Today I woke up at around 6:40. I grabbed a quick shower, dressed, and then got the kids up that weren't already up. I made eggs and fresh fruit for breakfast. Then everyone dressed and did morning chores. I pulled out the instruments and put on a nursery rhyme CD and the younger children and I played instruments and danced around with each other. Through the years this is one of those activities we have done consistently that has become a tradition. I have so many memories of dancing with all my children, swirling silken scarves and laughing.
After we were finished, we all sat down and said a morning prayer, read a little out of our scriptures, practiced a memory verse, sang "Love is Spoken Here", and read out of our history book. We read today about the Red Baron. Then we read a bit from "At the Back of the North Wind", which we're getting close to finishing up. I put Adam on a red blanket and gave him a red dry erase marker to scribble with, which he did happily. Ashley also worked on a puzzle during this time.
After that we learned about our state of the day. We decided it would be fun to make this a summer of states. Every day we learn a different state, the capital, and a few interesting stories/facts. The children all have their own map they fill in with the name, the capital, and anything they find interesting (writing or drawing pictures.) They are all loving this and we hope by the end of summer, everyone will know more about the states.
Emily and Ashley played with a little sand fairy kit at the kitchen table when they were finished.
Alexis finished up writing her information about Rhode Island. She's a perfectionist and wanted to write down ALL the facts/stories I gave so it took her a bit longer.
After that Emily and I read the next section of her Living Math book and then she worked on the problems. Alexis started reading her next chapter of "Life with Fred Decimals and Percentages" book. She should finish over the next few weeks and then move on to the Physics book, which is the book right before the Pre-Algebra books. I always thought of Physics being more science, but the gentleman who writes "Fred" mixes so many subjects into his Math series and they get to see how math is interwoven into all aspects of living and education.
Meanwhile, I snuggled up on the couch with Ashley and Adam and read a chapter of Winnie the Pooh. Adam nursed during part of this and then got down and played with his top. I then called to everyone to get shoes on because we were going to the library for a science program. The "scientist" combined comedy and science together that got a little too gross/rude for us every so often, but was overall enjoyable.
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The little boy sitting next to Emily is hearing impaired and his mother signed the program for him. The girls enjoyed watching her and figuring out some of the signs they know.
Alexis checked out, "The Hobbit" and is very excited to begin reading it when she gets home.
After the library I decided to surprise everyone with a trip to the ice cream shop and spoil their appetites for lunch. Everyone loved their cones and we sat in the grass and had a mini picnic.
After ice cream we headed to the park to play and explore. I was surprised on such a nice day with school out mine were the only children there for a long time, but eventually two other young boys came along and they played together a bit on the merry go round. Adam LOVED the slides and wanted to go over and over.
When we got home, Alexis rushed upstairs to begin her book and Ashley sat down at the table to finish coloring a picture she had made in Primary yesterday. Emily snuggled up on the couch to read one of her library books and Adam went down for a nap.
Alexis came down after a little while to e-mail her best friend. After that she went on the back porch to read a bit of anatomy.
Emily did a bit of language and cursive practice.
Everyone headed out on the back deck around 2:30 for a snack. I filled a muffin tin with lots of little snacks like grapes, blueberries, cheese, goldfish crackers, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, and chocolate chips and let everyone help themselves.
Then everyone played out back for a couple of hours.
Somebody found a blue jay feather and added it to our nature table. We also checked the nest of baby birds we've been watching, and they have all flown away. We saw a little rabbit no bigger than 6 inches and it only increased everyone's desire to have a pet rabbit. Everyone also tended their own little garden areas, as well.
Everyone came in for dinner around 5:00. After dinner they all did their evening chores.
Then we gathered together for Family Home Evening. We did a cute lesson on the wise man and the foolish man. We watched a little cartoon video of the story off youtube, read the scripture story, and applied the teachings to each of our lives. Then we built paper houses from a design I printed of online and used a baking sheet, a big rock, some sand, and re enacted the story. Afterwards we played a game with printed tools that had good or bad decisions on them and we sorted them so we would have the right tools to build our houses strong and sturdy. We, of course, sang the Wise Man song and ended with a prayer.
After Family Home Evening we read a chapter from "Journey to the Center of the Earth." I then took Adam and Ashley upstairs and brushed teeth and tucked Ashley in and read her "Madeline" and "We Help Daddy". Then I nursed Adam to sleep.
The older two girls stayed up for a little longer and we watched a couple of episodes of "The Andy Griffith Show." Then they brushed teeth and we all headed to bed. I relaxed for a while, reading and browsing online before going to sleep.
