Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Time outside
First trip in the swing
Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Birthday Fun
We decided to celebrate Mr. 9 and Mr. 7's birthdays with a trip to the Cape Codder with friends rather than the usual parties. My intern retreat was at the Cape Codder - the retreat that began after being awake 30 hours on one of my worst call nights ever and continuing downhill from there. It had been a night of ICU transfers and the sad death of a patient whose family was not ready to let go and there had been no sleep and lots of tension all night. At home it wasn't much better with Mr. 6 (then only 2 years old) didn't sleep and the packing did not go well. At least the boys had a great time with karoke.
So our memories of the Cape Codder were not rosy but the wave pool with water slides seemed perfect for our crew and some good friends joined us and now happy memories can edge out those from 4 years ago.
Mr. 7 and 9 loved the wave pool and would have happily swam for hours while Mr. 2 enjoyed it until his lips turned blue and then he huddled in a towel. Even Mr. 0 seemed interested and his first time in the pool was a happy one (not so with Mr. 9 whose shrieking lasted for a good half hour after his first dip). Despite their love of swimming, the older boys were not interested in the slides at first. On Sunday morning Mr. 9 decided he wanted to go. And then decided that he didn't. And then decided he did. This is all taking place at the top of the slide with lots of people waiting as he fretted and told me that he knew I would be ashamed of him if he didn't go. I thought this was probably a case where he needed a push even it was a bit scary for him and once he finally went down (with me almost having to push him), he loved it and happily went over and over again.
It's always been like this for him. Riding his bike was terrifying until he actually just did it and then wouldn't get off for the rest of the summer. He builds it up in his mind and needs that push to finally get past it.
Once Mr. 9 went down he really wanted Mr. 7 to give it a try. Mr. 7 also went through the back and forth but it involved much more screaming and tears. And at the thought that Mr. 7 really wasn't going to go, Mr. 9 burst into tears. And our lovely friend S kept trying to convince him that it wasn't scary but that just seemed to raise the emotional bar. So in the end he didn't go and I was exhausted from the emotional battles of the morning. It is so hard to know when to push and when to back off. For Mr. 9, he needed that push even though it involved nearly forcing him to go the first time. For Mr. 7, it just wasn't the right time and we'll have to try again another day. Hopefully with a wiser captain.
So our memories of the Cape Codder were not rosy but the wave pool with water slides seemed perfect for our crew and some good friends joined us and now happy memories can edge out those from 4 years ago.
Mr. 7 and 9 loved the wave pool and would have happily swam for hours while Mr. 2 enjoyed it until his lips turned blue and then he huddled in a towel. Even Mr. 0 seemed interested and his first time in the pool was a happy one (not so with Mr. 9 whose shrieking lasted for a good half hour after his first dip). Despite their love of swimming, the older boys were not interested in the slides at first. On Sunday morning Mr. 9 decided he wanted to go. And then decided that he didn't. And then decided he did. This is all taking place at the top of the slide with lots of people waiting as he fretted and told me that he knew I would be ashamed of him if he didn't go. I thought this was probably a case where he needed a push even it was a bit scary for him and once he finally went down (with me almost having to push him), he loved it and happily went over and over again.
It's always been like this for him. Riding his bike was terrifying until he actually just did it and then wouldn't get off for the rest of the summer. He builds it up in his mind and needs that push to finally get past it.
Once Mr. 9 went down he really wanted Mr. 7 to give it a try. Mr. 7 also went through the back and forth but it involved much more screaming and tears. And at the thought that Mr. 7 really wasn't going to go, Mr. 9 burst into tears. And our lovely friend S kept trying to convince him that it wasn't scary but that just seemed to raise the emotional bar. So in the end he didn't go and I was exhausted from the emotional battles of the morning. It is so hard to know when to push and when to back off. For Mr. 9, he needed that push even though it involved nearly forcing him to go the first time. For Mr. 7, it just wasn't the right time and we'll have to try again another day. Hopefully with a wiser captain.
Strawberries
Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4
Good books
Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Growing up
Our boys tend to grow up in bursts. Mr. 9 has recently just seemed so grown up. He decided he wanted try out for a part in the cantata and memorized his lines for the audition. He did well and nervously waited for the callback results. He was asked to come for the callbacks and learned more lines. When I got the e-mail on Tuesday saying he'd gotten the part he yelled "Yes" and immediately wanted to call David to tell him. He's that big - just decides to do something and just does it.
