have awesome coaches. One of them being my husband ;0) they are super encouraging, positive, and fun. The kids love them. Believe me, some of the coaching we have witnessed from playing some of these other teams is absolutely ridiculous. How it helps to yell at a bunch of eight year old boys who are just learning how to play the game is beyond me. 

It is fun to watch these little guys play. Paddy, we can't wait to see what you do :0)

Apple Days

This past Thursday we went apple and pumpkin picking. One stop shopping. Which is a good thing when you are about to drop a baby and you want to check those things off of your Autumn to do list. We went to a huge farm almost an hour away from here. It was a little commercialized but we had a great time regardless. We went with some fellow homeschoolers that we have met up here. We actually have formed our own little group. We meet twice a month. It has been great fun. It is nice to not have to go it alone. You know? Anyway, I digress. Back to the farm...

And of course my pregnant brain forgot my camera and I had to make due with the phone.

We started out in a barn where the owner of the farm talked about everything you would want to know about apples. It was very informative. After that we sampled apple doughnuts and apple cider. YUM! The kids played on their massive playground.

Mary Jane coming down the slide.

Amelia coming down the slide.

Catherine coming down the slide. John Paul went to the top and then chickened out when it was his turn. Can't say I blame him.

It really was such a pretty place. If we are ever able to get a farm up here I so badly want some apple trees. 

We picked a lot of apples. Not counting the two in John Paul's bag :0) So, Friday morning as I am looking at all of the apples I had a moment of panic. "What if I go into labor and all of these apples are left sitting here and never get used?" 

So, we went right to work. We made a quadruple batch of Crock Pot Apple Sauce, so that we could put some up in the freezer. YUM! 

We ate apples sliced.

Julia also made an apple pie. (There are definitly going to be more of those.) And while we were in the kitchen I whipped up some granola. I love homemade granola. I overcooked it a wee bit but it still turned out great. The bad thing about homemade granola is once you start eating it you just can not stop.

My kitchen smelled awesome that day. It was the perfect way to welcome in fall. All of us there working side by side. Good stuff. Now to muster up the energy to do it again with the remaining apples :0)

 

A Late Summer Nature Walk

One of the projects of our Science Curriculum is to go on a scavenger hunt. This past week we did just that. When we take the time to do this it always leaves me wondering why we don't go on these little adventures more often. It was nice and cool, and there was a lot to see. We didn't get everything checked off of the list. I told the children we will be back throughout the year and slowly, hopefully find everything on the list. We discovered some pretty wild flowers and talked about seed heads. So fun.

Do you see the well camouflaged critter?

This was my favorite wildflower. I have never seen one of these before. It is called a Spotted Touch-me- not (Spotted Jewel weed). Also formally called Impatiens capensis. Doesn't it look like a little cornucopia? 

This is the front.

Homeschooling Resources

A Homeschooling Meme.

The lovely Tracy at Pinewood Castle tagged me for a meme...

Like Tracy I have not blogged in a while. We have been so crazy busy and I am feeling the (wonderful!!) pressure to get ready for this new baby. I have quite a few blog posts in my head that I am hoping to get out of my head and onto this blog soon!!

So I will start with this...

One homeschooling book you have enjoyed...

There could never be just one!

Mommy, Teach Me: Preparing Your Preschool Child for a Lifetime of Learning by Barbara Curtis -I read this not to long ago and it really made me change the way I look at the little people in my house. I wish I would have had this when my big kids were little. A lot of great ideas

Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home by Elizabeth Foss- This book changed my entire way of thinking towards home education. I have a beloved copy all highlighted and worn and marked up. :0)

Educating the WholeHearted Child  by Sally Clarkson. Her book is packed full of good things. Lots of highlighting in this book as well.

Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit by Terri Maxwell- I pick this book up every once in a while to remind me to be gentle. There is some good sound advice in here. 

One resource you wouldn't be without....

The library. I would be broke without it. And the internet. Really, with these two resources and some paper and pencils you don't need anything else.

One resource you wish you'd never bought...

I am right there with Tracy on the Montessori manipulative. I have quite a bit and the use does not justify the price. I keep wanting to use them. Maybe one of these days with one of these kids!

One resource you enjoyed last year...

hmmm. I didn't like a darn thing we did last year. I pulled the children out of school after 4 months, in the middle of winter. I was newly pregnant and very tired. It was a very difficult time. We made our way through the rest of the school year, it just seems like a big blur. On to new beginnings!

One resource you wished existed...

OK, this may sound a little weird, but, I wish Charlotte Mason were still alive and could come and live with me for a month and educate my children so I could really see how it is done.  I know there have been many books written about her method, but I am a total hands on visual person.

One resource you would like to have...

A bright sunny room full of bookshelves with nothing but good books, some couches and a table and chairs.

One homeschool catalog you enjoy reading...

I would have to say the Emmanuel Books Catalog

Tag six other homeschool bloggers! To all my Florida Peeps!!

Julie at Winchester Academy

Tiffany at Hillside Hollow

Amy at One Blessed Mama

Leisa and Debi???

Sussette at SHEAF

life lessons and football

( I started this post three days, I am going to try and finish it today!)

Lots to blog about...no time to blog it.

You know how it goes.

It has been busy around here. School is in full swing. We started our second week of school and whamo!! We are all feeling bad with allergies? colds? Oh well, the work load is "light" this week.

Football is also in FULL swing. Joe and Patrick are playing. There is a lot of practicing and time involved with this sport. But they sure do love it. ( I love this picture of them!)

And we love to watch them play. 

(Joe is number 10)

Joe has had three games so far. The first was a kick-off jamboree game and they won. The third was a scrimage for them but for their opponent it was an official game on their roster. They won that game also. 

The second game was a tough one. They were playing awesome in the first half and then their opponent rallied and came back and won the game. It was hard.

These team sports are tough. There has to be a winner and there has to be a loser. It is hard to see your child give it their all and see them lose. You so badly want to protect them from that disappointment don't you?

This group of boys handled it with grace though.

 These are tough life lessons. But, in the end it is good for them, those lessons. Because sometimes in life you are going to work your hardest, give it your ALL, and things are just not going to turn out the way you want. It is life. 

This is how God changes us, molds us, grows us, makes us who we are.

This boy, this move here and big changes, the challenges he has faced this past year, it has been tough. 

We were talking the other day about this past year. I asked him if he remembered this time last year and how hard it was for him, and to see where he is now. He did. I saw a shy smile come across his face.

He is growing. He is handling the disappointments well. He is moving on and learning from these life lessons. He is becoming quite the young man. God is working on him. 

We are so proud.