rockstar

This is what Tallulah does while everyone one else is doing school... She's singing Alive by Superchick :)

planning for next year

It is that time again to start thing about my curriculum choices for next year. As of right now Max and Tallulah are signed up for preschool at a church down the road. Micah and Max both spent one year there and we all loved it. If we did public school, Max could start kindergarten this fall, but I don't think he is ready, so after a year at home with me, he will be doing pre-k at Churchland Baptist and Lulu will be in the 3 year old class (3! How did that happen?!)
So, that leaves Regan and Micah at home with me. I am a total believer in Konos and have loved the units that we have done this year and I think the kids have too. I love the unit approach and how character traits are integrated into the topics... school has really been fun this year. At the same time, it is April and I am exhausted. So this fall I am thinking about trying a new approach that will integrate the things that I love about all that we have done in the past 2 years. So, here is what I am thinking:

History
Sonlight History 1
*supplemented with activities from my Konos volumes for activities and my Konos timeline (love this so much more than Sonlights book of time!)

Bible
Sonlight Bible 1

Math
MathUSee Beta and Gamma

Language Arts
continuing with First Language Lessons
All About Spelling for phonics and spelling (has anyone used this program for both?)
The Complete Writer: Level 1 workbook for Writing with Ease (I just found this and would love any feedback, we have really liked First Language Lessons and this looks equally good)
A Reason for Handwriting Manuscript A and Transition (I am wondering if I need a handwriting curriculum if I use the Writing with Ease?)
Sonlight Readers 2 and 2 advanced + library for reading

Science
Konos science units and Lap books- We will definitely do a honey bee lap book and Maybe frogs too and I would like to do a study of the human body.
I also just got Sow and Grow: a Gardening Book for Children. It has monthly gardening activities (inside and out) that I plan to do throughout the year.

Art/Music
I have some art books here that we will start with and have not decided what to do for music yet.
Was looking at this: Story of the Orchestra : Listen While You Learn About the Instruments, the Music and the Composers Who Wrote the Music!, anyone used this? I would like to do something a bit more formal and regular for both of these. With Konos there were lots of arts and crafts (which we love) but they always gave me an excuse to put off a regular art lesson.

Foreign Language
Rosetta Stone- I am leaning towards French, but have not ordered yet.

Just for fun
Sonlight Read-alouds 1- These were a family favorite when we did Sonlight last year

I would love to hear any feedback or comments!

the circus is in town...

and the clowns made a surprise visit to our house.
P.S. This is what happens when mom gets on the phone for 5 minutes, lol!

good friday

As far as Fridays go, it doesn't get much better than this...
Kids sunning themselves after running through the hose...
Finally warm and sunny enough to get out in my garden and weed...
(I am loving the stones Phil put in while I was away, thanks babe!)

A stocked fridge...
Mike's Hard Lime and a movie to watch with my honey once the kids are tucked in bed (and sleeping soundly from all the sunshiny fun we had today!) Hope your Friday has been as fabulous as mine!

easter eggs

LollyChops had a great tutorial for dyeing Easter eggs that we just had to try. It was fairly simple and the kids enjoyed decorating the eggs with different designs. Here are a few pics of your process...
And I just had to post a couple of these great pictures of the kids with their cousins (a few of them anyway). This is what happens when you leave kids alone with the Easter craft supplies...

a few of my favorites

Our time here in Maryland has been flying by, jam-packed with visits with friends and family and all the excitement that goes with having 4 young children! I had hoped to be more faithful to posting about our trip, but time seems to escape me. Here are a few highlights from our trip to Elkton last week to see Phil's family... They are completely out of order, but for some reason the computer will not let me re-arrange them, oh well!

Friday night Regan and Micah went to see "Your A Good Man Charlie Brown" with Grandma and the sun finally decided to peak out, so the rest of us had a little fire in the garden before tucking Max and Lulu in for the night.


Me and the kids at Longwood Gardens

Cousins

A little bit of Japan... They had a whole room of Bonsai Trees at Longwood.

I love this picture of Lulu playing in the fountains in the children's garden inside the conservatory.

cherry blossoms

Last Tuesday we went downtown to the Sackler Gallery to see "The Tale of Shuten Doji" exhibit and to the Tidal Basin to see the Cherry Blossoms. After so many days of rain it was a beautiful day, the flowers were gorgeous! Here are a few of the many pictures I took.