Ilex

My niece, Ilex, turns 14 today. Happy birthday, Girl!

(My sister, Shannon, and my mom and dad collaborated to create the framed picture above.

It is a sign for Ilex's chicken coop. {Grin.} Only in our family....)

Field Trip #16: Wings of Wonder

Field Trip #16: Wings of Wonder Butterfly Farm

After many recent stormy days, we had a gorgeous blue-sky afternoon with our best friends enjoying the butterfly exhibit.

Field Trip #15: Shakespeare

Double feature Shakespeare by a local Christian homeschooling group:

Henry V and Taming of the Shrew.

Abridged performances with narration helping the story along are just the ticket for younger audiences. I love getting a taste of a tragedy or history and a comedy in the same evening.

Levi and I had front row seats. Excellent, excellent performances, as always. This was our 4th year attending!

Field Trip #14: African Acrobats

This was the last of the Children's Performing Arts series this season.

Life

The nesting instinct must be kicking in. Between early pregnancy nausea and fatigue and the BLACK background, I was having a hard time getting inspired here at Mt. Hope Chronicles. If I had the choice between blogging or sleep, sleep always won. I apologize for the scant number of posts in the past couple months, but my energy and positive attitude (and appetite) are finally starting to return. Look for more activity around here in the days, weeks, and months to come.

So, the biggest news: I'm about 14 weeks pregnant with #4 (for those who didn't catch the hint at the bottom of the open house post). I'm positive God knows what He is doing, even if I can't see the big picture some days. The boys are ecstatic to be getting a new sibling. We'll find out (I hope) in 6 weeks whether we're adding a girl or boy, but statistically we're likely to have another boy. I'm in for it....

In my sketchy absence, I totally missed my 3rd blog anniversary in February. Three years of Mt. Hope Chronicles. Good grief. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started this adventure. Above is a picture of Leif posted in that first month of blogging. He was 6 months old (I'm starting to get baby fever!!). Below is a current picture of my littlest guy. Yeah, he's changed a bit. And he's going to be a big brother in less that 6 months!

So, with each blog anniversary that has passed, I've made little changes to 'the look' around here. There is a little less time to be messing around with aesthetics at the moment, but you might see a few more small changes over the next short while.

You might also have noticed that my Saturday Seven diligence accountability posts have dropped off the face of the earth. I had no idea I was heading into pregnancy when I set myself up. Sigh. I will say that my sister and I have been walking (or exercising indoors in inclement weather) consistently (usually 5 days a week!) all of this time. I'm REALLY proud of us.

Lessons with the boys have been tough, but we're hanging in there. I have quite a few catch-up posts in the works. Reading (both daily and intentional reading) has gone the way of blogging: if it's a choice between reading or sleeping, I choose sleeping. I've managed to finish up a few books, though, and need to post reviews. We missed family night at the pool for several weeks due to unavoidable conflicts, but we made it back last night and enjoyed ourselves.

Hmmm. What am I missing? I guess I'll leave it at that, for now, and try to pick up the pace around here. This blog serves as a family journal, of sorts, and I miss documenting the little things that make up a full, lovely life.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Science: Time for Chemistry

Christian Kids Explore Chemistry

We are on our third year of the Christian Kids Explore Science Series. We've completed Biology and Space and Earth Science. Now we're moving on to Chemistry.

These books are in the perfect format for our family. Narrative style lessons, vocabulary words and definitions in the margins, review questions at the end of each lesson, and coordinating hands-on activities (with more simple alternatives for younger children). Each unit also has wrap-up review questions. The appendix offers coloring pages, additional resource lists (books, science kits, biographies and list of notable chemists to research), and answer keys.

I appreciate how flexible this book is for our studies. Our study method is very similar to the way we approach history with The Story of the World. We read all the lessons and review orally. We use science vocabulary for handwriting copy work. We complete some of the activities. We often use related science DVDs and books during the week.

You can use this science series with a broad range of ages, expecting more rigorous work depending on the student.

DK Eyewitness Chemistry

Exploring the World of Chemistry: From Ancient Metals to High-Speed Computers

Bill Nye the Science Guy DVDs

Marie Curie's Search for Radium

Basher The Periodic Table: Elements with Style!

The Periodic Table of Videos

Easter

Luke's Drama

It's Dramatic B&W week at i heart faces.

I couldn't resist.

Come On In!

It's been a looooong time since I've invited you all in for a tour.
I figured that I should take advantage of the one time all year that my house will be clean and take photos.
(Ignore the grainy photos (forgot to fix the ISO) and bad lighting. I was lazy.)

Not much has changed since the last time, but come on in and make yourself at home.

Above is the view from the front door.
The French doors head into the school room. (Pictures of that another day...)

Below is the living room view from the front door.
You can see the hallway on the left. We'll head down there a little later.

Below is the living room view from the fireplace/French doors.

Looking back towards the front door:

The messy view from the piano:

Heading into the kitchen:

(Door on the left leads to the mudroom:)

Dining nook (there is a window seat in the bay window):

(Curtain to the right leads to a laundry nook:)

Looking back towards the dining nook and living room:

The hallway (I promised you we'd get there). Our bedroom is straight ahead:

(The attic room used to be a playroom, but right now it is the 'point of no return' so we won't risk our lives going up there.)

(The one and only) bathroom:

The master bedroom (nothing master about it...):

Heading into the boys' bedroom:

(Have you noticed the lack of storage, yet?)

