Writing

I just looked through some of these posts. I hadn't realized that I had written so much. I'm glad I did. Now I just need to do even more and include more pictures. I liked reading some of the posts, remembering when the kids were younger, and realizing that sometimes I can actually write in an engaging way. Need to do more. Need to share more. The kids are even older and will continue to move onward and upward in their lives. I have mixed feelings about that. I will be forever grateful that I've had a chance to be a part of their childhoods. We were part of a charter school where I was in their classes each week and then we started homeschooling. I don't really want any of that to end.

More to Come

I'm going to start putting more on this blog. I have other blogs - but, want to keep some of the things about the kids in one spot. I'm a little nervous to just put them places where more people that I don't know might see them. This one will be a little more controlled. I know - it's the internet and there are not guarantees. It's probably mostly psychological. I still feel better about it this way. It'll help me sleep better at night. Maybe it's just the 'mama bear' in me. I don't want to purposely just put my kids out there.
We'll see what happens. I keep thinking I really am going to do more with my blogs. So, this time...it's for real.

Sneak Peak

I was getting journals out for the kids. I was too tempted and had to skim through a bit of what they wrote/drew. I was touched by things that they remembered and how their perspective is different than mine. I'm glad they are who they are. My interests might be different than theirs - but, somehow we are blessed to all be part of the same family.
It was interesting to see what they feel are priorities and how that affects what they perceive and remember. I'm glad there were things about where we went and people we've been able to spend time with over the past few months.
I love my kids.
One other thing that intrigued me was how the personalities showed. Jonny was the only one that mentioned their dad's cancer. All of them mentioned extended family and places we've gone. Jacob mentioned something he's interested in that I don't understand. (It's D&D - I don't understand the game or the interest in it. I guess I better get on board for his sake.) Megan drew details of the place we stayed in while we were at Disneyland. I didn't realize she drew so much of it. Rachel's was cute with her handwriting - it's gotten better over the last couple of months. She also drew pictures. The girls mentioned friends more than the boys did. Jonny also mentioned his calling - that was touching to me. So, there you have it - a blog post about things I wasn't even supposed to read in the first place.

Thankful

Today we each said something we were thankful for as we were eating dinner. Rachel came up with the idea, so we went with it. She said that she was thankful for Heavenly Father. Layne mentioned that he was grateful for Christ...and that he married me. (He has to throw things like that in every once in a while.) Megan said that she was thankful for clothes...Jonny said something about the beans we were eating.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear Jacob state that he was grateful for seminary. I was surprised because most of his comments about seminary have something to do with how he has to get up early so he can be there for class to start at 7 (on the dot). It was a pleasant thing to hear because he said that he thought it was fun. And, I think it's a good place for him to be. We usually talk about what was discussed in class while we're driving home. I'm glad it's been a good experience for him so far.

Race to the Moon

The kids and I went to the play, 'Race to the Moon' this morning. It was great. I loved that we were able to be entertained and learn all at the same time. We've been talking this month about the performing arts. So, it was perfect timing for attending a play. (Thanks to the homeschool mom that coordinated so we could all go. Bless you.) I had them watch for the performers facing the audience and enunciating their words. It was fun to hear them talk about it after. They had some opinions about it because we were in a theatre that had seats around three sides of the stage. 

We had also discussed historically what the race to the moon was and how events played out. I had them watch for some of those things too. I think they learned more about that subject as it was presented in the play. I was glad. It's interesting how with homeschool - some of the 'scope and sequence' from a typical public school gets mixed up a bit. I'm not sure when or if this particular competition between Russia and the USA is covered - but, I do know that there probably aren't many 1st and 3rd graders that know much about it. I also know that 7th and 8th graders can understand it pretty well. (We'll be covering it again later as we move along the timeline we're doing for history.)

It was nice to spend the morning enjoying the kids and seeing a fun performance - with other homeschoolers and for an inexpensive price.

We saw some school busses on our way over and predicted that they were on their way to a field trip. I'm really glad that our kids have had more chances than just the end of the school year to get out and experience life outside a classroom. 

Dinnertime Miracles

It was about a half hour before dinner time and I was not even in the kitchen. I'm not sure Layne knew that, but he sent the boys to ask what they could do to help. I told them I didn't even know what we were going to have and if they would figure something out and fix it that would be great. The odd part was - they did! I was so grateful. There were no complaints or comments about never asking again...just a 12 and 14 year old heading to the kitchen. I think they considered it their excuse to have pizza. They pulled a couple of frozen ones out of the fridge and did some veggies. Dinner was fixed with basically no help from me. Jonny also commented about how there would be less to clean up (not much in the way of pans/prep dishes). It wasn't gourmet - but, it did the job and we're on to other evening happenings. Hooray for capable and willing children!

The Painting

We went to a performance the other night. During intermission we were out in the lobby looking at a painting. I asked the kids (Rachel, Megan, and their cousin Kate) some questions about it. Things such as what they thought the picture was about and what was their opinion of it? Why did the artist use those colors? What message do you think the artist wants us to get from this work of art? (OK, so I might not have gotten to that one.) One of the questions led to a discussion about the large sun in the painting and the fact that the person depicted was not really that close to the sun. I asked them why they thought that. Kate made the obvious statement that you can't get that close to it because it was too hot. The way she said it also let us know that her six year old brain knew that was an obvious answer and that I should have been able to figure that out without asking them. I almost laughed out loud. But, I didn't (although, her father did). Sometimes things like that happen and you can have even more fun with it. So, I asked if they could think of any other reasons. (I also like to extend ideas whenever possible.) Megan came up with the idea that the sun is made of gasses and they could hurt you if you got too close. Kind of fun to explore the mind of a child. Kind of fun to learn/be reminded of what you know in an everyday setting. After all, I think most of what we learn is applied in an everyday setting anyway. So, we might as well learn it that way. I also think it's fun to find out what my kids know by the ever probing question. Wouldn't it be a great world if everyone kept questioning enough for us to continually be learning?