Today's Snapshots

Trevor is the same person he was when he was just a little guy. I decided to put up a rough schedule last night and Trevor was so happy about it he gave me a hug. He loves routine and the predictability of a schedule. I like flexibility, but I also like to have some kind of goal. We'll probably be doing this from now on. There's a lot not included on the chart, and we did some other things instead of music today (read on), but just writing down the goals on the board helps as a visual for all of us.

Abigail has been doing an Eric Carle puzzle over and over lately. 

Conrad and Abigail wanted to fingerprint while Trevor did his history narrative in his notebook. It was a special lesson today because it happened to be about the birth of Christ.

Conrad's quote for today: "Mommy, you're supposed to cook beans, not do math with them." I love that boy. 

Trevor sighted a cardinal out the window and grabbed his binoculars, nature notebook, camera, crayons, and the bird cards that Grandma Arndt gave us (the ones she used as a child) and went out to birdwatch.

Conrad with the bird cards. These boys love to be together.

Afterward we read about cardinals. They eat fruit as well as seeds and insects. And they can have 2-3 broods per year! 

As Trevor was gathering his birdwatching gear, I reminded him that when he came back in we still had some school to do for the day, and he said, "Mom, this IS school." 

You are so right Trevor. Just the type of school we want around here. 

Solar Day!

See our family blog for details.

Piano and Pumpkin Pie

Some friends of ours gave us a piano and Conrad is so happy! He had a few lessons this summer and knows how to play some of his favorite Primary song, The Oxcart, which he has been playing frequently. He begged to be able to do music time first after chores this morning. It wasn't difficult to agree.

We read a very informative book about pumpkins this morning and Trevor wanted to go out and pick his two pumpkins right away. He carved the bigger one and wants to make pumpkin pie with the smaller one, and roast all of the seeds to eat. This has been a fun day already! 

I was so impressed with Trevor's diligence and patience staying with all his projects today. He roasted the pumpkin and made the filling. 

He made the filling AND the crust.

And my favorite part was at the end, when the pie was cooled and ready. Watching Trevor take a bite of pie--a pie that started with a pumpkin seed and a garden, weeding and watering, harvesting, reading a book about pumpkins that inspired him to make a dish that I'm pretty sure he's never even liked, and spending hours today making--there are just no words to express how happy his look of accomplishment made my mother heart feel. 

The book we read with the recipes was Pumpkins by Jacqueline Farmer. 

Anderson and Girls Orchard

Last week we took a day and spent it at the orchard. We miss our old Fall Harvest Orchard (which I just heard is being sold anyway!), but it was still a blast. This one was actually also a free petting zoo, which the kids loved. We met Emmy Lou and her kids there. I'm so happy Trevor and Conrad have at least one family of solid friendships here. It is really so much more difficult (for me) to do the social thing in a rural area! I honestly really dislike the initial formalities and small talk of making friends, but I'm trying to suffer through it for my kiddos. The homeschool group we're in has one main click, and the rest of the people we just see at activities every now and then. I'm trying to not be discouraged and to continue to just seek what's right in our family's education. The Lord has always sent me and our family what we need when we seek diligently for it, and I gave no reason to think differently now. But boy, is it ever hard to have patience! 

This was toward the end when the kids were hot and tired and thirsty. Poor Trevor! Playing is hard work!

Feeding the goats.

Art Prize 2014

At Art Prize 2014 in Grand Rapids with our friends from the Greenville homeschool group. Trevor and Conrad are third and fourth from the right in the first photo and far left in the second.

Below, we're stopping to eat lunch. Emmy Lou called before we started our walk through the city to say that she was very late and would try to meet the group for lunch. Who did we happen to see rounding the corner right into our group as we were making our way to our lunch spot? Emmy Lou and her kids!

Yarn art

Magnet Study

I was so excited to find a garage sale being put on by a teacher this weekend. I picked up tons of materials and books and she only charged me $10 for all of it! One thing I picked up was a magnet lab. The boys have been begging to start it and we finally did today.

I had Trevor start a notebook and it reminded me of my AP Bio notebook (which, yes, I still have). It makes me all tingly thinking about it. We really love science here, and learning about the world around us and how things work.