So, there you have it: Our Spacious Home.

And the burning question: Where on earth are we going to put baby #4?

Educational Goals for the Whole Child

Have you ever just sat and gazed at your child, wondering: Who is this person? What is she feeling? What is he thinking? What moves her? What does he aspire to be?

After researching, dreaming, and planning my children’s education even before they were born, I have found it to be a fundamental shift in my parenting life as I realize that their education isn’t about me.

The boys I am raising and teaching are individual people. Children who have their own thoughts and desires.

These children in our care will become adults with their own lives.

I'm over at Simple Homeschool, today. Head on over to read the rest.

Look! I'm Still Alive!

Well, I guess this is only proof that Leif is still alive, but still.....

And while I'm at it, I'd like to tell you what a joy this little boy is.
Affectionate, smart, playful, cheerful, observant, outgoing, adventurous, and just. plain. fun.

He loves people in general, but when he puts his hands on my cheeks and says, 'You're my best mommy,' by golly this heart melts.

Social Studies 101

Or, 'Why on earth would you skip history to fit in 'The Fireman is Your Friend' lessons,

when your kids will spend hours pouring over these books anyway.'

Or, 'Why I love Sonlight.'

Or, 'Kindergarten = Reading, Writing, Counting, (a library card) and These Books'

People by Peter Spier

What can I say about this book that will tell you how much I love it? The illustrations are worth pouring over for hours and hours. People in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Clothing, hobbies, homes, sports, feasts and holidays, pets, foods, religions, languages... from all over the world. Scotland, West Africa, Indonesia, Pakistan, Arabia, Caribbean, South America, Holland, and more.

What Do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry

My youngest two boys have logged more hours on this book than I can count. The building of a home fascinates Luke. Beginning with an empty lot, and moving on through various stages, the book shows the bare bones of a house, with hot water pipes, cold water pipes, dirty water pipes, furnace and air ducts, electrical wires, and more. The firemen pages are his other favorites.

Learn how the mail system works, visit a hospital, travel by train, follow a seed from farm to grocery store to a home to a home garden, find out the many ways we use wood, build a new road, go on a ship voyage, and watch wheat turn into bread. These pages are packed with simple step by step stories, detailed (and labeled) illustrations, and entertaining characters.

This book is invaluable for keeping young children quiet.

Want to add in science (including the calendar, holidays, weather, and seasons)?

The Berenstain Bears' Big Book of Science and Nature

All three boys are mesmerized by this book, as well. I am astounded by how much information is packed in these pages. After the almanac, we learn about animals (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects), plants (trees, cactus, algae, ferns, moss, mold, fungus, and carnivorous plants), and the earth (topography: plains, deserts, caves, hills, valleys, dune, marsh, inlet, bay...). Then we move on to machines and how they work, the science of matter, energy, projects and experiments, and things to make and do.... Highly entertaining with fully illustrated pages.

A Few More Engagement Photos...

Saturday Seven

2010 ~ Week 9

{1} Days Walked/Ran: 0

(Russ was gone all week...)

{2} Dr. Peppers Consumed: 1

{3} It was a bit of a rough week with Russ gone on a business trip, but we survived.
My sister, Shannon, and I managed a girls' night out at our favorite theater to see When In Rome.
I don't know the last time I've laughed so hard. The movie got terrible reviews, so maybe I just really needed to laugh.

At the very least, it was a refreshing change to watch a romantic comedy that didn't go for the raunchy jokes.

(Thanks, Mom and Dad, for letting the boys come over for a movie night!!)
My sister, Holly, and I (and the kids) met up at our favorite nature hike location for a wonderful time of walking and enjoying fresh air on Friday afternoon.

Russ returned home this morning at 3 am. He got in a few hours of sleep and then took us all to my favorite (sentimental) donut shop

and to the last event of the Children's Performing Arts Series: African Acrobats.

The boys have played like crazy outside in this lovely weather, and we're headed to my parents' house for pizza.
Not bad.

{4} Daily Reading (Bible, A Year With C.S. Lewis, Intellectual Devotional): Still plugging along.

{5} Days of Math with Levi: A couple. Yeah, not such a good week.

Dad gone and Levi and Leif both sick. That's my excuse. Next week we'll make up for it.

{6} Intentional Reading:

Finished The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma. Read The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf (Gerald Morris) cover to cover.

Headed into Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz for book club this month in honor of Easter. This one is a book with a capital B. Whew.

I really need to catch up on book reviews.

{7} No pool. Again.

I just can't manage all 3 boys at the pool by myself. (Can you hear the whining?)

Give thanks for what you are now,

and keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow.

~Fernanda Miramontes-Landeros

Spelling: It's a Good Thing

Spelling. We had to do something.

A year ago (or so) we started in on Spelling Workout. It just felt like busy work book stuff, a waste of time.
I dropped it, and decided to wait on spelling.

After hearing Andrew Pudewa speak and watching his Spelling and the Brain DVD,
I wanted to try Phonetic Zoo, but there were three things holding me back:

I believe it is geared toward 3rd grade and up, it is done independently by the student (not Levi's forte),
and it is not inexpensive. So we waited.

I had it in the back of my mind that Andrew Pudewa had mentioned that Sequential Spelling was similar in theory (I could be wrong about that, certainly don't quote me).
I checked out their web site, where conveniently they have the first eight lessons available for download.
Levi and I got down to business, and it was an immediate fit for us. And it didn't break the budget. Perfect.