Weather outside: it’s snowing! This is getting ridiculous. Last week it was 90% down in town. It’s supposed to get hot again next week. We have our woodstove going all day, which makes us feel like it’s January again. One silver lining is that Kevin spends more time out of his office, right next to the fireplace, going through his reading to catch up on and sometimes reading aloud little bits. This is nice : ).
The view from our back window 
Kevin’s deck-sealing project got derailed. I’m glad I didn’t start any kind of garden yet. In fact, I’m looking at how much we’ll be gone this summer and thinking that maybe this year some lettuce and herbs planted in late June will be about enough.
Music around here: Mostly Gilbert and Sullivan
Sean:
- Landscape with Dragons
- Whatever Happened to Penny Candy
- Legends of Chivalry
- Drawing Textbook
Aidan
- Phonics — finding vowels in words, and spelling words on Vtech board
- Handwriting without Tears
- Little Angel Reader A
- A preschool colors and shapes book — I got it at the $ store mostly for sequencing, “same and different” vocabulary, and patterns. He knows same and different already. Cool!
- His physical therapy — grabbing marbles with his feet and putting them into a cup — praxis and working on flexibility.
Paddy
- Read Noddy to him (these are primary-level UK chapter books with 8 chapters and about 60 pages)– he asked lots of questions about the plot and also wanted me to follow my reading with my finger so he could see what I was reading. I also showed him the page numbers at the bottom of the pages and he spent a long time flipping through and naming in order — up through 30-something.
Both –
- Drummer Hoff (they recited this one along with me — cute!)
- Go Dog Go! (they “read” this one to each other while I was typing just now)
In Progress
Habits for the preschoolers: NOT screaming when they are mad or frustrated! But I have to be consistent about this — it’s gotten to be part of the auditory furniture. I don’t always notice until it is really out of control.
Habits for the household in general – not going to the computer as a default. This includes me (blush).
Kieron has had a slow week — I think he is mostly caught up with his checklist but it’s been a bit of hauling required. He is rereading the early Pathway Readers, plus Three Investigators, plus Boxcar CHildren. In other words he is in a bit of a consolidation phase, apparently. Thinking of books that might provide an extension but still the “comfort reading” requirements. Maybe Radio Boys? or the US American Adventure books for this summer? Hmmm.
Clare is reading Three Musketeers and Belloc’s Europe and the Faith. Continuing math and other requirements, practicing organ, violin, keyboard and cantoring/singing. She just got some new vintage sewing patterns.
Brendan is reading History of the American People by Paul Johnson.
We got some new books and resources for next year which I am trying to sort through. In general, I am thinking too much — feel as scattered as the weather outside. The kids seem bored and scattered too. I do not know if there is a cause-effect relationship there.
This afternoon I am taking the younger members of the household to Homeschool meeting/Stations of the Cross.
Off to read Go Dog Go to the littlies. I am trying to show them the words and they think that is very interesting.
