This week's plans ...

Want a peek at what we have planned this week? 

• Finish up our St. Francis study with St. Francis and the Proud Crow
• Make bird feeders (pine cones, peanut butter and bird seed)
• Finish copying St. Francis poem into Main Lesson Book (the Hippie)
• Look back over our work with St. Francis and admire ... 
• Continue working with addition facts (the Hippie)
• Finish reading Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling (Mon, Tues & Wed)
• Read "How do Apples Grow?" & complete Nature Notebook
• Read "Johnny Appleseed" poem & copy a line or two into Nature Notebook
• Continue reading (and possibly finish) Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
• Continue 15 minute daily reading lessons with the Princess
• Model, mosaic and practice writing the letter "A" (the Princess)
• Monet Picture Study (this week ~ Red Boats .. last week was Evening Flower)
• Read and narrate Monet's Impressions

We are doing "lessons" on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  On Thursday we are going blueberry picking and having a picnic with a new homeschool group we've met.  Well, we've met one family, we'll meet the others this week.  We're really looking forward to making some new friends.  Thursday night is also our Recognition Night at the homeschool co-op that we've done all year.  That should be fun!

All of that will make for some tired kids and Momma by Friday, so I've planned no lessons for that day.  But, we will be hitting all my grocery stores that day, so it'll be a long one.  Call me crazy (I don't mind, really), but I go to several different places for different things ~ Whole Foods for some stuff, Native Sun for some, possibly Winn Dixie, Publix and Wal-mart.  I try to get what's on sale at each place, and there are some things I can only get at Whole Foods or Native Sun (organic, health foods).  

I think Saturday we will have to just relax for a change!  

Have a great week.  Many blessings to you and yours ...

"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men."

  ~St. Francis of Assisi

As you know, we've been working with St. Francis lately.  I have to say, I think he was just plain awesome.  A 12th/13th century version of the modern day hippie that is ME.   He loved God.  He loved animals.  He loved nature.  He loved peace.  He was honest and good.  He did not value worldly things.  He taught us to give thanks to God, and God alone for all that He has given us.  I think St. Francis rocked!  

A day in the life ...

Whew.  

What a DAY Friday was.

I couldn't make this up if I tried.

I wanted to share it with you immediately, but it totally and completely drained me ~ physically and mentally.  By the end of it, there was no "writing" left in me.  Of course, by now, I can't remember all the details, but let me try to share some of what I can remember. 

School Daze ...

What have you been up to in school these days?  

We have been moving along and enjoying ourselves.  I think I've finally gotten the right materials (for the most part) and am finally finding my groove with just letting things flow ... do the next thing ... no worries about schedules and where we should be and stuff like that ... just being.  So, what have we been doing?  Well, I generally separate my activities into three categories:  "As a FAMILY" (all three of us), "The Hippie" (Grade 2) and "The Princess" (Kindergarten).  Here's what we've been up to lately.

Rules for a Happy Marriage ...

We have had this posted on our refrigerator for eleven years now ...

Rules for a Happy Marriage

1.  Never both be angry at the same time.

2.  Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire.

3.  If one of you has to win an argument, let it be your mate.

4.  If you have to criticize, do it lovingly.

5.  Never bring up mistakes of the past.

6.  Neglect the whole world rather than each other.

7.  Never go to sleep with an argument unsettled.

8.  At least once every day try to say one kind or complimentary thing to your life's partner.

9.  When you have done something wrong, be ready to admit and ask for forgiveness.

10.  It takes two to make a quarrel, and the one in the wrong is the one who does the most talking.

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Near perfect school day ...

I've had an epiphany.  

It's quite simple, really. 

Obvious.  

But, since it would require change from me, I was blind to it before today.  Well, I probably wasn't really blind to it, persay, more like "selective sight".  

What was this grand light bulb that went off today?  Ready for it?  Here it is:

The path to a (near) perfect school day starts with Momma.  It starts with me not turning the computer on at all until school is over.  It starts with me getting up at 6:30 and focusing on me before the girls are even up.  It starts with me being fully planned and prepared.  

What we're up to these days ...

Well, as usual, it's been a minute since I've blogged.  For some reason, kindergarten and second grade have the ability to completely drain my 34 year old body and brain ... when I finally find the time to blog (during nap/quiet time), I rarely feel like it.  Anyhoo, we've been busy as a family lately with all kinds of fun stuff:

Daddy has started a new job that we hope to be a career ...


We've been spending our Sundays at the pool with good friends and good music at Reggae Sunday ... 

(Of course, this makes for tired Mondays ... hmmm)