Super Star is a Mommy!

 And I'm a grandma to this beautiful little boy!

In other news, we had a reasonable school week . . . not fabulous, but reasonable.

The kids and I finished both The Turning and The Diamond in the Window.  We have yet to start new books, but we will!

Beowulf started a Spectrum math workbook to keep his math skills current (and to fill in some gaps)  because I've decided to move the kids out of Teaching Textbooks as they finish their current math levels.  TT has been a wonderful program for us to overcome some of our math fears and struggles, but I have kids who aren't safe online (even with supervision/parental controls), and TT does seem to have holes that never quite get filled.

I do NOT look forward to correcting so much math, though! :)

The teens had a great time at their Tahitian dance rehearsal last Sunday. 

(Photos courtesy of a dance mom kind enough to share)

I love my kids getting to know a culture new to them.

We had another show with our own dance group.

I just realized how dance-y this week really has been as I write about the events because on Wednesday night the kids in the youth program had a swing dance/line dance instruction night for their weekly church activity.

Baymax's activity was a giant Nerf war. :)

One particular homeschooling joy this week has been our discussions about current events and literature.  The kids have been really engaged in conversation requiring research and debate.  They've provoked me (in a good way) to think before speaking and to be sure of my facts.  In turn, I've had the chance to model for them how to process information to arrive at an opinion as well as how to change one's mind as a result of new information.

Baymax finally got to have his birthday outing with Sir Walter Scott.  It was a trip to the National WWI museum in downtown Kansas City.

This little man of mine loves history, weapons, military stories, and military strategy so this was a perfect outing for him.  He got to move at his own pace all day and came home filled with stories of what he did and what he learned.  

To my delight, as I write, here he is with Mister Man intently discussing President Truman's military decisions during WWII.

Ladybug saw the neurologist for her 6-month post-seizure check-up.  She is clear to begin learning to drive, and she doesn't have to see the neurologist again for a year--provided she doesn't have any seizures between now and then.  

Puzzles are the hot activity in our house these days, and the kids are playing football with the neighbor kids almost every afternoon.

In Great Expectations, the high schoolers enjoyed Pip's visit to Wemmick's house ("He's the most normal character in this whole weird book!"), but they're sick at heart over his obsession with Estella.  We've also been working on the geography of Vietnam.  We'll get into its history sometime in the coming week.

Little Princess was not accepted into USAFA's Summer Session.  That has been a massive disappointment . . . she's expressed discouragement about being accepted into USAFA at all.  However, there's still time and there are several avenues of acceptance, so she and I have had several meetings about goals, decisions, plans, and dreams.

She's also waiting anxiously for acceptances into CAP NCSAs to which she applied and for which she is absolutely qualified.

(I must admit to feeling anxious myself.)

School was somewhat hijacked on Friday by the needs of some friends.  We stepped up to serve, and the youngest child bonded with Mister Man in the sweetest way.

Baby H-- needed a nap so badly, but he was only happy in Mister Man's arms.

Yesterday evening we had a family cookout over the firepit.  I put my phone away so that I could be fully present.  

I was, but that also means I took no pictures. :)

I watched my kids play basketball.

I roasted a hot dog.

I watched some kids light their marshmallows on fire on purpose and enjoy their mini torches.

I watched other kids patiently nurture their marshmallows to golden gooey perfection.

I watched Sir Walter Scott sharpen an axe dulled by a winter of wood chopping.

I listened to everyone laugh.

It was worth it to not have any pictures.