Wordless Wednesday...a bit early

Okay...a few words. My baby lost his first teeth! Notice the fat lips? He fell off his bike and the result was this! Too cute!

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*****This is the sort of thing your kids come up with when the bug guy is a regular visitor to your home!*****

I really love wearing my...

My baby is 5

After surviving 7 weeks of bed rest, several attempts at stopping my premature labor, and an asthma attack while in labor pushing, on May 11, 2003...Mother's Day that year too...Thane entered the world. He wasn't ready though. He wasn't suppose to come out yet. He was 5 weeks early.

His lungs were not fully developed, he didn't have the suck/gag reflex, he was jaundice, and had pneumonia. He hadn't developed finger prints yet. However, he weighed in at 8 pounds!! He spent the first 10 days of his life at the hospital.


As Thane was growing and developing into the little man he is today, he had a lot of difficulty breathing. The first time he was hospitalized was at 8 months. He spent a week at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville. A few months later and a few more hospitalizations, we got the official diagnosis of asthma. From the time he was 8 months to almost four he, was on 4-6 different medications a day...including around the clock breathing treatments every four hours when he was having an episode.


It wasn't until February 2007 we started seeing Thane's health improving. A friend of ours was very adamant about us taking him to see her chiropractor. She said he could help us. I was very skeptical thinking, "How in the world could having a straight spine aid in Thane's asthma?" Well, we all started seeing Dr. Tom in January 2007 and you know what?! It has worked! Seriously! Thane has been off his medication...all of it...since the end of March 2007! I do keep his inhalers with me "just in case", but we have only had a "just in case" incident once since then. I didn't realize that only 10% of your nerves transmit pain indicators...90% of them help the organs function correctly. If you are sublexated (vertebrae out of alignment therefore causing the nerves to be squished) then your organs are not working up to their full potential. Anyhow, we have all been seeing Dr. Tom and he has helped us all!!!

So, now Thane is healthy and living life to it's fullest. He is a mischievous little guy who can't sit still. He loves to draw battle pictures, play in the dirt, pretend he is Bono, and would wear his pajamas everywhere if I'd let him.

Happy Birthday, Thane!!!! I love you!!!

Grammar Stage Logic

The boys have this thing where they like to choose their identity with everything. If they are watching the Lone Ranger, one will be the Lone Ranger and one will be Tonto. While playing with their Playmobil guys, they each choose who they are. Frankly, it drives me crazy!!!! And, it seems to only cause problems because they will "kill" each other off just to provoke. So, I have tried to put an end to it and not allow it to go on anymore.

Well, yesterday Thane was having a battle with his Playmobil guys. He turned to me while holding a guy up and said, "Mom, I'm him. But only in my head." Alright. Guess there is no harm in that. Especially since Magnus wasn't around.

Ten minutes later, Magnus walks in. "Thane. Can I be that guy 'in your head'?". What?! In the words of Thane..."That can't be right, can it?"

Give Them Dirt...

It is officially spring here, well, except for the few flakes of snow that fell on Monday, but true to Middle Tennessee weather, we were at the park without jackets the next day. Our friends were not able to meet us like they usually do, so the big toy didn't seem as exciting to the boys. I came up with another idea. "Let's go explore the creek and see what treasures we find!" Here we are in the creek..

Yep, it was dry. But that didn't stop them from having fun!


Then the real fun began. They found dirt!



I asked them several times if they wanted to go back and play on the playground. Every time they answered, "No way! We are having too much fun playing in the dirt!"

Also...I just updated my nature blog...Dancing with Dandelions...go check it out!

Looking Ahead to Next Year

I have been doing some planning for the coming school year (and the remainder of this year). I am trying to think of everything I may possibly need so I can add it to my list for mine and Collin's discussion about the budget. To my benefit, there has been a thread on the WTM boards asking homeschoolers how much they spend a year on schooling. Here is the link... homeschooling budget.

I've also been thinking a lot about the direction I want the boys' education to take and what I want our school days to look like. I was having trouble at first, listing things like: fun, relaxed, challenging, but then it hit me and started to flow. These are a few of the things I want for my boys...(this list is by no means exhausted. It's just a sampling.)
1. To learn how to think & observe critically. To be able to think for themselves and not be "spoon fed" their opinions.
2. To understand history chronologically and how events effect each other.
3. To have an analytical understanding of great literature.
4. To have a clear understanding and grasp of the English language ie., speak correctly, write correctly, write creatively.
5. To be fluent in several languages ie., Latin, Greek, and French.

