:: Had a wonderful, sunny weekend (last weekend). Saturday: Yard work. House work. BBQ with friends. Sunday: A drive south. How to Train Your Dragon in 3D (what fun!) with the boys. A new wardrobe for me. Dinner out. Drive home and crash.
:: Our family attended a Classical Conversations Mock Day on Monday evening. A new group is starting this next year in Albany. All three boys are registered, and I'm stoked. More details later...
:: Food for thought: Plan B: Skip College (NYTimes). But are 'our 11-year-olds, in fact, less “intelligent” than their counterparts of 30 years ago?' (TimesOnline) (The second is an older article, but relevant and fascinating, nonetheless.)
:: My sister and I decided that Casey deliberately handed the finals to Crystal and Lee with his song OK, It's Alright With Me. 'It never comes easily, and when it does I'm already gone.' He had his spectacular homecoming, and now he wants to get away without having his life dictated by AI. And without having to sing (or record) an asinine 'Here is my moment' song. Or maybe it was lucky rather than deliberate... Lee hit it out of the park this week (one has to feel he was set up for that, ahem), and I think he'd benefit the most from AI guidance as he doesn't have much confidence and looks like he wants to throw up after each performance.... (Don't get me wrong, I do like him and thought Simple Man in particular was awesome.) Crystal is ready to do her own thing. Finale next week, and then I can have my life back. At least for one week until LIE TO ME returns...
:: Our family is watching Liberty's Kids (all 40 episodes available through Netflix Instant Streaming!!!!) and enjoying this site with corresponding fun and games. What a fun and painless way to absorb American history at the time of the Revolution. (Thanks for reminding me, Elaine!)
:: 'Tis true. The whole family tagged along for the 20 week prenatal ultrasound. Leif gets his baby girl. (This is 'his' baby, and he has requested a baby 'gril' with a blue dress.) Then I went shopping. Grin. It looks like we won't be using the name Lachlan John (but I've waited over ten years to use my most favorite girl name in the whole world...).
Did you notice that I blogged *every day this week*? It's been a while since I managed that...
How was your week?
Great shot of the rooster. He needs to be charming to wake you at 5 and not be dinner.
ReplyDeleteDarryl and Ruth : )
What a pretty rooster he is! :)
ReplyDeleteClassical Conversations...looking forward to hearing more. We have one that meets at a church 1/2 mile from our house. A good friend of mine did it with her 10yo boy and 8yo girl this last year and loved it. I've been thinking it would be a good fit for us starting with 4th grade (not this fall but next), but I'd love to hear your thoughts.
I agree with your assessment of AI. We've enjoyed Lie To Me as well. My summer show is So You Think You Can Dance! :)
Yay for Liberty's Kids!
E
Elaine~ I'll definitely be posting more about CC, particularly as we get into it next fall. I think it will be perfect for the boys this year. We don't really have any other activities/classes that we're involved in, and I really like the idea of having a consistent group of kids (and adults) to spend time with each week. We are also planning on taking it pretty easy until after Christmas, so I like that we'll have something for them to work on that isn't quite so overwhelming for me. My mom has volunteered to take the boys all fall if I'm so inclined, and we'll enjoy having the CD of memory work to listen to all week. I'm particularly excited that my best friend (with her two children) and my sister (and kiddos) will also be there! More later....
ReplyDeleteThe articles you listed were very interesting and raise questions that we constantly think about as homeschool parents. What really makes a child "successful" and what is "real education"?
ReplyDeleteGood Stuff!
Classical conversations is wonderful-
ReplyDeletesandy toe
I finally got my chickies this year but one of them looks to be a rooster [hasn't gotten old enough to crow which finalizes the decision] and we're not allowed to have roosters where we live so we're planning a homegrown chicken bbq night ;)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the girl especially to Leif. I am having a girl after two boys and they are sooo excited about being the princess's knights.
Now off to read the food for thoughts...
Okay Heidi,
ReplyDeleteFirst, congratulations on pink. I still think probability is 50/50 each time! Second, I, too, am stoked about CC and also about seeing you guys a little more regularly. Third, and maybe most importantly, GO LEE! LEE ALL THE WAY, YEAH! It's starting to be a toss up for who I like to listen to more, Lee or David.
Christina
I thought the new "baby girl" is scheduled to be Levi's??? Isn't he the one who wanted one so badly? Now you say its Leif's? I predict some fights over whose she is. I'm so glad for all of them and you too. Grandma
ReplyDeleteGrandma~ Well, Luke was 'Levi's' baby and Leif was 'Luke's' baby, so this one is 'Leif's'. :) Levi, strangely enough, had decided he'd rather have a boy. I suspect it was because he wanted even more boys along on their boys' camping trip, but he is adjusting pretty quickly to the idea of a baby sister. Leif has wanted a baby 'gril' ever since he sat by Ivy during the Easter church service and held her hand. She was wearing a blue dress that he thought was wonderful, so when we talked about 'his' baby, he said he wanted a baby 'gril' with a blue dress.... and that's what he has wanted ever since. :) Miss you!
ReplyDeleteWe have a CC starting up here next year. I hope it works great for your family. I knew it was not going to work with my monkeys. But I have heard great things about it.
ReplyDeleteAND LOVE THE ROOSTER