And don't get me started on how tall that guy is...
And don't get me started on how tall that guy is...
How much more is 4?
I am regularly asked with some incredulousness if I really have four children and if they're really all boys. All sorts of answers typically float through my head (often depending on the mood and noise level of said children) but I typically just say yes and smile. "How do you do it?" I'm asked and told that one or two or three is hard enough. Typically I answer that the transitions from none to one kid and from one to two kids are the most difficult and adding another one or two really isn't so bad.
Today, as I juggled the kids at the museum, I realized that balancing the needs of four people - really five if you count David (but honestly he more than takes care of himself and the rest of us) and six if you add me in (although during the day I'm sometimes not sure if anyone else counts me) - is really difficult. There's the easy hierarchy when Mr. 2 calls that he pooped and needs help and Mr. 0 is hungry and fussy and Mr. 9 needs help with a tricky math problem (poop beats fussiness and math can definitely wait) but it's often much more difficult.
I took Mr. 7, Mr. 2, and Mr. 0 to the Museum of Science today for Mr. 7's birthday. On Thursdays David works from home and Mr. 9 stays with him to finish school and have some programming time with Dad while the rest of us are at bible study and Mr. 9 didn't want to give that up - even for a museum he loves. So off the rest of us went for some museum fun. Mr. 0 was pretty content in the stroller or carrier depending on his mood and Mr. 7 was his cheerful enthusiastic self but Mr. 2 was being difficult. The kind of difficult that is I-will-go-where-I-want-when-I-want-at-the-speed-I-want. This works okay if it's just the two of us or even the three of us but not so well when there are four of us. I lost him twice and each time he refused to hold my hand as we rejoined the others. As long as he walked next to me I let it go.
Finally he wanted to climb up one of the exhibits - the exhibit Mr. 7 was trying to use. I pulled him down but he climbed right back up. So I pulled screaming toddler off and carried him over to the other side of the area to chat leaving a sleeping Mr. 0 with Mr. 7. But now I had committed the unforgivable crime of carrying him and he refused to do anything but yell that he wanted to walk over and over again. I finally had to carry him screaming to the next area with Mr. 7 pushing the stroller. I knew we were near the end but Mr. 7 had asked to watch the ball machine at the beginning and I had asked him to wait due to other circumstances and I wanted him to have a few minutes before we left. With Mr. 7 and Mr. 0 distracted, I was finally able to calm Mr. 2 down enough for him to ask if he could walk without screaming so I put him down and he ran back to where the carrying offense had started and walked back to me from that point. I let them watch the ball machine for a few minutes while I calmed Mr. 0 down who was upset by Mr. 2's screaming. Checking the time I told Mr. 2 it was time for a quick trip to the bathroom before we headed home.
All was going well until we got off the elevator to head for the exit. Mr. 2 saw a water fountain and took off for it while Mr. 7 and I kept in the exit direction. We had to go and I was done. I told him I had his water bottle and we had to go. He wouldn't walk so I carried him screaming through the exit gates, to the kiosks to pay for our parking, to the elevator, and then to the car. Twice I had to put him down and he immediately tried to run back to where we had started. So in the end I just had to carry a shrieking toddler to the car and hold him in his carseat while I strapped him in. Meanwhile Mr. 0 had started to cry again so I spent the next 15 minutes calming him down.
If we had been by ourselves I would have left much earlier but I didn't want to have to punish Mr. 7 who was being a champion helper. If it were just Mr. 0, I wouldn't have to drag him around to get kids to lessons interrupting his naps. And that's the struggle, trying to meet everyone's needs and not pushing something I know will result in screaming and the end of a good time for the one who is doing just what I asked. It's hard to disappoint one to help another. All the books would say that if your toddler throws a fit in the grocery then you just leave the cart and come back. But what if your 3 other kids are at home with your husband and you need the groceries and coming back with everyone the next day would just be too awful to contemplate and you had promised someone scrambled eggs for breakfast and those eggs are sitting in your cart. The question is difficult and I often just don't have the answer. I just wish there was less screaming as I try to figure it out.
Today, as I juggled the kids at the museum, I realized that balancing the needs of four people - really five if you count David (but honestly he more than takes care of himself and the rest of us) and six if you add me in (although during the day I'm sometimes not sure if anyone else counts me) - is really difficult. There's the easy hierarchy when Mr. 2 calls that he pooped and needs help and Mr. 0 is hungry and fussy and Mr. 9 needs help with a tricky math problem (poop beats fussiness and math can definitely wait) but it's often much more difficult.