Keeping those goals in mind, our school days are going to be more relaxed, yet still challenging. I want them to enjoy the process of learning and I of teaching. We are going to cuddle on the couch and read lots of well written books and not "twaddle". We are going to concentrate on getting a strong foundation in Language Arts, the Charlotte Mason way. Latin is going to become a priority as it will aid in and reinforce our Language Arts studies. We will continue to play our math games as that is Magnus's favorite subject. We will get our "seat" work done in the morning to allow time for play, activities, and free time in the afternoons.

With all that being said...


This is what I will be using for both boys:

History...I like using SOTW. I feel it is a gentle approach to introducing history to the boys. The stories are fact filled, yet short. The Activity Guide has fantastic suggestions for extra reading as well as great projects, maps, and coloring pages. I have a feeling we will be spending more time and money on history this year as we will be studying the Middle Ages. Our family is very much interested in Medieval history and talk about it constantly. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Collin is going to school to teach Medieval Literature at a University. Maybe *he* should be teaching the boys! I hope to do several activities as well as lots of read alouds. I am also going to follow Ambleside Online's book list for our reading.

Science...I'm struggling with this. We are not a "scientific" family (well, at least Collin and I) but I see the need for knowing it. Maybe the boys are of the "scientific mind" and I would hate to rob them of finding out. I know they are interested in it. So, I'm trying to figure out a place for it in our house. I have been re-inspired to visit Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education. I think the idea of nature study will foot the bill for me and the boys. We are going to take nature hikes, start a nature journal, and read fantastic "living" stories about nature. Along with that, I hope to do activities like creating a bird sanctuary, planting a garden, and if space allows (we don't know where we will be living), I want to raise chickens (and maybe a sheep or two)!


Magnus will be in 2nd grade. This is what I am planning for him:

Latin...is going to be a high priority. It will aid in spelling and grammar as well as logic. I read Andrew Campbell's book Latin Centered Curriculum and most of it made sense to me. However, I plan on continuing to use a grammar program and to follow the 4 year history cycle laid out in The Well Trained Mind. I have already purchased Minimus and plan to use it. In fact, the boys request to listen to the audio as they read along in the book! I'm just not sure if I am going to start it this year as we study Rome or wait until next year. But then again, I just found out about another program called Song School Latin from Classical Academic Press (the creators of Latin for Children) This would be the first step before doing Latin For Children. I checked out the samples and it looks fantastic. Lots of work with vocabulary and easy grammar. I still don't know which program to do between Lively Latin or Latin for Children after our initial introduction to Latin. They are both incredible programs and it is just a matter of me figuring out what I want our Latin study to look like. I am also hoping to get my hands on the "I am Reading Latin" readers.

Math...we will continue working through Right Start but do level C next year. This seems to be a good fit for him. It is teacher intensive but I really don't mind. Especially since he is learning to master the concepts. I am thinking about adding Singapore Challenging Word Problems.

Grammar...this had me scratching my head. I don't want to continue with FLL. It's not working for Magnus. He gets the concepts easily, but the presentation is rather dull. After reading Charlotte Mason's take on Language Arts and talking to Collin, we are switching to the Language Lessons series by Sandi Queen. It Incorporates a lot of picture study (with beautiful artwork), narrations, dictation, and grammar. Magnus is a very creative boy who has a good grasp on words and does not like to be "spoon fed". I think the gentler approach will allow him to take ownership of his learning.

Spelling...we will definitely continue with All About Spelling. We may be starting level 2 in a few months so we'll have to do level 3 next year. It is moving a little slow for Magnus, but I am sure he is learning the concepts well.


Thane will be in Kindergarten. This is what I am planning for him:

Math...he has been watching big brother work the abacus and has been playing games with us, it only seems natural to begin his formal math program with Right Start level A. In fact, I just bought it on the WTM for sale board and am eagerly anticipating it's arrival. I have a feeling Thane is going to work through this fast. Luckily I already have level B waiting in the shadows.

Phonics...not sure what to do here. I really don't think OPGTR is going to do it for him. He needs something more than a "repeat after me" type program. He is a visual/kinesthetic learner. I love the looks of Sing, Spell, Write & Read but it is pricey. Maybe, just maybe, I can talk dh into this! If not, I'm not sure what I will do. I am also going to look at Veritas Press Phonics Museum. I had considered this when Magnus was in kindergarten, but decided against it because of cost. I will definitely look for it used. I love the way it incorporates artwork and activities into the learning. I might also look into Phonics Pathways. It has more of the visual aspect I am looking for, but not a lot of hands-on stuff. I would supplement with Explode the Code books and Happy Phonics.

