Today was the first "official" day of classes at lovely St. Brigid of Kildare in Kankakee County.
We started with playtime and then breakfast, then Reading (15 minutes) and Bible Story (Supposed to take 15 minutes but took about 8) . Reading is just Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. Kiddo HATES this book, but we are already up to Lesson 75, so he will just have to live with it for a few more weeks. Bible Story is easy: I read him a story, and then he narrates back what he heard.
Then I let him take a break and watch a video about Caterpillar machines. That was the bribe for finishing his reading lesson. I used that time to do housework.
After the break, I had him read to me. Then we had planned to take a nature hike for PE (his choice--I don't care what we do so long as its active!) but he got side tracked and got in the pool. I used some of that time to put laundry on the line (right next to the pool--don't worry!) and the hopped in with him. Good times! I also did a reasonable amount of ballet exercises so got in a good workout that way. Coming back inside, I showed Kiddo haw we are logging our exercise time to earn a President's Award for Physical Fitness. He's into awards, so he thought that was a cool idea.
Then kiddo goes off to watch another video (I allow 2 per day) and I let him eat lunch in front of the TV because by now I am TIRED. Hubby comes home. There is a period of debate and confusion regarding my broke-ass van which has spent 6 of the last 7 weeks in the transmission shop and still runs exactly the same as it did when I took it in. This is a SERIOUS ISSUE now because Ted's POS Toyota finally gave up the ghost and I got that bit on news today, too. So I had to call the tranny shop, chew some ass, go to the tranny shop with husband and kiddo in tow, practically kidnap the mechanic and force him to go on a diagnostic drive with me. In the end he did tell me there is some sort of pressure in the lines that he did not notice before. I have to take the van back tomorrow so I can drop it off and use his car until he gets my van fixed the right way this time. He knows he needs to fix the tranny right because it's just a matter of time before I start wondering if I really needed the other $2400 worth of work he did.
So then we stopped at the Library. I was there Friday, but forgot my card. I spent awn hour picking out books (including tracking sown books I had selected Friday, but could not check out) only to discover I STILL did not have my card. I just found it, about one second ago, while typing this. (Well, actually I took a break to search around). It was under my desk. Dunno why.
Never mind. Now that I have the card, I can pick up the stack of books I reserved tomorrow, when I drop off the car. Joy.
Anyway, we came home from the Library and had a snack while Ted shopped for used cars on line. I did a quickie Goegraphy lesson with Kiddo. Geography for First Grade consists of Richard Scareys' Busy, Busy World, and a globe. Each story in the book is about characters who live in a different country. There are a lot of pictures, many of which show things that are unique to the location. For example, today's story was about London. It showed several unique London Guards, London Bridge, and Buckingham Palace. We read the story and talked about the pictures, and found England on a map and a globe. We did this for preschool, too, without the globe. It's fun.
Then we went on the long-awaited nature hike, which took MUCH longer than expected. Found some deer bones by the creek. We meant to pick them up on the way back but forgot. Also found a discarded tire to use for a swing. Ted will have to grab that tomorrow on the way home from work.
We got home by 8:30 and I had dinner on the table by 9:00. Kiddo showered and put on jammies before dinner. Grilled cheese sandwiches on home-made bread, roasted veggies, and vegetable soup. Hubby in bed by 10, kiddo watched a video (I'll admit it, I'm weak!) and had a snack, then we read Irish Fairy Tales and A Child's Garden of Verses until he conked out, at 11 pm like clockwork.
So now I have my quiet time, which is running out. I should be in bed my Midnight, and it is now 12:09. Enough for me. Good night.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Vacation From Hell Part 3 (It wasn't all bad) or, How HomeSchoolers Do Vacation
Ok, so it took me a month, but now I find I can actually look back on that vacation and smile. There were a few completely awesome moments.
Animal Sightings:
We kept a log of all the different animals we saw each day. Among other neat-o things, we saw cormorants, loons, a bald eagle, and several dozen other wild creatures. It was fun searching for new things every day.