I took Mr. 7, Mr. 2, and Mr. 0 to the Museum of Science today for Mr. 7's birthday. On Thursdays David works from home and Mr. 9 stays with him to finish school and have some programming time with Dad while the rest of us are at bible study and Mr. 9 didn't want to give that up - even for a museum he loves. So off the rest of us went for some museum fun. Mr. 0 was pretty content in the stroller or carrier depending on his mood and Mr. 7 was his cheerful enthusiastic self but Mr. 2 was being difficult. The kind of difficult that is I-will-go-where-I-want-when-I-want-at-the-speed-I-want. This works okay if it's just the two of us or even the three of us but not so well when there are four of us. I lost him twice and each time he refused to hold my hand as we rejoined the others. As long as he walked next to me I let it go.
Finally he wanted to climb up one of the exhibits - the exhibit Mr. 7 was trying to use. I pulled him down but he climbed right back up. So I pulled screaming toddler off and carried him over to the other side of the area to chat leaving a sleeping Mr. 0 with Mr. 7. But now I had committed the unforgivable crime of carrying him and he refused to do anything but yell that he wanted to walk over and over again. I finally had to carry him screaming to the next area with Mr. 7 pushing the stroller. I knew we were near the end but Mr. 7 had asked to watch the ball machine at the beginning and I had asked him to wait due to other circumstances and I wanted him to have a few minutes before we left. With Mr. 7 and Mr. 0 distracted, I was finally able to calm Mr. 2 down enough for him to ask if he could walk without screaming so I put him down and he ran back to where the carrying offense had started and walked back to me from that point. I let them watch the ball machine for a few minutes while I calmed Mr. 0 down who was upset by Mr. 2's screaming. Checking the time I told Mr. 2 it was time for a quick trip to the bathroom before we headed home.
All was going well until we got off the elevator to head for the exit. Mr. 2 saw a water fountain and took off for it while Mr. 7 and I kept in the exit direction. We had to go and I was done. I told him I had his water bottle and we had to go. He wouldn't walk so I carried him screaming through the exit gates, to the kiosks to pay for our parking, to the elevator, and then to the car. Twice I had to put him down and he immediately tried to run back to where we had started. So in the end I just had to carry a shrieking toddler to the car and hold him in his carseat while I strapped him in. Meanwhile Mr. 0 had started to cry again so I spent the next 15 minutes calming him down.
If we had been by ourselves I would have left much earlier but I didn't want to have to punish Mr. 7 who was being a champion helper. If it were just Mr. 0, I wouldn't have to drag him around to get kids to lessons interrupting his naps. And that's the struggle, trying to meet everyone's needs and not pushing something I know will result in screaming and the end of a good time for the one who is doing just what I asked. It's hard to disappoint one to help another. All the books would say that if your toddler throws a fit in the grocery then you just leave the cart and come back. But what if your 3 other kids are at home with your husband and you need the groceries and coming back with everyone the next day would just be too awful to contemplate and you had promised someone scrambled eggs for breakfast and those eggs are sitting in your cart. The question is difficult and I often just don't have the answer. I just wish there was less screaming as I try to figure it out.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Ups and downs
We capped off a great weekend with Nana and Papa with a great Superbowl party. We left right before the third quarter and the boys really wanted to watch the end when we got home. Thanks to the power of the internet and streaming, we were able to watch the final sad moments of the game. Mr. 9 cried at the Patriots loss, the first time he has actually cared about the fate of a sports team. It was a great night.
Monday morning everyone slept in a bit... Except Mr. 6 who was up right at 7am after going to bed after 10pm. Mr. 9 and Mr. 2 followed about 30 minutes later. We had a hard time getting started and an even harder time keeping on task. Especially my early riser who couldn't concentrate for more than about 2 minutes at a time. We ended up getting through the majority of our work somehow (math, grammar, spelling words, a bit of reading) and then I just let them play with legos while I read. It was 50 degrees outside so we ate a quick lunch and I tried to get everyone outside for a bit of sunshine before quiet time. Of course Mr. 0 needed a new diaper and Mr. 2 was cranky and so it was a good 15 minutes of scrambling before we could actually get outside. I was pretty sure we didn't have enough energy to make it to the park so we headed to the backyard. On the way out the door Mr. 9 asked if he could take out a camera and I told him no. The boys tend to walk around viewing the world through the small screen on the back of the camera rather than actually looking around (and moving around) and so I told him we weren't going to be out for long and we should just enjoy the beautiful day. He sulked for the rest of the 10 minutes we lasted. Mr. 6 refused to listen to anything I said and when I finally had Mr. 2 engaged in a game of baseball, he kept trying to distract him. Fed up, I ordered my crew inside. The older boys grabbed their books (they're smart enough to realize that my patience was gone) and I took Mr. 2 downstairs to read. He could barely keep his eyes open for Owl Moon (one of my new favorites). Between his nap and Mr. 0's schedule, by the time we could try the great outdoors again it was after 4pm and already 20 degrees colder. We lasted 15 minutes and headed back in.