Along with this curriculum I am hoping to get a hold of some audio...King Arthur and His Knights, Wulf the Saxon, The Dragon & the Raven, Winning His Spurs, and In Freedom's Cause. Magnus and Thane both love listening to stories on cd, which is good for me since I don't like reading aloud.

That pretty much covers it. None of this is set in stone as I know I will probably change my mind some more as far as curriculum goes. On thing that I know for sure is the direction I want our learning to go in and that is a relief.

Wordless Wednesday

Identity Crisis

My boys are going through an identity crisis. I didn't think this was suppose to happen until they hit Jr. High. They will be reading a book and Thane will say, "I'm that guy. Who are you, Magnus?" Magnus will reply, "I'm the guy in the red shirt. Are you the guy on the rock?" "No, I'm him.", pointing to the guy fishing off the bridge.

You have to understand, this goes on ALL day long. And it doesn't even have to be people. Just today they decided which cups they were in the sink. Oh, and yesterday Thane was the color red. What?!? It's driving me crazy! But then I think, "There are definitely stranger things they could be doing. Right?" (Looking for the head nods from other parents.) They certainly have creative imaginations. I do like that! :o)

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Priceless...

12 ft. of pipe insulation...$3.49
















50 ft. of sill seal...$5.99













1" x 22" x 22" Poly Foam...$2.17
















1 roll of duct tape...$2.89






















2 pairs
of youth size
boxing gloves...$19.98







Your boys thinking you are the coolest parents in the world...priceless!

Preschool Plans for Thane

I am very excited about the plans I have put together for Thane. He has been asking me to teach him how to read and write for a few months now. We've been working on writing letters at random, but it just isn't satisfying him. After revamping the coming semester for Magnus, I noticed we have 26 weeks (give or take a few!) left of schooling this year. So, I decided to give my youngest the desires of his heart and we are going to study a letter of the alphabet each week. By the end of the year, my hope is that he will be able to recognize (he only has trouble with a few now), write (he does pretty good), and sound out all of the letters. If he is able to read Bob books (and the like) that will be a bonus! Here's the plan...(I'll show you what we are going to do for the letter "A")

Tuesday...Introduce the Letter; color and complete worksheet; read a book about that letter or an object/event/person associated with that letter (see books listed at the end of this post); learn the sound/phonic this letter makes using OPGTR and the phonics poem in the book.

Wednesday...magazine craft (he will look through all of the magazines I have been saving through the years and have moved from house to house, for pictures of items that begin with that letter. He will then cut and paste them onto cardstock. At the end of the year we will "bind" it and he will have a great scrapbook of his letter work.), practice writing the letter, and practice the sound/phonic by reciting poem.

Thursday...read more books relating to our letter and have Thane narrate the story through a picture drawn by him, practice writing, and practice the sound/phonic by reciting poem.

Friday... create mini book, practice sound/phonic by reciting poem.

Throughout the week, I have various coloring pages for him to color, we'll do some sort of craft activity associated with the stories, we'll point out the letter on signs while we are out, and we'll point out objects that begin with that letter.

As far as Math, I am going to teach him to recognize the written numbers and to write them. We are going to learn through playing the games in our Right Start curriculum, playing dominoes and other games like that, tangrams, bead patterns, and sequence type worksheets. I am also going to create a calendar for him to fill out each day with the date, day of the week, month, and year.

As far as History and Science, he will continue to sit in on these subjects with Magnus. He really enjoys the stories, maps, and crafts. He likes do to whatever his big brother is doing. Glad Magnus is a great example for him to follow!

Here is the list of books we are going to read and narrate...

A

Armadillo Rodeo by Jan Brett

Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish

B

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

Billy and Blaze by CW Anderson

Berlioz the Bear by Jan Brett

C

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

D

Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff

How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

E

The Egg by MP Robertson

The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper

F

Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue fish by Dr. Seuss

G

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone

H

Hedgie’s Surprise by Jan Brett

Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

I

The Iguana Brothers by Tony Johnston

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Numeroff

J

Bread & Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban

Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? By Carlstrom

K

King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood

A Kiss for Little Bear by Minarik

L

Little Bear by Minarik

Ladybug, Ladybug by Ruth Brown

M

If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

Town Mouse, Country Mouse by Jan Brett (retold and illustrated)

N

The Napping House by Audrey and Don Wood

Noah’s Ark by Linda Haywood

O

The Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall

Owl Moon by Jane Yolan

P

A Puppy for Annie by Kim Lewis

How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long

Q

Quick as a Cricket by Audrey Wood

Quick, Quack, Quick! by Marsha Arnold

R

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

S

Stone Soup by Marcia Brown

Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

T

The Turtle and the Hare

Little Time & the Brave Sea Captain by Ardizzone

U

The Umbrella by Jan Brett

Great Day for Up by Dr. Seuss

V

The Valentine Bears by Eve Bunting

W

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

X

A Fox: The Sound of X by Alice K Flanagan

Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss

Y

The Yak Who Yelled Yuck by Carol Pugliano-Martin

Z

If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss

I think this is going to keep us busy and Thane will get a lot out of it. It should give him a head start to the things I have planned to teach him next year in Kindergarten.

