Homeschool Open House 2007

I just found out today about Homeschool Open House 2007 and just in time, too: it starts tomorrow! Check here for the details: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Tiany/Homeschool%2BOpen%2BHouse%2B2007/

Who we are:
For those of you who haven't visited my blog before, I'm Emily and my husband Alif & I have four children. Malachi is 9, Graham 7, Caris 4 and Canaan almost 6 months. We decided when Malachi was around 2 years old that we would like to homeschool and have been at it ever since!

Our day:
I'm not very scheduled. I am trying to hear God's voice on this right now. I want to have more structure to our day so that I am sure we are doing everything we should be (not just academically but all around) but I don't want to be so scheduled that I burn out and let everything go. Any ideas on that?

The schedule I've decided on before but haven't stuck to very well goes something like this:
rising - 9:00: get ready for the day, eat breakfast, do morning chores
9-12: schoolwork
12-1: lunch, cleanup
1-3: quiet time (Mom's free time to sew, go online, etc.)
3-6: household work, dinner prep, eat dinner
6-8: dinner cleanup, get kids ready for bed
8:30: kids to bed
10:00 Mom to bed

That doesn't seem so daunting, does it?

Curriculum:
We follow The Well-Trained Mind. Here's our breakdown for this year:
Malachi and Graham:
Reading: read-alouds, Phonics Pathways
Handwriting: A Reason for Handwriting
Spelling: Spelling Workout
Math: Math-U-See
History: Story of the World IV
Science: Physics Experiments for Children
Foreign Language: Prima Latina
Art: Drawing with Children
Music: Usborne Basic Piano Course, Color the Classics: Godly Composers
Caris:
Five in a Row

Where:
We do most of our book work at the table, though you're also likely to find us on the living room carpet or couches, on someone's bed, or outside on a blanket. Or we might skip book work altogether.

Baby Pictures

Look at my two teeth! They are really sharp so I can't bite people's fingers any more. Boo! But they look so cute when I smile and even when I cry.

See right here on my tummy? I have a red rash all over it. It's on my back too. It's from Roseola and it's not contagious so go ahead and cuddle me anyway.

I learned how to get my foot and it tastes great. One day I bit it and cried.

I'm so flirty. Who can resist me?

Auntie Megan is so cool. She sent me these big-boy shoes and I look awesome in them. My shirt says, "Splish Splash I was born in the bath".

Canaan, 26 weeks

Yikes, he bit me while nursing two times. I took it away and he looked at me like "what in the world are you doing?"

He hasn't seemed sick but has needed breathing treatments several times. I hope and pray he doesn't have asthma.

He can roll more easily now but doesn't very often.

When he's lying on his back he can lift his head up and often does to see what's going on around him.

Started solid food - banana! He especially likes it with breastmilk mixed in.

PTL, I'm actually doing it.

I have been unmotivated to exercise for . . . umm, a long time. Probably 12 years. I mean, I walk here & there and very occasionally do an exercise video but I haven't been committed to an exercise program in a long, long time. I don't know why, but a little segment on Access Hollywood was God's way of motivating me once again. (You can see it here: http://www.accesshollywood.com/news/ah5131.shtml)

I can't tell you how great it feels to be moving my body again. To know that I'm whittling away at the fat and building underneath it some toned muscles. To know that I'm getting stronger each time I work out. I don't know how God flipped the switch but I'm so glad he did! If you're interested in following my journey you can friend request here: http://myspace.com/spiritledbody

Canaan, 25 weeks

Oh my gosh, we're almost halfway through his first year. Panic attack impending!

When I walk holding Canaan on my hip, he holds his outside arm straight out, like he's not totally sure I have good balance.

More teeth coming, maybe? Grouchy, feverish and waking at night. Update: I was wrong! It was Roseola!

Oops, poor Canaan

So Canaan hasn't had *any* solids yet. AT ALL. Tonight at dinner I smooshed a pea and gave him a small amount. I mean really small - like, I don't know, the size of one of his teeth. LOL He made a face and spit it out with bubbles all over it, so I pushed it back in. He started to gag and threw up! He threw up big too, like he'd totally emptied his little belly. OMGosh! Stupid Mommy! Then Malachi goes, "I guess that's why he isn't supposed to have any solids until he's 6 months." :-P

HP: Thoughts from others

I read this question from Anitha on the Above Rubies yahoogroup and related (except my children know that HP is wrong):

Please tellme the pros and cons of this much discussed series ofbooks. Most of my friends and children are addictedand except that I know in my spirit that the booksarent good...I dont have any concrete explantions tooffer them

Here are some replies that I thought were good:

It's all about witchcraft.. . we are not to have anything to with it. Bible is very against it. That is one book (and the movies), that I would never allow in my home. Alisa

we rented the first movie, and it met our standards :) so i let him read the book - but i flipped through the sequels, and like the author admits, they get "darker" and in my case, i found an unpleasant passage about Harry Potter's friend's treatment of his girlfriend, speaking disrespectfully about her, and being ashamed after "snogging" with her - it just made me feel like i sure would hate it if my son thought that was the way to behave. Also, i didn't like the "dementors" - Stephanie

