School days

I can't begin to tell you how happy I am to spend my days teaching my kids.  It's been a bit of a roller coaster this past month but I think things are getting better.  

the short story, When I first started the school year the calendar was crowded and a bit intimidating to say the least.  But I was optimistic it would all work out.  

OuR schedule looked something like this

Monday: workout, lessons, lunch, quiet time,  reading/writing time, free play

Tuesday:  Alphabet preschool, lunch quiet time, math, free play

Wednesday Workout, ballet, lunch quiet time reading, free play

Thursday:  FILA (families inspiring leaders of America) commonwealth school

Friday: workout, pack lunches, sunlit learning school, math free play

We also wanted to squeeze in piano lessons at some point.

After a few weeks of the FILA school I soon realized it wasn't the best fit for our family.  So we withdrew and I'm loving the relaxing stay at home day thursdays are becoming.  

In a nutshell we still have lots we need to improve on, like reading EVERY SINGLE DAY.  

But we're getting closer.  and I love what we have surprisingly added into our learning I never knew we needed to learn.  I'll let the pictures tell you about some of my favorite moments.  

Learning to jump rope.  Life most important lessons are those that encourage us to keep trying

throwing rocks:  a passage of childhood 

We found an amphitheater and the kids performed impromptu skits.  There was no fighting and each child fulfil their role

Coloring while listening to conference.  

Helping Grace overcome her dislike for writing.  The bigger the letter the better. 

Tuesday's alphabet day coloring fall books 

Playing with Papa's legos for the first time

"look what we can create"

Listening to Gwenevere read

Everett helping me make rolls for Canadian Thanksgiving.  

He liked using the knife

Digging in our neighbors back yard and finding warms

D is for Dog origami 

We discovered Maestro's Classic stories To cultivate a love of music through education and  joyful performances, to expand and develop  listening skills and encourage adults and children to listen together.

My motto for this school year

And there is so many more memories I didn't capture on camera.

1.  Reading books with Everett we read for about an hour everyday.  He loves to read

2.  Discovering the Life of Fred Math series.  

3.  going on walks everyday down the the bus stop to greet friends after school.

4.  Leaf rubbings

5.  Sewing halloween costumes together

6.  Watching Grace do addition in her head.  "You had 4 babies,  Gwenevere, the baby that died after Gwenevere, Me and Everett.  How many babies do you want mom?"  I replied, "I once wanted 5 or 7 but now I don't know anymore."  Grace thinks for a moment and then says,  "If you have one more baby you'd have 5 babies mom."  

7.  Watching all three kids build train tracks for hours at a time  ( and I deleted my pictures of this before I added them to the computer.)  :-( 

8.  Watching Gwenevere get her very first piano lesson.  And then watching her practice almost everyday on her own.  :-)  

9.  Watching Everett play with friends.  We've had a lot of friends over this past week.  

10.  Learning for myself:  I got to attend the temple and a flood of new thoughts and ideas came running to my mind.  learning I want to continue to learn.  Wanting to learn what my kids want to learn.  For Gwenevere it's piano, for Grace it is dance and for Everett it's learning to be kind.

I've also felt an increasing power of evil bombard our home over the last month.  I've had a very difficult time "not yelling"  and it effects my kids in so many ways.  to correct this terrible habit that seems to be seeping into my life, I'm trying extra hard to stop as soon as I realize i'm yelling, to apologize quickly and to rephrase my words to be more loving.  I'm not perfect but I have a plan and I am trying.  

I've also noticed James and I don't always see eye to eye like we use to.  I feel it is also the adversary trying to tear us apart.  To correct this unfortunate event, both James and I are striving harder to thoroughly express our desires to each other, to spend one on one time with each other each day, and to pray together.  

I feel these harder temptations lately are present only because of our increase desires to do what the Lord wants us to do. Therefor we must press on.  Hurrah for following the Lord's plan.