first and last day at Byrnes pool this summer

I'm not sure why we didn't get to this pool more.  (maybe because we were gone so much this summer!?)  Kids were begging to go once and I had to call and find out when it closed.  The last week it was open, we went on that Friday, Aug 21.  It was a perfect sunny day and everyone enjoyed the 3 hours spent there.

Violet was all over the pool.  Calvin could now touch up to the rope that separates the rest of the pool and the deep end.  Both Violet and Calvin independently went down the slide many times.  The walk up the steps is very cold and windy.

Vanessa could touch in parts of the main pool area, but I still made her wear her life jacket on "the other side of the rope" which separated the baby area from the main pool.  Eli was ... how do I even describe him...CRAZY.  He wanted to swim with no life jacket so he needed constant supervision.  He wanted to go in the deep part where he couldn't touch so I held him and he wanted to push himself to the bottom of the pool and shoot himself up and have me catch him.  Again, again! he yelled.

There was a 15 minute adult swim in the middle of the day so I "splurged" and got each kid a treat from the vending machine.  Calvin and Violet snickers bars, and Vanessa licorice cherry bites, and Eli peanut m&ms.

Calvin told me it was the best day ever!

creative kiddos

Calvin and Violet had a couple hours to play outside a couple days ago and found that the long dead "sticks" that were poking out of the orange tiger lily plants were perfect for picking and laying out in the grass to form paths and sidewalks all over the lawn.  They only picked the dead ones, and Calvin exclaimed, "we're helping you AND playing at the same time!" haha.

Iowa State Fair 2015

This was a first for our family!  We explored the fairgrounds at the Iowa State Fair on August 22.  Rachel invited us and treated us to a lot of things - meals, tickets to shows, etc.  The crowds were thick, and it was tough to keep track of everybody, but there was lots of fun mixed in!  

highlights:

- "Crazy Mouse" spinning roller coaster ride that Rachel, Violet, Calvin and I went on.  Lots of spins, turns, and screams.  Rachel said her brain was shaking after the ride.  

- Eli and Vanessa, who were too small to go on the roller coaster, got turns on the trampolines.  They both had huge smiles and enjoyed that.

- watching Calvin's face as he viewed a cow giving birth on a video screen ("DOES THAT HURT!!?!??!")

- Red Trouser comedy show 

- gyros and corn dogs for lunch

- cotton candy! (Eli didn't like it, Rachel got him some salt water taffy candy instead)

- seeing the award for the weirdest vegetables, the twisty carrot looked a lot like something that came out of our garden last year.

- life size cow made of butter

- riding the sky glider!

- strawberry smoothies!

- eating dinner at the mexican restaurant on the way out of town.  Thanks to the app "Yelp" for helping us find it.

Calvin and I on the "sky glider"!  Don't lose your flip flops!

A dream come true for Vanessa - her own cotton candy ON A STICK

Vanessa jumping!

Eli jumping!

First day of homeschool work 2015

This scene looks all too perfect.  There have been great moments, like when Calvin can not wait to snuggle up with me and have me read to him for his history storytime.  And when Vanessa sounded out letters and read words like "cot, cat, rat, mom, dad, am, and sam" and learns how to appropriately write her letters a, g, d, starting with the top, not the bottom.  Vanessa had a devotional book I read to her which explain a verse that started with the letter "A" - "A soft answer turns away wrath", and went through a scenario where a child was angry and a soft word calmed the situation.  She now reminds me to say soft words if she notices me getting upset, haha.  Its so funny and annoying at the same time.

Calvin built a lego boat today (Saturday morning! on his own) to illustrate how the spanish explorers would have had a better experience on the sea.

There have been stressful moments - like when three kids say "mom! what's next!" or "I need help!" all at once.

But so far, we've gone through 4 days of schoolwork in a week.  Calvin's math is too easy so I'm ordering him the next book up.  Violet likes all her stuff!  Her history focus is an overview of creation to now, the "big" events and will build a timeline through the year that covers spans of what happens in each 1000 year period.
Calvin's history focus is early american history, 1500-1900.  I'm reading him a biography about William Henry Harrison which he looks forward to every day.  He puts his blue blanket on the chair in the piano room and says "this is our reading spot!"  He's studying a poem called "The Storm" which correlates the idea that storms happened on the sea when the pioneers were exploring new lands.  His verse is Psalm 4:8 which reminds us that the explorers trusted God to keep them safe.