1) J.K. Rowling's research for the books involved gathering information from real life books of witchcraft and sorcery. 2) Some of the spells and terminology in the book are factual. 3) A person who actually practices Wiccan found it hard to believe that J.K. Rowling did not practice Wiccan herself because of the books seemingly authenticity. Yvonne

If witchcraft is wrong, then it is wrong. Period. It is wrong to read about. It is wrong to watch. It is wrong to participate in. It is wrong. And to say that it is "fantasy" or "make believe" doesn't negate the fact that it is wrong. Would you let your children read a pornographic comic book (they do exist) and say "well it is fantasy and they are strong in their faith and know it's make believe, so what's the problem?" "Fantasy" and "make believe" do not change the fact that it is wrong. That our God says it (porn and witchcraft) is wrong. We are supposed to avoid even the appearance of evil. So make believe or not, we should have nothing to do with Harry Potter and the like. The power for witchcraft is real. Witchcraft is real. And that power comes from Satan. Just because Harry Potter is a novel and not a biography doesn't mean it is okay. The witchcraft spoken of in the HP books is very real. Satan is very real, and we should not wink at those kinds of things and say "it's just make believe". Kathy

And to address those who would say, "but your children read Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia!":

Yes there is a witch in LOTR. She is not Wiccan. NOR IS SHE THE HERO OF THE BOOK!!!! In Harry Potter the Witch is the Hero! If you want to be like the hero(s) of LOTR you will want to be simple, loving of the land, loyal, brave and stand up for truth and right in the face of insurmountable odds. (ie Sam and Froddo). In LOTR the "Evil" is evil. Angela

That was enough to bolster me - how about you?

Canaan, 23 weeks

Got bronchitis again and started breathing treatments. Sometimes he laid still for them and sometimes he cried the whole time. :-(

Started to give wet, slobbery, sucky-face kisses

Canaan, 24 weeks

I do not like it when Canaan's asleep in my bed by himself, because I have to check on him constantly to be sure he's not awake (so he doesn't fall off), but it sure is cute to peer in there and see his little brown self cuddled up in there.

He sleeps on his tummy, and twice today I went in to get him from nap and he was on his back! The first time he looked up at me and laughed - like, "Look what I did!" LOL

When he gets excited or really happy or upset, he kicks his legs in funny little twitches. It's so cute!

Alif was out of town for a few days this week. He came home today, and you should have heard the gleeful giggles when he picked Canaan up from his afternoon nap. If he were able to talk he'd have been screaming, "Daddy's home! Daddy's home!" All evening he was smiling at Alif whether Alif was looking at him or not. Absolutely precious! :*)

Caris was watching Batman just now and came to me and said, "Mommy, Joker needs to brush his teeth because they are so yellow!!" (While waving her hand in front of her nose like, "ew, yuck!")

Awwww, isn't Canaan cute in the onesie I bought for him on eBay? It was hot outside on the 4th, even for Moxy!

It is soooooo funny to me how Canaan does his lips when he's just about to grab something (you can see in the bottom left-hand corner of the picture, he's going for a soft/spiky red ball).

Thanks to Grandma, the kids were darling in their matching Fourth of July gear! Of course, they only kept their clothes on for about 15 minutes before they went outside and played on the blow-up waterslide Daddy bought them. LOL

I HAD to have this "gone fishing" AIO from http://www.strawberriesnsunshine.com/ in honor of Canaan's late great-grandfather's love of fishing!

Emma really looooves Canaan, and the way she says "baby Canaan" is so doggone CUTE!

Ok, I really wanted one of those rubbery toothbrushes that you put on your finger, but I couldn't find them at Target. We got this super-soft toddler one instead, and some toddler (fluoride-free) toothpaste. He likes it when we brush his two little teeth! LOL

I don't know why Blogger won't let me title this post. Anyway, this little poem was in an e-mail signature and I thought it was so cute!

I am your parent, you are my child.

I am your quiet place, you are my wild.

I am your calm face, you are my giggle.

I am your wait, you are my wiggle.

I am your finish line, you are my race.

I am your praying hands, you are my saving grace.

I am your lullaby, you are my peekaboo.

I am your good-night kiss, you are my I love you

Canaan, 22 weeks

-got his second tooth on 7/3
-first Fourth of July! Sat quietly on my lap and watched the fireworks but the bottom lip started to quiver when they got very loud. We went inside when Graham got scared, and Canaan enjoyed the rest of the fireworks from his exersaucer
-started blowing raspberries. What a mess! LOL One night he practiced them at 1 am. :-P

Thanks, Mike and Liz!

My friend Liz's husband Mike is an excellent fisherman. Twice a year he goes on a major fishing expedition and comes home with tons of fish! This year he took their son Tim and they both caught a bunch of tuna. Being the generous friends that they are, they invited me to come and pick some up. They shared LOTS of tuna with me! My family love loves tuna. What a blessing! Thanks, guys!

Good morning, y'all

When I came downstairs this morning, the 3 big kids were playing on the computer. I said, "good morning, y'all!" Caris giggled and said, "Good morning, red!" She thought I said, "good morning, yellow!" LOL Silly girl!