Question of the Day...

So, we're riding in the car yesterday and out of nowhere Thane (4yo) asks, "Mom, why do mommies have babies and not daddies?" Thankfully the reply of "Well, that's the way God made us." satisfied his curiosity...for now.

Book Club...

Today was the first meeting of our book club. There are 5 families (8 kids) involved. We really want the kids to take ownership of this but we (the moms) will be around to guide the discussion if needed. The kids came up with some rules...we later called it our "compact".
1. Use only encouraging words
2. Raise you hand if you'd like to talk
3. Listen to others while they are talking
4. Group Leader is responsible for making sure the rules are being followed
5. Secretary keeps track of the time
A new group leader and secretary will be chosen at the beginning of each meeting.

Here is what we are doing now...
We decided since it's November, we would read and discuss The Magic Tree House #27 Thanksgiving on Thursday. During the week, the mom's are to read and discuss the research guide "Pilgrims" to give the kids a better understanding of the history of Thanksgiving. I'm sure most of us will also be adding other books and activities. We are homeschool moms after all :0) They are to read 4 chapters on their own and come prepared to discuss the characters, plot, ect. We made journals for them to record and narrate the story as well. At the meetings we will also read a chapter together, encouraging them to read aloud. At the end of the book we are planning a "feast" of our own. The kids are going to pick a name out of a hat and make a place mat for that person. There is also talk of a dramatization of the book. That could be interesting.
Anyhow, we are all real excited about this...I think the moms especially. Nothing like knowing you're going to get some adult conversation each week, even if it is about your kids and homeschooling :0)

What we do during the week...

I'm a planner. I like to plan. I need a plan. My boys function well with a plan. Here is our plan...(I included Collin's schedule into my plan as well)

Monday

• Prepare for the week ahead
• Chiropractor visit (important to be well adjusted!)
• Library-Homeschool Story Time (in the adjoining town)
• Library (in our town)
• Errands/Grocery Shopping
• Artistic Pursuits
• Projects that need to be worked on
• Chess Club (Magnus) UPDATED...(Both are doing Chess Club now. Thane really caught on fast for a 4 year old!)
  
• Collin teaches (Intro. to Latin, Philosophy, World Literature, and History Through Literature) at a Homeschool Tutorial Academy. Then he is off to class.

Tuesday

• Right Start Math Level B (Magnus)
• First Language Lessons (Magnus)
  
• Spelling Workout Level A (Magnus)
  
• Veritas Press First Favorites (Magnus)
• Handwriting and Various Worksheets (Thane)
• Story of the World vol 1 (Both)
• Play date at the Park
• Biology Club
• Collin works at the library in the a.m. then goes to class

Wednesday

• Right Start Math Level B (Magnus)
• First Language Lessons (Magnus)
• Spelling Workout Level A (Magnus)
• Veritas Press First Favorites (Magnus)
• Handwriting and Various Worksheets (Thane)
• Story of the World vol 1 (Both)
• AWANA
• Collin works at the library in the a.m. then goes to class

Thursday

• First Language Lessons (Magnus)
• Spelling Workout Level A (Magnus)
• Veritas Press First Favorites (Magnus)
• Handwriting and Various Worksheets (Thane)
• Story of the World vol 1 (Both)
• Christian Kids Explore Biology (Both)
• Book Club (Both) UPDATED
  
• Collin works at the library in the a.m. then goes to class

Friday

• Right Start Math Level B (Magnus)
• First Language Lessons (Magnus)
• Spelling Workout Level A (Magnus)
• Handwriting and Various Worksheets (Thane)
• Christian Kids Explore Biology (Both)
• Collin works at the library in the a.m.

Saturday

• Make up anything we didn't get done

Sunday

• Observe the Sabbath

Throughout the week we are reading ALL the time. Magnus always has his nose in a book. Thane has been asking me to teach him to read so I have been thinking about doing that. We also go on various field trips with our homeschool group. Collin is also studying most of the time. He does make time to hang out with me and the boys as well. So there you have it.