A Fly On My Homeschool Wall

 We celebrated Halloween on Wednesday with our church party. So that pretty much dominated the week. School was interrupted by planning, shopping, sewing, and making. And this is the result: Triplets "Worker Man" Joy (from Inside Out ) Bookworm Chicken--she's flapping her wings and clucking for the picture :) Police officer--"Because I've been watching Criminal Minds over Mom's shoulder!" Firefighter We did, of course, keep our Morning Meetings each day.  We read D'Aulaire's Benjamin Franklin .  We read several chapters of Shepherd, Potter, Spy, and the Star Namer .  And everyone did at least 3 days of independent work . . . some of them did 4 days' worth. Little Princess did several simple chemistry experiments . . .  . . . made a little more complicated by small, enthusiastic observers. We did not do any preschool activities, but our tiniest students learned a great deal through play, drawing, stories, and helping with chores. And they...

photo credit:  Nature Angel    Last Sunday Sir Walter Scott looked at me as I was getting ready for church and said, "Why don't you stay home and take a nap?" I considered arguing. I reconsidered. I crawled into bed at 10:00 am when the rest of the family left for church. I woke up at 5:00 pm. Then I went back to bed to doze and read. It was an incredible blessing . . . and I wish I could have the same privilege for a week. :) Maybe then I could take the edge off the tiredness. We were a week late, but we honored Fire Safety week by reading Curious George and the Firefighters , reviewing our fire safety plan, and passing out party favor type firefighter hats for lots of noisy imaginative play. Little Princess has completely taken over our family night treats on Sundays.  Last week she baked a few dozen gf/df cupcakes from scratch, and then turned them into a flower garden. We wrapped up our geography study of Argentina when we finished Who Was Che Guevara? and read ...

Brother is doing much better.   Beowulf is doing much worse.   I'm sad.   I'm scared.   I'm full of questions.   Every day our babies come over, and every day I hold them and feel them fill my soul with peace . . . or at least bring me down from the ledge I feel I'm standing on.   Even though it's so much work, I think the babies are good for all of us.   Ladybug and Brother did 4 days of math lessons. Baymax did 5. Mister Man did 3. Brother did 1. Lola did 1 reading lesson.   Little Princess worked a lot on math and chemistry and calculated that she's "right on schedule" in language arts.   A chemistry experiment                     Photo credit:  Little Princess   Nature Angel is still working on Unit 2 of her language arts, but she's putting so much lovely work into it, that I cannot fault her.  Every day she puts her whole be...

 We took Brother to the hospital first thing Monday morning after he tried to choke himself, and Sir Walter Scott had to cut the yarn off his neck with a knife. I was on the phone with his psychiatrist when it happened, and her words were, "Take him to the hospital immediately.  Press the acuity of the situation and his history.  Do not tell me that they sent him home today.  He must be admitted." Then he had a positive covid test . . . he was completely asymptomatic.   Which meant he was admitted to the regular hospital with a 24/7 sitter while he waited for a psych+covid bed available. And I spent hours scheduling covid tests for the rest of us  . . . the rest of us were completely asymptomatic . . . and notifying anyone with whom we'd come into contact for the past week.   Then I spent hours getting those tests completed and responding to concerns. Sir Walter Scott and I also spent hours traveling back and forth between the hospital to visit Brother...