New School Year

Last week we started school officially. Kenna is in 3rd grade this year, Brooks should be entering 2nd, but is actually *almost* completed 2nd grade, so he is in a hybrid of 2nd & 3rd. Sonny & Grey are officially doing Kindergarten this year, and May is half tagging along with Kindergarten stuff, but mostly just playing and colouring:-) She will be 3 years old in a month.

School is definitely upping in intensity and time-demands, I think. 3rd grade involves a lot more book work, and more subjects too. The older two have started cursive, and are doing other extras too like typing/computer and map skills. Adding chores, piano, and well - I'm feeling like we have little time for anything else.

This season, Kenna is cheering, Brooks is playing flag football and Grey is playing soccer. This means we have 3 practices on 3 different nights - so Monday we have piano then football, Wednesday we have cheer and then Awanas, and Thursday we have soccer. The nights with doubled up "events" see us packing picnic style dinners and eating in the car, because a) I couldn't afford to do drive through so many times and b) there is literally not even enough time for a drive-thru between events!

Co-op has changed a bit this year, timing wise, and we have to pack lunches for each child, as they eat  in/with their classes this year. This is wonderful news for the kids ("this is soooo awesome"), and not so wonderful for the homeschooling mommy, who at this point has pretty much decided that the reason they don't go to school is just to avoid packing lunches.

Our co-op is run by the Moms - everyone signs up to teach the various classes throughout the year. I, like last year, am working each week with the pre-K class - I figured since 3 of my kids are in that class, I could help out there. Sonny, Grey & May are the pre-K comrades, and there are about 13 children in that age grouping this year. Brooks and Kenna are split up this year, Kenna going with the 3-5th grades, and Brooks still with K-2nd.

First day of co-op, ready to go!

First day of co-op selfie. I managed to pack 6 individual lunches, compile all needed school supplies, books & backpacks, feed everyone breakfast AND shower and do my makeup...in about an hour:-) Whew! I was sufficiently worn out before we even arrived:-)

A new signature!

The kids are definitely noticing their lack of free-time and I definitely hear the "awwwww!!" when I tell them they have to read a school book during naps/rest time, instead of their beloved Calvin & Hobbes. I'm definitely noticing my lack of free time too! Between keeping up with school and all these activities, I'm finding my days very full. Which is fine, really. The only thing that is suffering so far is my ability to watch tv. Somehow I'll live, right? :-)

As a side note, we did our required state testing in July, and both kids performed beyond what I expected - which is a good thing. Kenna really improved in her reading and comprehension scores from the previous year, and they both scored this year at "highest level" overall, which surprised me a little, but makes me glad to know that we're not as far off track as I sometimes feel we are:-)

Reading - Video

A milestone today - so I just had to capture it on video. This is Brooks reading the FINAL reader for the Kindergarten reading program for the first time!...he's moving on to 1st grade reading, probably next week, after some more drills and review. (He is currently 5yrs 4mths old - remember when he started out at 3.5 yrs old? Cutie pie:-)

As goes life with 6 children ages 6 and under in the house...when you sneak away to film a quick book reading - all hell breaks loose in your absence. You will hear in the background all of the following:

May, completely losing it. It was 9:30am, and she was in desperate need of her morning nap. I thought she could wait 2 minutes to go down. She couldn't.

Sonny, shouting out "ARDYN" at one point. A screaming fight ensues a short time later.

Grey was joining in the screaming...so it was likely over a toy that could not be shared by the toddlers

Kenna, trying to take charge and control the noise. She says something like "I make the rules"...not working:-)

In the midst of it all, sweet little Brooksie trying to concentrate and get through his reader:-) He does a good job. I am kind of surprised they learn any thing at all amidst the chaos, lol:-)

May, at exactly 9:38am. She literally fell asleep in 5 seconds!

He looked too innocent upon my return

So did she...

So did he...

Drawing "on the table", fun for all ages!

Menus

Kenna made menus for dinner on Sunday, and marked peoples initals in front of the items they've requested. She did all the spelling with no helps, other than asking me how to do the "zuh" sound on "chee-zuh":-) She's hilarious.

Grlik brad = garlic bread
Wodr = water
Bskade = buh'sghetti (spaghetti)
Sawr krem = sour cream
Sos = sauce
Cheese = cheese
Salid = Salad

School & Lip Singing - Video

We started school yesterday, officially. I plan to spend a week on reading and math review before we push ahead, but today, we did squeeze in a little history (Our America) and science (Apologea's Zoology). They, of course, are loving it so far! We'll see how long before the novelty wears off:-)

Grey and Sonny "do" (read: scribble in) little preschool books from the dollar store:-). May and Ardyn nap and play, respectively, while we get book work done.