They've gotten to do some science experiments and learn how blubber keeps whales warm way deep in the water by spreading shortening on one finger and putting it under cold water, and the covered finger felt warmer.  Lots of "ews" and "whoaaa that works".

Kids each have a Bible devotion or Bible study worked into their daily work, and the lessons all tie together.

And much more.  Violet's work takes 5 or so hours to get through, Calvin's takes approximately 3 hrs, and Vanessa's takes about 45 minutes.  I'm working on what works.  It may take me a few weeks to settle.  But so far the kids seem to love what they're doing and overall enjoy "being at home".

Viewing Western Home construction with Mama Row

Mama Row was pretty excited to have the kids come visit and see the construction for the Western Home expansion!  We saw a guy there with his drone video camera who sent it up flying in the air to record the progress.  He let the kids look at it and he flew it up as high as he could go (165 feet) and showed the kids the video camera.  The trucks were digging, dumping, and bulldozing - a classic scene that looked like it came right out of a children's book.

She invited us all over for cranberry/nut cookies and mango smoothies!

This toy.  Favorite of all time at Mama Row's house!

Eli is starting preschool! (preK open house photos)

The last "first" for us - our littlest, Eli, is starting preschool on Tuesday, Aug 25.  I took him and the other kids to visit his classroom open house and deliver all his school supplies.  He loved the classroom!  He was attracted to the trains and the fish.

He had a hard time letting go of the watercolor paint set we brought for a school supply.  We'd just shopped for them that morning and he held the watercolor paint set during the whole trip to Walmart and he knew they were for his school.  He was pretty concerned when we had to put the paints and all the rest of the preK school supplies on the table at drop off that night.

I did let him use the watercolors to paint something when we got home that evening so he could use watercolor paints.  He created something worth saving too, so that was fun.

His teacher this year is Mrs. Blough who has been a teacher there since 2009.  She's seen our kids in and out of the preK for years and Eli is the first in our family she gets to teach so she's super excited!

he had to let go of those paints, the hardest part of the night

there is a fishy in there.  He noted the mesh over the top of the tank and said "can I touch the jump-o-line?"

He found his name!  Eli seems to be a popular name among his age group so I'm glad he's the only one in the class.

trains! He sometimes calls them "ding dings".

and he's in love...trucks galore...

Dena Blough and Eli

found his name by a hook for his backpack

painting at home with things we had at home - he loved this part

Boogers

Dad (to Eli): Eli, don't put legos in your mouth.
Eli: I'm not putting legos in my mouf, I'm putting boogers in my mouf!

oh Eli.

School at HOME!

God did it.  He changed my heart.  He's leading me by faith and has created in me an excitement to do this!

Feels like I've stepped off a cliff, but I'm gaining footing.  I've talked to a lot of other moms/dads and families who do this thing called "homeschooling" and I've realized the enormous support there is and how surprisingly common this is around here.  

The thing that made me realize it was the right thing to do was not enrolling the kids in Waterloo Christian gave me the biggest sense of relief.  I'm not saying this is my forever school decision.  It is for this year, and if we like it, we'll continue.  No more painful early grumpy mornings, frantic lunch packing, fundraising, and dealing with school-kid-friend-drama, and the circus that we used to call the school year will come to a pace that we control.  Sure, I'll get less "me" time.  I can say honestly that I do worry I'll get overwhelmed.  But Dave is so sweet and sensitive to this, and understands I'll need to exit the scene when necessary and hang up my "mom hat" for the time I need it.

