Activity Du Jour: Bows and Arrows
Before breakfast even, the girls were outside with their mini bows and arrows--fashioned out of leftover dowels and rubber bands from the book-binding we did for Explorer's Club. I was annoyed that they'd raided my preschool cupboard without permission, but after giving them a good dressing-down realized that this creative activity was far more valuable than anything I could think of.
When I can relax and let them be before the dressing-down I'll know I've arrived at good-motherhood.
They've used crayons to color the dowels and have given their bows names like "Rainbow Shooter," and "Silver Strike." The arrows at first were plain dowels, but along the way someone thought of the idea of sharpening them against the asphalt of the street, so now they're real arrows.
A6 shot herself in the chest before they thought of sharpening their weapons (she had her bow backwards and lost control of the rubber band); it left quite a mark. I've been passing out warnings today about their potential to cause damage and the need to be wise weapon-handlers.
Those little toys really shoot!
I didn't call them in to school. Whatever lessons in physics and handicrafts they were learning out-of-doors seemed on a beautiful autumn morning seemed a far better way to welcome October than sitting with books.
Eventually I realized they were all back inside, and as soon as I was able to tear myself away from my chores we got down to work.
Just regular stuff--devotional (forgot the little girls'--perhaps tonight before bed!), reading, copywork, math, preschool. Tonight we'll read the second and third chapters of The Remarkable and Very True Story of Lucy and Snowcap by H.M. Bouwman. I read it myself several months ago and was captivated by the growth of the characters in the story . . . and the story itself. I think it is a modern classic and can't figure out why it isn't receiving awards right and left.
We started it last night after reading the second story in Mathematicians Are People, Too. I tried for the tiniest of narrations from my littlest girls and found that H4 is a very good listener and story-teller. M11 tickled me when she looked over my shoulder at the third chapter and told me all about it even though the last time we read it was 5 or more years ago.
E13 didn't do her schoolwork yesterday until it was time to read aloud last night, so she missed out. I didn't like having her gone from that precious family hour, but her laziness pushed one of my buttons, and I sent her off to do the little that I require of her. I wondered how she'd do when I didn't receive her notebooks until 9:30 pm, but she did a fine job. Not one math error and a nice summary of her reading. I become comatose at night, but I think she might feel the same in the mornings. I wonder if we can work out a win-win proposition.
My favorite moment of the day was when E13 was complaining about S11, "She's the most annoying person in the world!"
"I've known people a lot more annoying than she is," I answered blandly.
She paused, then answered dryly, "Well, I guess I'm actually lucky then."
I howled right then and there--right in front of her. "That's really funny!" I exclaimed.
She stared at me as though I were a strange insect, but then she smiled and asked, "Are you going to blog about this?"
Yup.
*************
I'm fighting a cold, so I'm right back at lethargic and unmotivated . . .but I've studied the scriptures, served oatmeal, done laundry, baked bread, supervised school, run to the library, worked on my next Explorer's Club lesson, prepared bean soup, baked a peach crisp, and held rehearsals for our performance group.
Not bad.
Not great, but not bad.
There's still the evening ahead . . .
When I can relax and let them be before the dressing-down I'll know I've arrived at good-motherhood.
They've used crayons to color the dowels and have given their bows names like "Rainbow Shooter," and "Silver Strike." The arrows at first were plain dowels, but along the way someone thought of the idea of sharpening them against the asphalt of the street, so now they're real arrows.
A6 shot herself in the chest before they thought of sharpening their weapons (she had her bow backwards and lost control of the rubber band); it left quite a mark. I've been passing out warnings today about their potential to cause damage and the need to be wise weapon-handlers.
Those little toys really shoot!
I didn't call them in to school. Whatever lessons in physics and handicrafts they were learning out-of-doors seemed on a beautiful autumn morning seemed a far better way to welcome October than sitting with books.
Eventually I realized they were all back inside, and as soon as I was able to tear myself away from my chores we got down to work.
Just regular stuff--devotional (forgot the little girls'--perhaps tonight before bed!), reading, copywork, math, preschool. Tonight we'll read the second and third chapters of The Remarkable and Very True Story of Lucy and Snowcap by H.M. Bouwman. I read it myself several months ago and was captivated by the growth of the characters in the story . . . and the story itself. I think it is a modern classic and can't figure out why it isn't receiving awards right and left.
We started it last night after reading the second story in Mathematicians Are People, Too. I tried for the tiniest of narrations from my littlest girls and found that H4 is a very good listener and story-teller. M11 tickled me when she looked over my shoulder at the third chapter and told me all about it even though the last time we read it was 5 or more years ago.
E13 didn't do her schoolwork yesterday until it was time to read aloud last night, so she missed out. I didn't like having her gone from that precious family hour, but her laziness pushed one of my buttons, and I sent her off to do the little that I require of her. I wondered how she'd do when I didn't receive her notebooks until 9:30 pm, but she did a fine job. Not one math error and a nice summary of her reading. I become comatose at night, but I think she might feel the same in the mornings. I wonder if we can work out a win-win proposition.
My favorite moment of the day was when E13 was complaining about S11, "She's the most annoying person in the world!"
"I've known people a lot more annoying than she is," I answered blandly.
She paused, then answered dryly, "Well, I guess I'm actually lucky then."
I howled right then and there--right in front of her. "That's really funny!" I exclaimed.
She stared at me as though I were a strange insect, but then she smiled and asked, "Are you going to blog about this?"
Yup.
*************
I'm fighting a cold, so I'm right back at lethargic and unmotivated . . .but I've studied the scriptures, served oatmeal, done laundry, baked bread, supervised school, run to the library, worked on my next Explorer's Club lesson, prepared bean soup, baked a peach crisp, and held rehearsals for our performance group.
Not bad.
Not great, but not bad.
There's still the evening ahead . . .
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