Today was so much better. We still had questionable concentration skills but the boys were engaged. We made it through the morning work and after lunch I got everyone down for quiet time. Even Mr. 0 fell asleep. I decided I needed 5 minutes of quiet before I got to work and the next thing I knew Mr. 9 was telling me Mr. 0 was crying. Everyone had been happily reading - the older boys for more than an hour and I had fallen asleep. Mr. 6 was reading The Last Battle and said he only had 3 pages left and had to finish it. He must have read half the book today. What an amazing contrast from the beginning of the year when getting him to read a chapter was a struggle.
After regrouping I decided to try reading Pagoo by Holling Clancy Holling to the boys. It is the story of a hermit crab with beautiful illustrations and everyone was really interested and instead of one chapter, I read three. Then we turned on Song School Latin and the boys happily played while singing "My pater is really my father". Highs and lows - those are our days.
Monday morning everyone slept in a bit... Except Mr. 6 who was up right at 7am after going to bed after 10pm. Mr. 9 and Mr. 2 followed about 30 minutes later. We had a hard time getting started and an even harder time keeping on task. Especially my early riser who couldn't concentrate for more than about 2 minutes at a time. We ended up getting through the majority of our work somehow (math, grammar, spelling words, a bit of reading) and then I just let them play with legos while I read. It was 50 degrees outside so we ate a quick lunch and I tried to get everyone outside for a bit of sunshine before quiet time. Of course Mr. 0 needed a new diaper and Mr. 2 was cranky and so it was a good 15 minutes of scrambling before we could actually get outside. I was pretty sure we didn't have enough energy to make it to the park so we headed to the backyard. On the way out the door Mr. 9 asked if he could take out a camera and I told him no. The boys tend to walk around viewing the world through the small screen on the back of the camera rather than actually looking around (and moving around) and so I told him we weren't going to be out for long and we should just enjoy the beautiful day. He sulked for the rest of the 10 minutes we lasted. Mr. 6 refused to listen to anything I said and when I finally had Mr. 2 engaged in a game of baseball, he kept trying to distract him. Fed up, I ordered my crew inside. The older boys grabbed their books (they're smart enough to realize that my patience was gone) and I took Mr. 2 downstairs to read. He could barely keep his eyes open for Owl Moon (one of my new favorites). Between his nap and Mr. 0's schedule, by the time we could try the great outdoors again it was after 4pm and already 20 degrees colder. We lasted 15 minutes and headed back in.
Today was so much better. We still had questionable concentration skills but the boys were engaged. We made it through the morning work and after lunch I got everyone down for quiet time. Even Mr. 0 fell asleep. I decided I needed 5 minutes of quiet before I got to work and the next thing I knew Mr. 9 was telling me Mr. 0 was crying. Everyone had been happily reading - the older boys for more than an hour and I had fallen asleep. Mr. 6 was reading The Last Battle and said he only had 3 pages left and had to finish it. He must have read half the book today. What an amazing contrast from the beginning of the year when getting him to read a chapter was a struggle.
After regrouping I decided to try reading Pagoo by Holling Clancy Holling to the boys. It is the story of a hermit crab with beautiful illustrations and everyone was really interested and instead of one chapter, I read three. Then we turned on Song School Latin and the boys happily played while singing "My pater is really my father". Highs and lows - those are our days.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Midyear Progress Report
I had to send in a mid-year progress report and although I didn't really want to sit down and put it together, it was actually really helpful to see what we've accomplished. it made me feel a better about our weeks - perhaps everyone is actually learning. I had to go back and look at what I had originally sent in and see how it has evolved. We continue to like our math curriculum (I'm going to add in Challenging Word Problems to Mr. 6's week) but had to find new grammar and spelling. We love the books on the history list but never got around to making our timeline (Mr. 8 and I worked on it today so a step in the right direction).
