What's Been Going On?

Lots!  I guess the biggest changes around here are that we started school and soccer (both boys this season - yikes!) 

We started school along with most folks around here on August 23.  We celebrated our "Not Back to School Day" by sleeping in and then having donuts for breakfast! 

After Daddy left for work the kids played for a bit and Mommy went back to bed - until Mommy felt well enough to start teaching around 10:30 or so.  :)

Maddie's in 4th grade, Ryley's in 2nd and Cash is doing more preschool work along with sitting in on most of the big kids stuff like history, science, geography, church history, and read alouds.  We try and get everything we do together done before lunch so that we can do our reading during lunch (I read aloud to the kids while they're quiet and eating) and then Cash goes to bed for his nap while I help the other two with their individual stuff:  math, grammar, spelling, daily journal, reading and handwriting. 

Cash doing his "cutting."  This is one of his favorite things to do and I am amazed at how good he has gotten with the scissors!  Check out that tongue action.  Pretty cute!

Maddie doing her favorite subject, math - NOT.  She has enjoyed this unit of measuring though.  Josh bought all the kids some little tape measures at Home Depot one night and she has measured everything in our house.  And I mean EVERYTHING!

And Ryley doing his "favorite" subject - grammar.  He detests ANY subject that requires him to write for any length of time, although I will say that it has gotten much better this year.  He holds the pencil so strangely that it can't be comfortable.  I've tried to get him to change it and hold it properly but he always reverts back to this.  I've got to choose my battles carefully with this kid!

For read-alouds we've already read "The Miraculous Adventure of Edward Tulane"  by Kate DiCamillo (author of "The Tale of Despereaux") and are currently reading "Caddie Woodlawn."  Edward Tulane was really good and pretty funny but there is a chapter in there that is just heart wrenching!  I couldn't even read it out loud - Maddie had to do it!  I'm such a baby though.  I'd like to blame it on hormones but we all know that's not true.  It's purely genetics - from my father's side.  :)  Last year we read quite a few books but I was really surprised when I cleaned out all the old stuff to make room for the new before school started this year at just how many there had been!   Here are some of our favorites from last year:

"Ginger Pye" -  the kids still talk about this one!

"Red Sails to Capri" - this one was difficult to read to them and didn't catch their attention at first but by the end they were begging me to read more everyday so they could discover the surprise!

"The Lightning Thief" - waaaaaaay better than the movie!

"Little Pear" - very cute

"Strawberry Girl" - this one was pretty funny

"A Cricket in Times Square" - loved this one!

All of these are chapter books and I would highly recommend all of them for just about any age with the exception of "The Lightning Thief", although Cash did great with it.  (We're waiting until he's a little older to read the rest of the series.  I've read them all and they get a little scarier as they go.  I would totally let Maddie read all of them though.)  He listened to all the books and would even laugh at appropriate times or would randomly repeat something back to me that he had heard so I know he was listening.  I think reading aloud is one of the BEST things about homeschooling!  I read a lot of stuff to the kids everyday but these books are definite our favorite.  I have very fond memories of listening to my dad read Dr. Seuss books to us - "The Alphabet Book," "Are You My Mother?" and "Marvin K. Mooney" to name just a few!  All of us kids would pile in together in my parents' bed and listen to him read the books to us.  I hope my kids have good memories of reading like I do!  Some of the books we're going to be reading this year are:

"The Family Under the Bridge"

"Pinky Pye" - sequel to our beloved "Ginger Pye"

"Shiloh"

"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"

"The Swiss Family Robinson"

"The Adventures of Robin Hood"

I've been having trouble finding some more good books to read the kids this year.  There are several we could read but Maddie has honestly read so many books that it's hard to find one she hasn't read yet!  Hopefully these books will keep us busy for now, or at least until after the baby comes. 

Speaking of "the baby," I don't think I ever officially announced it here on the blog but it's a boy!  We were really shocked and some of us were REALLY upset (Cash) but we've all gotten over it and are excited for the new baby now.  Cash keeps telling me how he's going to teach the baby good lessons.  We'll see about that!  As of right now we're thinking the baby's name will be Sawyer.  Here's a really horrible picture I took of myself today after I got back from the Dr.   

 

I'm officially 28 weeks and 1 day today but I measured 30 weeks at the Dr.'s office today.  Eeek!  I think we may have another giant on our hands.  The Doc said he wouldn't induce me any earlier than one week before the due date but that we'll probably have another ultrasound once we get a little closer to make sure he's not 13 pounds or something!  I have never measured large before and all my babies have still been big so this one has me a little worried!

One more thing that has happened. . .

The old man had another birthday.  He turned 35 on Aug. 27.  Happy birthday, babe.  We love ya!

I guess I'll save all the soccer pictures for the next post since this one's already huge! :)