Author: Shannon

Homeschool is so cool!

Shannon news

Ah, we’re having a lovely homeschool moment today. As I’m at the computer printing off multiplication practice pages, I hear Emily confide to Amanda that she saves doing her handwriting practice until I start reading Amanda’s read-aloud books to her, “because the stories are just soooo good and I love to hear them again!” (Emily gets sent to the dining room to do her seat-work (math, handwriting, etc) while I do school with Amanda in the livingroom).

I suggested to Emily that maybe I should let her read to Amanda instead of merely eavesdropping from the other room. She responded enthusiastically. I warned her that she would have to get through with her school work first before she would be allowed to read Amanda’s schoolbooks to her. She thought a moment and said, “Maybe I can read to her before school starts?” Sure, as long as they both finish their breakfasts (usually a long drawn out affair) and sort their laundry first.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen them eat or sort so quickly. 🙂

The girls are cuddled up together on the couch. Emily is reading with great enthusiasm and inflection to Amanda, who appears to be following along over her shoulder. I love Sonlight Curriculum!

It must be a big back yard…

Shannon heard

“Mama, did these mushrooms come from outside?”
– Amanda, examining her soup

“They didn’t come from the back yard, if that’s what you mean. I opened a can from Costco.”
– Mama, extrapolating to get at her real question

“They came from outside, from Costco’s back yard, Amanda!”
– Emily, explaining… sort of

So that’s what the sprayer on the kitchen sink is for…

Shannon heard

“Did Mrs. Todd have a baby shower?”
– Emily, very interested in every aspect of a family friend’s brand new baby

“No. Once you have both a boy and a girl, you generally don’t have baby showers anymore because you already have a lot of baby stuff.”
– Mama

“I know where Mrs. Todd has a baby shower– her sink!!”
– Amanda, very amused by her own joke

Aw, Shucks!

Shannon heard

“We need 2 more bags, one for the shucked corn…”
– Mama, giving directions to the girls in preparation for shucking corn

“… And one for the shucks!”
– Emily, with great enthusiasm, following the thought to its natural conclusion… sort of…

Twist Her Arm, If You Must

Shannon heard

“It’s going to be hot again tomorrow, so when you come visit, we’ll have to stay inside and… be forced to watch a video or something.”
– Grampy

“You don’t have to force us to watch a video!”
– Emily

Summer Time!

Shannon news

Spring has been very very very (did I say very?) busy for us. We have successfully completed another fabulous birthday tea party, meaning of course, that Amanda is now 5! We have also survived my painting of the “blue rooms”– kitchen, nook and den “great room”. It was truly amazing how much stuff fit in our dining room while it was all moved out of harm’s way during the painting project. Throw in a tupperware party, rearranging furniture in 2 rooms, 3 separate out of town guests and a couple of other little projects for church. Stir vigorously while homeschooling and keeping up with the laundry. Anybody else tired? 🙂

Our most recent treat was a visit from my sister-in-law, Suzanne, and my 10 month old niece, Haley. Babies aren’t usually very impressed with me, but my niece just loves her auntie! Yay! Up next will be our annual trip to PA to visit Grandma and Grandpa and then on to the church retreat. Yes! A vacation sounds good right about now!

Looking on the Bright Side

Shannon heard

“I feel like a grown-up now, since Mama gets her blood taken in her arm, too.”
– Emily, after recovering from the experience of her first non “finger-prick” blood draw during her doctor’s visit

He Must Be Somebody Important

Shannon heard

“Now, do you know who King Kong is?”
– Daddy, to Emily, who had just told a joke whose punch line involved King Kong

“The Emperor of China?”
– Emily, thinking of Kublai Khan, since she’s more familiar with world history leaders than monster movie icons!

Freedom!

Shannon heard

Emily got her splints off on Monday this week. All is well, and she’s back to being just as active as ever. We are all thrilled to know she’s healthy again.

We are all enjoying a very lazy Saturday morning, which is how we happened to notice we never gave everyone the rest of the story!

Geography Lesson on the Fly

Shannon heard

“What was that you just threw?”
– Daddy to Amanda, annoyed to see something red flying from her hand toward her sister’s head

“Illinois.”
– Emily, holding up the projectile– a foam US puzzle piece (that was indeed Illinois)