We told the kids a few weeks ago and Calvin jumped in my arms and was the most excited.  Violet's initial reaction was that she might miss her friends and wanted to go back for "specials" which would be music and gym, but that isn't the plan right now.  Vanessa didn't seem to really grasp it but she mentioned she wanted to go to Violet and Calvin's school.  I guess I'm a little sad she isn't going to get the Miss Smits K experience but that's OK.  She doesn't even know what she's missing.  And I think she might gain the most benefit from the get-go with school at home because she seems the be the most affected by peers.  She's extremely social and can make friends with anybody so I just wonder if people might distract her from "going to school".  Calvin is my home-body and is the most excited.

So Google became my best friend - and I began researching and reaching out.  I joined a facebook group of Cedar Valley homeschoolers.  I asked others about curriculum and "how-does-this-teaching-multiple-kids-thing-work" and stumbled across a suggestion for a publisher called Heart of Dakota.  Christ centered, every daily lesson in all areas of study planned out for me and explained in detail "what mom does", and really amazing books.  The curriculum is based on the Charlotte Mason method "doing fewer things better" and can be summed up in this I found on her way of thinking: 

"Living Books: Probably the best known of Mason's methods is her use of living books for every subject possible instead of dry, factual textbooks or books that are 'written down' to children. Rather than books written by committee, as most textbooks are, living books are usually written by one person with a passion for the topic and a broad command of the language as well as the ability to write in an engaging, literary style while communicating great ideas rather than mere facts. The size of the book is not as important as the content and style- it should be alive and engaging.^{" (this quote found on Wikipedia)}

The curriculum is literature-based and tells stories of history, rather than dry facts.  I am praying this will be a blessing to our family and we can learn on our own schedule and hopefully add in some really fun "extras" on the way.  I like how the history lessons wrap in Bible history so it is all one subject, not Bible here and history over there, since the Bible is a historial book as well, I like how they're combined.

I got a tip from another mom that her absolute favorite thing about doing school at home with kids is that she can "seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness..." WITH THE FAMILY and the rest is added as God will use the chosen school materials in a way that the kids need to learn through the rest of the day.  

Eli will still go to OHCP for 2.5 hrs twice a week, and the days he is at home, he'll share working on the Little Hands to Heaven guidebook with Vanessa, whatever he is able to pick up, but I wanted something they could do together.  I got 3 extra books for Vanessa to go through that help her progress in handwriting, math, and reading.

If you want to look at their books, their website describes them.

Violet - Preparing Hearts for His Glory

Calvin - Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory

Vanessa (and Eli) - Little Hands to Heaven with kindergarten extension books pulled from Little Hearts for His Glory

So here we go! I'd love prayers for how to work out my daily schedule.  Working out kinks can be frustrating but we'll figure it out.

Vanessa gets a much needed hair cut

Before - I can't believe how LONG it was!

after

My little girl with her head in the clouds, or rather, under the sea.  She wishes she was a mermaid.  This long curly hair is so beautiful, but it is so hard to take care of it.  It only looks best about 20 minutes after her bath when it dries nicely with it all combed out and curled up.  One night and it is all over, and she wakes up and it is everywhere.  Tangled, in knots, and what ends up happening to it is an effort on my part to "keep it in place" which meant a small rubber band holding the top half to the side and a pony tail, bun, or braid for the rest.  Then the little fuzzy short hairs near the top of her head escape and she looks like she's stuck her finger in a light socket.

I was giving Eli a haircut (and the reason for his was when I noticed a tangled chunk of hair sticking straight out horizontal from his head) and thought I'd give Vanessa a trim too.  After swimming for hours one day at home, I knew it was all tangled up.  I had her get out of the pool so I could comb it out, but what convinced me it was time for a trim was a golf-ball size mass of tangles that I tried for 30 minutes to carefully untangle.  That method was clearly not working.  I had her stand outside in her swimsuit with a hose with warm water and I shampooed and conditioned her hair outside.  Washed it, rinsed it, and then smeared so much conditioner in it I felt like her head and my hands were all one big slime ball.  It worked though.  I used my fingers to pull hairs free of this tangled mass and eventually got it straightened out.  The above "before" pic with her hair all wet was after detangling it.

I cut about 4-5 inches off, and it sprung back up into curls.  She was initially disappointed it wasn't long but I told her it looks like Sofia the princess she loves and she felt better.