Day trip to Washington Island:
This was really a blast. We took the car ferry across and spent the whole day there. One of the favorite things to do is go to the Ostrich Farm, where they have a petting zoo full of amazing creatures: ostriches (don't pet them--they bite!) , miniature horses, alpacas, and even a camel! This picture of the camel is a couple of years old, and the camel is now grown. He is still super-friendly and for some reason, really takes to Ted. We have several years worth of video in which the camel is hanging all over him, chewing on his hat, and giving him "camel kisses." It does not treat every body like that.
We went to the Jacobsen Museum, where one man dedicated his life to building a small vacation-cottage resort and preserving the history of the island. The kids were incredibly well behaved as the looked at the old equipment in the yard. Once inside, the looked a artifacts of Island life, from a map stone made by the Pottawatomie Indians to toys and tools of just a generation or two ago. My kiddo especially liked the old telephone switchboard (the kind where the operator physically moves plugs around) because Nana used to be an operator when she was young.
By far, the best part of the Jacobsen Museum was walking down to Little Lake with Ted, Barb, Jack, and Kiddo. Yes, there really is a lake in the middle of this island. The shores were full of lovely water irises and lotuses and dozens of dragon flies buzzed over the surface of the lake. We got interested in a really big black and powder-blue one. We were all standing on the pier watching it. Then it landed on the pier and all 5 of us got down on our hands and knees to get a closer look. The dragon fly was landing and lifting up and landing again in the same place, so Barb put her hand down where it kept landing and sure enough, it landed right on the back of her hand. She giggled softly and whispered, "It tickles!" The dragon fly flew away and came back with a house fly in its mouth. We all sat there amazed and watched as the dragon fly devoured the house fly. Coolness! As soon as the fly was gone, the spell was broken and the kids went tearing up the path to tell Mike, Sue, and Nana what they saw.
The last stop was Schoolhouse Beach. We had just learned at the museum that Schoolhouse beach is one of only a few in the world to be made up entirely of lovely, round, glacier-polished rocks. We had also seen a few fossils at the museum. Let the fossil hunting commence! I especially got a kick out of this because I suspect that Mike and Sue are creationists. While they have been hoping their kids would be on fire for Jesus Christ, I was setting them on fire for searching out evidence of evolution. (Take THAT, Mike, for spilling the beans about Santa Claus! )
On the way home, I sat on the ferry and chatted with Mom. I was really really trying to be nice. Really. But it got to be too much and I decided to go take a walk and find my husband and kiddo. Guess where I found them? On the bridge of the ferry, with the captain. Guess what my kiddo was doing? Driving the bloody ferry boat!
Now how many more postcard moments can you ask for in one day?
The Evening We Went to Kangaroo Lake:
Kangaroo Lake (info) is a body of water within the peninsula. There is a long causeway through the middle of it. One evening Mike and Sue took their kids to the drive in movie, so Ted, Kiddo, Mom, and I went to see the lake. We spotted little fishes and dragon flies ( I didn't know until later that some of them were the endangered Hine's emerald dragonfly) . Even cooler to Kiddo, the causeway's underpinning incorporates several large culverts where the lake water can flow through. Where the wanter flows in to the tube, there are cool little swirls and eddies. Kiddo spent lots of time dropping bits of grass and sticks into the eddies and watching them get sucked down. Then he ran across the causeway to see them come out the other side, where dozens of little fishes were waiting to catch whatever might come out.
After leaving the lake, we went across the peninsula to watch the sunset in Ephraim and have ice cream at the famous Wilson's. As we walked on the piers to catch a good view of the sunset, we noticed a fire boat belonging to the local department. On the way back, we met the fireman who cares for the boat, and had a chance to talk at length abut the boat and Door County life in general.
A storm rolled in, and we chased it in the car. We didn't get to see much of it because we had to cross the peninsula again and got stuck in the woods, but it was fun. Except for Mom, siting in the back seat and screaming about ax murderers in the woods.
Making Love on the Balcony:
Only one night did Kiddo go to sleep before Ted and I were exhausted. Since we had no place to put him (he outgrew the bathtub as a temporary bed a couple of years ago) we left him in the room and took some blankets out on the balcony. 'Nuff said.
Animal Sightings:
We kept a log of all the different animals we saw each day. Among other neat-o things, we saw cormorants, loons, a bald eagle, and several dozen other wild creatures. It was fun searching for new things every day.
