Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Our Homework Hut

Building indoor forts has always been a day-long operation*** around here, but it has been awhile...until, yesterday. HRM was cloistered away in her room, as usual (The hybrid academy is such a huge blessing and keeping my academically diligent melancholic HRM working hard; her room is another story...). Miller and Jelly Bean were, in typical sanguine fashion, looking for a way to procrastinate their assignments. I went up to shower and they burst in to my room happy and excited.

"Mom, you have to come down now!"

"Wait just a minute. We have to throw in some laundry and I have to dry my hair."

(Emotions are so high and happy that they easily comply.)

About 15 minutes later and we are down the stairs as if it were Christmas morning. (Btw, I live for this stuff...) I round the corner, and to my surprise, there is a massive tent in our sunroom. It is indeed a thing of beauty.

"It's our Homework Hut!"

Both big dogs and, most, if not all, of the cats are piled in among the pillows and blankets. So, I work on the kitchen and they hole themselves in to work on spelling, math, etc....SJB Academy has really helped us deliniate a curriculum that covers the basics, yet leaves ample time for play, and other pursuits, both scholarly and otherwise.

The Sullivan grandparents are driving down from Kentucky today to spend the weekend with us. Unfortunately, the Homeschool Hut was dissembled last night because M and JB went in together to buy the new Ice Age movie.

***Truth be told, when the kids were small, often the various forts would stay up for days. Such is life in suburban America where kids do not roam around neighborhoods like we used to do.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Spyhopping


Just studying whales over here, really, that's all we're doing --wink, wink, nudge, nudge!!!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Thank you, God!

We are very grateful for SJB hybrid. I wanted help with math and writing and we are getting it! As an added bonus, the work in the other subjects -- history, science and religion -- is inspiring. I hope to post soon some around-the-dining-room-table anecdotes, as I am pleased to see us gathering there as I spent so many hours studying at my parents big dining room table when I was young.

It is so true that being around children and young people keeps you young at heart.

Monday, July 13, 2009

St. John Bosco Academy

We are gearing up for spending some quality time in fellowship and study with the families of the Catholic hybrid school, St. John Bosco Academy. Our "meet and greet" is scheduled for Thursday, August 13th.

We are receiving books in the mail almost daily as I ordered several used off Amazon. There are few things I enjoy more than to get a box of books in the mail. I prefer browsing at a library or good book store and taking them home immediately. I got Jacob's Algebra, which costs at least $70 new for $16 off the Internet!

Saturday, June 20, 2009

The Big Olive

We got off our WWII kick and downloaded the PBS's series called "The Greeks". Jerry and I finished it yesterday. The Netflix boxes are working well, so far. We love olives and olive oil. I saw lots of olive trees when I lived in Spain. I probably will never get to travel to Greece, but I sure love their food! In one of these programs, they called Athens, the "Big Olive".

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

New friends




Here are a couple of photos taken in our new cul-de-sac. I love that the kids are outside so much. We have a crazy week this week with our Challenge year end party and the May Crowning with TORCH. It is all good.