I think my favorite part was putting together a list of books we've been reading. We've read some great books!
Mr. 8's reading list:
Reading List
Week 1: Tales of King Arthur by Felicity Brooks, Aladdin and Tales from the Arabian Nights by Rosalind Kervin
Week 2: The Lantern Bearers by Rosemary Sutcliff
Week 3: The Arabian Nights by Neil Philip, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves by Katie Daynes
Week 4: Leif the Lucky by D'Aulaire, Beorn the Proud by Madeleine A. Polland
Week 5: Stories of Beowulf by H.E. Marshall, D'Aulaires Book of Norse Myths
Week 6: The Adventures of Robin Hood by Neil Philip, Canterbury Tales by Barbara Cohen
Week 7: Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray
Week 8: Men of Iron by Howard Pyle, Winning His Spurs by G.A. Henty
Week 9: The Samurai's Tale by Erik Christian Haugaard, The Black Arrow by Robert Stevenson
Week 10: The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric Kelly
Week 11: I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Trevino, The Second Mrs. Giaconda by E.L. Konigsburg
Week 12: The World of Columbus and Sons by Genevieve Foster
Week 13: Secrets in the House of Delgado by Gloria Miklowitz
Week 14: Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark
Week 15: Mr. Pipes and Psalms and Hymns of the Reformation by Douglas Bond
Other History Reading
Story of the Middle Ages by Samuel Harding
Men of the Middle Ages by John Haaren
The Middle Ages by Mary Quigley
Mosque by David Macaulay
Vikings
The Middle Ages by Mary Quigley
Castles by David Macaulay
Kings and Queens of England and Scotland by Plantagenet Somerset Fry
Brother Sun, Sister Moon by Margaret Leighton
The Silk Route
Marco Polo by Struan Reid
The Mongols by Robert Nicholson
Joan of Arc
Fine Print by Joann Johansen Burch
Johann Gutenberg
Michelangelo
Leonardo da Vinci
Rats, Bull, and Fying Machines by Deborah Mazzotta Prum
Renaissance by Alison Cole
Explorers Who Got Lost by Diane Sansevere-Dreher
Exploration and Conquest
Around the World in 100 Years by Jean Fritz
A 16th Century Galleon by Richard Humble
Books on Incas and Aztecs
Trial and Triumph by Richard Hannula
Mr. 6's reading list:
Week 1: Brigid's Cloak by Bryce Milligan
Week 2: Caedmon's Song by Ruth Ashby, Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola, Across a Dark and Wild Sea by Don Brown
Week 3: Aladdin And The Enchanted Lamp by Philip Pullman, The Legend of the Persian Carpet by Tomie dePaola
Week 4: The Kitchen Knight by Margaret Hodges, The Hero Beowulf by Eric Kimmel, D'Aulaires Book of Norse Myths, Adventures of King Arthur by Angela Wilkes
Week 5: The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren, The Race of the Birkenbeiners by Lise Lunge-Larson
Week 6: The Making of a Knight by Patrick O'Brien, Knights by Stephanie Turnbull, Robin Hood by Neil Philip
Week 7: The Minstrel in the Tower by Gloria Skurzynski, Francis: The Poor Man of Assisi by Tomie dePaola, Canterbury Tales by Barbara Cohen
Week 8: Chanticleer and the Fox by Geoffrey Chaucer
Week 9: The Squire and the Scroll by Jennie Bishop, A Medieval Feast by Aliki
Week 10: Marguerite Makes a Book by Bruce Robertson, Johann Gutenberg and the Amazing Printing Press by Bruce Boscielniak
Week 11: Mario's Angels by Mary Arrigan, The Clown of God by Tomie dePaola, Leonardo's Horse by Jean Fritz, The Glorious Impossible by Madeleine L'Engle
Week 12: Columbus by Ingri and Edgar D'Aulaire
Week 13: Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges
Week 14: Broken Shields by Claudia Burr, Musicians of the Sun by Gerald McDermott
Week 15: Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World by Paul Maier
Other History:
Usborne's Medieval World
Famous Men of the Middle Ages
Story of the World, Volume 2
Mosque by David Macaulay
The Vikings by Jane Shuter
Vikings by Robert Nicholson
Castles by David Macaulay
You Wouldn't Want to be a Medieval Knight
See Inside Castles
You Wouldn't Want to be a Crusader
Who is Marco Polo?
