Back to "Normal" Chaos

The chaos of the craft fair is over. All our bits and bobs are sitting patiently on a wee table to find new homes. We are getting back to normal business around here, which means back to read-alouds!



Read-alouds are every one's favorite part of our home school adventure. The sad thing is, they are the first to get bumped when the schedule gets tight. Everyone continues squeezing in their own personal reading and the littles (what I call my non-fluent readers) always manage to find someone to read to them. It is settling down and ALL of us sharing the same story that goes. This weekend I providentially came across an audio download titled "A Less Hurried Approach to Homeschooling" by the Bluedorns.



It has some extremely practical points on the nitty-gritty of how to do read-alouds with a bunch of kids. I found it inspriing and encouraging. Please, no one create an image in their head with children snuggled beside me,others at my feet, listening quietly with rapt attention. It has never happened. Everyone is allowed to do pretty much what they want as long as they remain quiet doing it.



There are lots of interruptions, questions about the story, which I welcome and then questions about what is for lunch, which I do not welcome! The littles will often play with my hair, draw, puzzles or play quietly with small toys. The older kids draw, crochet or work on some other handiwork project. When we are in a pinch for time and still want to get read-alouds done, the kids will fold laundry while I read. Today, we made play-doh. (It doubled as math!!)



Everyone settled down with their still warm play-doh and I curled up in the rocking chair for a rather pleasant read-aloud time.It is nice to resume familiar routines.

Lazy Days

Life is chugging along smoothly. I tend to be taken surprise by change. I realized this weekend that so much of my mini-meltdown was getting back into the gear of school, my mom returning to work (days off no longer regular) and all these birthdays! We have been working in the garden preparing the ground for our fall planting. I really want to try strawberries this year. I have offered a quarter per bucket of weeds. Now if only the strawberries would grow as well as the weeds!


::L1 earning some money


Awhile back, there was a storm brewing over at Stefani's. It triggered one here,too. It brewed up some serious thoughts about some things I had allowed to creep into our lives. I often think how we spend our time is just as important as how we spend our money. We have been cutting away some activities and slowly trying to make somethings a part of our everyday routine. Not all of us are as pleased as others.


::The Boy suffering from media withdrawal


The Littles (what I call the younger set of girls) have been busy working at their restaurant while the oldest girl and I dig in the garden.

::Carrot Peel Stew



::Dirt Cake (I love knowing that H 4 took this picture because she always gets the camera strap in the shot!!)


And hands down our favorite way to pass time is to watch C6 tote her bubble machine all around the yard.

Creating With Children

I was going through my pictures yesterday and discovered these photos. The kiddos have spent quite a bit of time watching me arrange and move around the yard(to find GOOD light) objects I have wanted to photograph. They also have been the "objects" themselves. I am very much the amateur when it comes to photography. It is just somehting I goof around with. It is not a skill,unlike sewing, that I have even remotely considered intentionally passing on. But here we have someone purposefully looking for GOOD light and dressing up their favorite objects for a photo session. The background on the first horse delights me!!! Which brings me to my first point I would like to make about creating with children . . .the most important thing you can do is create in front of them. They are always watching. ALWAYS!