Brooks starting out with Explode the Code

Reading review for Kenna

Don't even ask me where they heard about this, lol. Lip synching, or "singing" as they call it. Hilarious. They had a whole stand-on-a-stool/dance-routine worked out. One of my fave parts is when Kenna's crazy dancing knocks Brooks off his perch:-)

School is going!

The kids are doing quite well with their little studies! Reading, Math, Social Studies, Science, and Bible are the things we focus on most often (everyday). They know both the Canadian and American national anthems, and a new trick is learning the Canadian one in french. They know the beginning to the pledge of allegiance, and the 1st of the 10 commandments, and 15 Bible verses. We do these each day, so they are very well memorized at this point! I am amazed at their progress since September when we started everything off with a reading program. Brooks' penmanship is coming along so well, he loves to draw and try to write things now, just like sister.

Interestingly, when Kenna writes his name (or when he tries to), they write "Boo". The B and the O's being the most important letters, apparently. But it's also interesting to me because when Brooks was born, that is how Kenna said his name. He was Boo-Boo or Boo-ey for a LONG time, if you've been reading my blog for a few years, you'll remember his baby nickname. I wonder if it's a "kid thing" somehow. If Grey calls him Boo, once learning to talk, that will seal the theory in my mind:-)

With all the "serious business" going on around here, there is still plenty of room for the ridiculous. They continually amaze me with the details they pick up and apply to life.

*This conversation happened this morning*
Mommy: Count each bug and color the spaces on the graph to tell how many
Kenna: ants, worms, hey! are those termites?
Mommy: I have no idea, just count them
Kenna: Well I am pretty sure they are termites
Mommy: You're probably right
Kenna: Why don't you know?
Mommy: Because I don't like bugs

Look at Kenna's reading chart! She can read 16 stories perfectly now. Brooks, although very familiar with all the letters and their sounds, isn't quite ready for the blending and reading part yet. We try (I'm sure you remember the video!), but he can only do Fat Cat, Fat Rat well, and sometimes with lots of help do Dan Ran or Cat. I'm sure next school year he will blaze through it all in no time though. (I am using Hooked on Phonics Kindergarten program). Brooks keeps up completely with the K math program. Maybe numbers are his thing.

Fort time! I remember vividly doing this with my brothers and sister when we were young too. Making forts with fort blankets...blankets with a specific designation. I have two of these already, but I'm sure we'll need some more someday:-)

Random Ramblings

Well, my camera is finally on the fritz. I guess I shouldn't say finally, since I was really expecting it to last forever, j/k! My parents gave it to us in 2005, so I suppose it's had quite a good life for a digital camera? A few days ago, I noticed lines starting to appear in all my pics, and no matter how I tried, I couldn't get the light balance accurate, and it's never had a problem with this before. Very 'point & shoot' and easy! The auto focus seems off too, everything looks like I've taken a full-motion pic, even when everything is completely still. I spend an hour last night, and took TONS of pics, fiddling around with every setting, and to no avail. It seems it's breaking:-(

So until I buy another one, please bear with the fuzzy crazy pics. I'll try to use my phone camera more often, I think it does a better job at this point than my regular one, and the video camera also takes pics, which aren't the bestest, but better than what I'm getting otherwise!

If anyone local hears of a sale on cameras, let me know! I don't even know what I'm in for, since it's obviously been forever since I've even looked at one.

I took no less than 20 pictures of this, before I got one that actually showed the decor in the middle

School Boy!

Cutting practice

Kenna's Christmas handywork

And Brooks! I wish the pics were clearer so you could see how he writes his name at the top of the page. Hilarious.

School Starts!

Well, we've entered into the world of home schooling! We'll see how this adventure goes, and perhaps monthly I will try to update with what we're doing. We have successfully completed day 2!

Kenna, Brooks and Jack all "do school" at their various levels of competency, and Sonny and Grey take their morning naps! (Jack is 3, Sonny is 8 months -they are not related - their parents are school teachers, so I have them every day from about 7:45 to 4:00. I had Jack last year, but this is the first time for Sonny - his parents were in a bit of a bind to find someone to watch him, and I think it will work out fine - so far so good!). It's been fun so far, of course the novelty has not yet worn off:-)

This is what I set out ahead of time. We are working out the kinks these first few days. So far, it hasn't taken quite as long, and we've been done by 10:45

I'm using a variety of things - Hooked on Phonics, A Beka, and various library/"home made" things for some of the social studies things etc.

Their cubbies. Brooks is blue, Jack is green. They will be keeping everything in there they need. Jack is potty training, so he has some undies stacked up - just in case:-)

Playing a colour game, where I name a colour, and they have to find the colour and draw something that is that colour. Of course Jack and Brooks do "scraggles" (Brooks' term), but Kenna is getting good with drawing various objects

We are learning about calendars and birthdays this month. We made Happy Birth Day cards for our new cousin!

Kenna's writing practice!