The Mongols by Robert Nicholson
The Silk Route by John Major
Joan of Arc: Heroine of France by Ann Tompert
The Middle Ages by Jane Shuter
The Renaissance by Jane Shuter
Map and Mapping by Barbara Taylor
Explorers Who Got Lost by Diane Sansevere Dreher
Where Am I? by A.G. Smith
A 16th Century Galleon by Richard Humble
Free Reading:
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (Read Aloud)
The Children's Shakespeare by Edith Nesbit
I think my favorite part was putting together a list of books we've been reading. We've read some great books!
Mr. 8's reading list:
Reading List
Week 1: Tales of King Arthur by Felicity Brooks, Aladdin and Tales from the Arabian Nights by Rosalind Kervin
Week 2: The Lantern Bearers by Rosemary Sutcliff
Week 3: The Arabian Nights by Neil Philip, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves by Katie Daynes
Week 4: Leif the Lucky by D'Aulaire, Beorn the Proud by Madeleine A. Polland
Week 5: Stories of Beowulf by H.E. Marshall, D'Aulaires Book of Norse Myths
Week 6: The Adventures of Robin Hood by Neil Philip, Canterbury Tales by Barbara Cohen
Week 7: Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray
Week 8: Men of Iron by Howard Pyle, Winning His Spurs by G.A. Henty
Week 9: The Samurai's Tale by Erik Christian Haugaard, The Black Arrow by Robert Stevenson
Week 10: The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric Kelly
Week 11: I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Trevino, The Second Mrs. Giaconda by E.L. Konigsburg
Week 12: The World of Columbus and Sons by Genevieve Foster
Week 13: Secrets in the House of Delgado by Gloria Miklowitz
Week 14: Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark
Week 15: Mr. Pipes and Psalms and Hymns of the Reformation by Douglas Bond
Other History Reading
Story of the Middle Ages by Samuel Harding
Men of the Middle Ages by John Haaren
The Middle Ages by Mary Quigley
Mosque by David Macaulay
Vikings
The Middle Ages by Mary Quigley
Castles by David Macaulay
Kings and Queens of England and Scotland by Plantagenet Somerset Fry
Brother Sun, Sister Moon by Margaret Leighton
The Silk Route
Marco Polo by Struan Reid
The Mongols by Robert Nicholson
Joan of Arc
Fine Print by Joann Johansen Burch
Johann Gutenberg
Michelangelo
Leonardo da Vinci
Rats, Bull, and Fying Machines by Deborah Mazzotta Prum
Renaissance by Alison Cole
Explorers Who Got Lost by Diane Sansevere-Dreher
Exploration and Conquest
Around the World in 100 Years by Jean Fritz
A 16th Century Galleon by Richard Humble
Books on Incas and Aztecs
Trial and Triumph by Richard Hannula
Mr. 6's reading list:
Week 1: Brigid's Cloak by Bryce Milligan
Week 2: Caedmon's Song by Ruth Ashby, Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola, Across a Dark and Wild Sea by Don Brown
Week 3: Aladdin And The Enchanted Lamp by Philip Pullman, The Legend of the Persian Carpet by Tomie dePaola
Week 4: The Kitchen Knight by Margaret Hodges, The Hero Beowulf by Eric Kimmel, D'Aulaires Book of Norse Myths, Adventures of King Arthur by Angela Wilkes
Week 5: The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren, The Race of the Birkenbeiners by Lise Lunge-Larson
Week 6: The Making of a Knight by Patrick O'Brien, Knights by Stephanie Turnbull, Robin Hood by Neil Philip
Week 7: The Minstrel in the Tower by Gloria Skurzynski, Francis: The Poor Man of Assisi by Tomie dePaola, Canterbury Tales by Barbara Cohen
Week 8: Chanticleer and the Fox by Geoffrey Chaucer
Week 9: The Squire and the Scroll by Jennie Bishop, A Medieval Feast by Aliki
Week 10: Marguerite Makes a Book by Bruce Robertson, Johann Gutenberg and the Amazing Printing Press by Bruce Boscielniak
Week 11: Mario's Angels by Mary Arrigan, The Clown of God by Tomie dePaola, Leonardo's Horse by Jean Fritz, The Glorious Impossible by Madeleine L'Engle
Week 12: Columbus by Ingri and Edgar D'Aulaire
Week 13: Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges
Week 14: Broken Shields by Claudia Burr, Musicians of the Sun by Gerald McDermott
Week 15: Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World by Paul Maier
Other History:
Usborne's Medieval World
Famous Men of the Middle Ages
Story of the World, Volume 2
Mosque by David Macaulay
The Vikings by Jane Shuter
Vikings by Robert Nicholson
Castles by David Macaulay
You Wouldn't Want to be a Medieval Knight
See Inside Castles
You Wouldn't Want to be a Crusader
Who is Marco Polo?
