A Week, Briefly (8/17/20)

It was definitely a first-week-of-school kind of week.

Lots of good.

Lots of hard.

Lots of questions.

Lots of meltdowns.

Lots of chocolate.

What's working?

Elevenses:  Taking a note from British book settings, I decided that we could stretch our mornings with a substantial snack and a later lunch.  We all like it, though Ladybug did say to me last night, "It seems like our school mornings are much longer than our playtime afternoons."

She's right! 

I read The Blue Fairy Book aloud this week--just a few pages each day--while we ate our snacks.

Morning Mini-Walks:  Inspired by Jennifer at Bookish Family, as well as reports stating that kids are more ready to concentrate and learn after a bit of outdoor exercise, I've wanted to start our days with a walk for years. 

We're finally doing it.

Our walks are between 1/3 and 3/4 mile, depending on the morning.  We're outside for 20-30 minutes only.  Some kids point out interesting natural sights--a spider on a web, blooming flowers, cicadas, seed pods, etc.--and some kids just run as fast as they can and talk while they wait for the rest of us to catch up.  

 

Right now it is beautiful every morning.

It's easy to get out.

I don't know what winter will bring.

But we've got lots of time to develop a habit that I hope we won't break!

Quiet Time: 'nuff said

Academy:  It's interesting to read, watch videos, and talk together.  It's a little bit more challenging to do narrations--they work at such different speeds, and so many of them need so much support.  But I think it's working.  And I think it's going to get better as we go along.

 

Getting Up Earlier:  We're starting our days at 6:30 am with Morning Meeting at 7:30.  It's amazing how starting 30 minutes earlier is so much more joyful and productive.

Lunch-time Read Aloud:  We're doing a lesson a day from Our Star Spangled Story.  No activities--just reading and talking.  The younger kids love the stories, and the older ones like hearing old favorites again.

Friday Wild Day:  At least it was great this first Friday.  I hope to keep it up! 

(All of the photos are by Nature Angel)

(Ok--I took this one)

And Sir Walter Scott took a few of these . . .

Lola's studying a caterpillar crossing the path.

We found this tiny private beach area.  It was very, very, very hard to explain to the kids that the county would NOT let us play in the water that was right there before us sparkling alluringly.  There was much muttering against "mean officials" and COVID-19

 

Hike #24 of 52:  Longview Lake Trail

50.16 miles + 3.8 miles = 53.96 miles

Some things about our new school year so far are hard.

Kindergarten:  Where my enthusiastic students went, I don't know!  They begged me to start school, but even the very first day, Lola and Baymax were challenging!

They're capable.

They're ready.

They're not willing.

I'm going to have to think on this one for a bit.

Though we did review a bit and finally complete these books.  They were sure delighted to find Book B in their baskets this morning!

Brother's Mental Health:  It was a crummy week with lots of violence.  I ran him to the doc's office for a quick blood pressure check on Wednesday because the last time this happened, it was due to low blood pressure which was caused by his med.  

His blood pressure was perfect.

We have a telehealth appointment with his psychiatrist on Monday afternoon.

And we had a good parent/therapist ABA meeting this afternoon.

He also finished this book leftover from last school year.  How fun to start school finishing a book!  (And how . . . how can this precious boy turn so scary violent?!?!  Look at his sparkly eyes!  It's hard for me to even imagine it, and I see it first hand.)

Clean-up Times:  We've always had these scheduled into our days.  Morning chores are challenging while we wait for meds to kick in, but the other times of day are nightmares of complaining and defiance.  What happened?  

I'm pondering this situation, too.

Honestly, a lot more is going right than going wrong. :)

We also had 3 teens involved in church camp this week. 

They picked up and personalized 5 gallon buckets at the start of the week, and they were filled with envelopes which were in turn filled with instructions about what to do and where to go each day.

Horseback riding

Swimming

Grainy picture, awesome evening!  Pixie got permission to go, and the evening at the dock was a blast!

 

A trust walk

Treats

Secret Sisters 

Nature Angel made this cute kitty cat for her Secret Sister!

Family history projects

Service

Stargazing

Karaoke

Journaling

Letter writing

And apple carving!  At least for my girls.

The assignment was to use food to create something God made for which you are grateful. 

Pretty fun!

Last, but not least, Ladybug finished another crochet project.

It's a wallet . . . for Belle . . . shhhhhhh!  It's a surprise. :)

We dive even deeper into school when Nature Angel and Belle join us with their studies, and we start Colloquium.

Honestly, our schedule is pretty doable.  We've had some big emergencies this week, and we've still done a great deal of school work and living life.  The dishes are done.  The laundry is caught up.  The bookshelves are tidy.  

I haven't made my bed all week, but I can work on that again.

We're doing ok.