Day trip to Washington Island:
This was really a blast. We took the car ferry across and spent the whole day there. One of the favorite things to do is go to the Ostrich Farm, where they have a petting zoo full of amazing creatures: ostriches (don't pet them--they bite!) , miniature horses, alpacas, and even a camel! This picture of the camel is a couple of years old, and the camel is now grown. He is still super-friendly and for some reason, really takes to Ted. We have several years worth of video in which the camel is hanging all over him, chewing on his hat, and giving him "camel kisses." It does not treat every body like that.
We went to the Jacobsen Museum, where one man dedicated his life to building a small vacation-cottage resort and preserving the history of the island. The kids were incredibly well behaved as the looked at the old equipment in the yard. Once inside, the looked a artifacts of Island life, from a map stone made by the Pottawatomie Indians to toys and tools of just a generation or two ago. My kiddo especially liked the old telephone switchboard (the kind where the operator physically moves plugs around) because Nana used to be an operator when she was young.
By far, the best part of the Jacobsen Museum was walking down to Little Lake with Ted, Barb, Jack, and Kiddo. Yes, there really is a lake in the middle of this island. The shores were full of lovely water irises and lotuses and dozens of dragon flies buzzed over the surface of the lake. We got interested in a really big black and powder-blue one. We were all standing on the pier watching it. Then it landed on the pier and all 5 of us got down on our hands and knees to get a closer look. The dragon fly was landing and lifting up and landing again in the same place, so Barb put her hand down where it kept landing and sure enough, it landed right on the back of her hand. She giggled softly and whispered, "It tickles!" The dragon fly flew away and came back with a house fly in its mouth. We all sat there amazed and watched as the dragon fly devoured the house fly. Coolness! As soon as the fly was gone, the spell was broken and the kids went tearing up the path to tell Mike, Sue, and Nana what they saw.
The last stop was Schoolhouse Beach. We had just learned at the museum that Schoolhouse beach is one of only a few in the world to be made up entirely of lovely, round, glacier-polished rocks. We had also seen a few fossils at the museum. Let the fossil hunting commence! I especially got a kick out of this because I suspect that Mike and Sue are creationists. While they have been hoping their kids would be on fire for Jesus Christ, I was setting them on fire for searching out evidence of evolution. (Take THAT, Mike, for spilling the beans about Santa Claus! )
On the way home, I sat on the ferry and chatted with Mom. I was really really trying to be nice. Really. But it got to be too much and I decided to go take a walk and find my husband and kiddo. Guess where I found them? On the bridge of the ferry, with the captain. Guess what my kiddo was doing? Driving the bloody ferry boat!
Now how many more postcard moments can you ask for in one day?
The Evening We Went to Kangaroo Lake:
Kangaroo Lake (info) is a body of water within the peninsula. There is a long causeway through the middle of it. One evening Mike and Sue took their kids to the drive in movie, so Ted, Kiddo, Mom, and I went to see the lake. We spotted little fishes and dragon flies ( I didn't know until later that some of them were the endangered Hine's emerald dragonfly) . Even cooler to Kiddo, the causeway's underpinning incorporates several large culverts where the lake water can flow through. Where the wanter flows in to the tube, there are cool little swirls and eddies. Kiddo spent lots of time dropping bits of grass and sticks into the eddies and watching them get sucked down. Then he ran across the causeway to see them come out the other side, where dozens of little fishes were waiting to catch whatever might come out.
After leaving the lake, we went across the peninsula to watch the sunset in Ephraim and have ice cream at the famous Wilson's. As we walked on the piers to catch a good view of the sunset, we noticed a fire boat belonging to the local department. On the way back, we met the fireman who cares for the boat, and had a chance to talk at length abut the boat and Door County life in general.
A storm rolled in, and we chased it in the car. We didn't get to see much of it because we had to cross the peninsula again and got stuck in the woods, but it was fun. Except for Mom, siting in the back seat and screaming about ax murderers in the woods.
Making Love on the Balcony:
Only one night did Kiddo go to sleep before Ted and I were exhausted. Since we had no place to put him (he outgrew the bathtub as a temporary bed a couple of years ago) we left him in the room and took some blankets out on the balcony. 'Nuff said.
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