The Mongols by Robert Nicholson
The Silk Route by John Major
Joan of Arc: Heroine of France by Ann Tompert
The Middle Ages by Jane Shuter
The Renaissance by Jane Shuter
Map and Mapping by Barbara Taylor
Explorers Who Got Lost by Diane Sansevere Dreher
Where Am I? by A.G. Smith
A 16th Century Galleon by Richard Humble
Free Reading:
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (Read Aloud)
The Children's Shakespeare by Edith Nesbit
Mid-morning snack
Around 11am every morning I get hungry and so I rummage for a snack while trying to keep Mr. 0 and Mr. 2 happy and the older boys moving along with school. One morning I remembered the energy balls my mom used to make and googled for it. While Mr. 0 was napping, Mr. 2 and I put them together. They were a big hit but I could taste the dry milk and decided there must be a better version. Here is my last attempt that turned out pretty well.
1 jar peanut butter (about 2 cups)
3 cups oatmeal (I used old fashioned as I was out of quick oats but quick oats work better)
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup honey
1 cup chocolate chips (actually about half a package - is that 1 cup?)
1/2 cup wheat germ (then I added some extra because they were too sticky but I didn't measure that)
Mix, make balls, refrigerate.
Starting the day right
I've noticed that the boys do much better if I make sure they eat some sort of protein in the morning before we start school. This means I had to convince Mr. 6 that breakfast was not 2-3 bowls of cereal (I ended up just not buying it any more because it wasn't worth the argument). So what do we eat? Oatmeal is a big favorite - especially baked oatmeal if I get up in time. Toast with peanut butter. Eggs with cheese (requires 2 hands and a bit of time which does not work many mornings). Avocado and cottage cheese on toast (if I remember to buy avocados). And my favorite, granola and yogurt. It really does make a difference - I have definitely experienced the cereal crash with Mr. 6 around 10:30am and this definitely helps.
Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal (from Lynns Kitchen Adventure - the pumpkin is also good)
3 cups quick cooking oats
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup applesauce
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 apples, peeled and chopped
Mix all ingredients together and stir well.
Place in a 9×13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal (from Lynns Kitchen Adventure - the pumpkin is also good)
3 cups quick cooking oats
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup applesauce
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 apples, peeled and chopped
Mix all ingredients together and stir well.
Place in a 9×13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Spring?
The temperature was in the 50s today so after quiet time we headed out for a walk to the library - taking the long route. Unfortunately Mr. 2 had just fallen asleep and did not sleep through the transfer to the stroller. Even exhausted and barely awake, he refused to sit in the stroller and immediately demanded to walk. So Mr. 2 trudged along behind as Mr. 6 and Mr. 8 ran ahead with our friend S to check out all the spots that might contain the villain C's secret base. Mr. 8 is convinced there must be tunnels under the path (he may have been influenced by the continual discovery of complex tunnels containing criminal organizations in the Hardy Boys - seriously, what kind of place is Bayport with all these criminals lurking around). And so each walk is a hunt for clues. They climbed trees to check if there were any secret entrances at the top and to see if they could see any henchmen nearby. They tried to big down at the base of a fallen tree to see if there was an entrance below. Mr. 6 had brought along a pocket knife and took samples along the way that they could analyze. Mr. 8 sported his headlamp and spy sunglasses that allow him to see behind him (luckily no one was tailing us).
Last weekend, the older boys ran to Target with me (not by choice of course - we were already out and I had to promise to use super speed to finish as quick as I could). Mr. 8 picked out a camo shirt and pants and even agreed to pay half the cost with his allowance. So now he has two favorite outfits - the all black of the ninja and the camo. Not exactly the fashion statement I would pick but he's happy. On Monday afternoon he wanted to go outside so he could lie in the grass undetected. It was to cold for me and the younger boys so we watched through the window as he lay face down in the back yard. He was a little difficult to spot!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)