We've started another year of learning at home... okay, we really never finish! It is pretty "seamless" around here. We just refer to the next grade come Fall. :)
For our wonderful nature studies we are using Anna Comstock's
Handbook of Nature Study and I'm just CrAzY about
this blog to help me utilize this truly amazing book. Since we are nearing the end of summer, I thought it would be perfect to begin our study with an in depth look at
trees! This is a great time to study their transitions from Summer to Autumn. Each kiddo chose their own tree to analyze, draw, and learn all about these next four seasons. We are using
these pages for our study. I highly recommed these resources!
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| Freckles took this photo of her tree! |
Freckles is most excited about studying nature! She draws a lot and enjoys singing. She is very creative in the story writing department, too!
We've also started LATIN! I am so excited to hear the children chant their new conjugations and their new words!! :) Latina Christiana is our Latin program -- and we'll be learning our favorite prayers in Latin soon!
One of my favorite bonuses to educating the children at home is the opportunity to really live out our Catholic faith! August is a RICH month in honoring our Blessed Mother's Immaculate Heart. We celebrated her Queenship with friends... we memorized the
Consecration to Mary which is also the prayer that we chose for the back of +Smiley's funeral card. We enjoyed a crown cake and sang
Immaculate Mary (one of my favorite hymns) and the kids sounded beautiful!
And FOOTBALL has started! Dollar is in full swing and gets on with hitting in pads next week! He is flying in math and likes the new program we are using (Teaching Textbooks). His 24 hens have started laying beautiful eggs and we are getting just over a half dozen a day. Freckles is his business partner!
The Raminator has to wait a couple more weeks for flag football.... patience, dear, patience! He really likes the
Five in a Row program we are doing (read the same classic kids' book each day and do activities that correspond with the book). We just finished
Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel (some activities
here) and he enjoyed reading the book out loud to me! We are all amazed at his wonderful reading abilities!
Jellybean had her first "real" babysitting job (not siblings!) a couple of weeks ago and did GREAT! She is preparing for CONFIRMATION this year! How exciting!
Critter is showing off his speaking skills by saying things like
bug, football, me, momma, dada, ball, please, chicky, moo, bird, dog, nana. He puts his little hands together in prayer and is trying to make the sign of the cross but when he dips those chubby fingers into the holy water font the fingers go in his mouth! Oh, and we have to keep the holy water bottles up high since he keeps
drinking it! :)
And this coming week my Beloved and I celebrate TWENTY-ONE years of wedded bliss! What a blessing to have a supportive, loving, encouraging husband to walk this journey with! Thank you, God, for my hubby!!
As I work through each day, I try to focus on "praying always" and offer the joys and struggles to our Lord. It is all good!
