Magnificent Monday...!

I like the sound of that. It's not exactly a MEME I doubt I will be able to have a Magnificent Monday every week, although perhaps I should make it my goal to try.

I had an idea for some slightly different Bible studies this week - recently we have been reading the Bible every morning together once our school day starts, but not really "studying" together.

Today I decided we would study and learn the Apostles' Creed for a while. We began with a nice clean and tidy playroom thanks to last night's clean up before bed. So we sat on the carpet together and I first read them "You are Special" by Max Lucado, which I had thought about this weekend but wasn't sure which book case it was on... one of the boys found it and had it ready to read without me even mentioning it, so that saved a hunt around! Little Miss climbed around on me while I read it, the others listened (thought LittleH#3 was in a climbing mood so wasn't quite so easy a listener!). We discussed what it meant, and we had a few nice moments discussing that and remembering LittleH#3's special scripture "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made" Ps 139:14 I think, from memory.

We went from there to the Apostle's Creed, LittleH#2 read it out, then I read it line by line to LittleH#3 and he repeated each one after me (Godparents please note I am keeping my promise and teaching them this prayer!!!!), then LittleH#1 also read it and we said it all together.

Then, amazingly, the older 2 demonstrated just how much of the prayer they could remember. I'd say for LittleH#1 it is about 80% with prompts to get it all right. LittleH#2 isn't far off either.

We discussed the prayer and I told them a bit about it (hadn't got to Luther's small catechism but had got it out ready in case it was needed for us to sit and explain the different aspects of the prayer). LittleH#1 asked me whether it was a prayer to defend us against the enemy. I said that it is a prayer that describes our faith, what we believe. He said that was what he meant - he thought the prayer was like the shield of faith to defend us from fiery arrows (he held his arm as if holding a shield).

Well that amazed me actually. What a good way to look at a prayer that describes what we believe. The enemy does in fact tell us lies - about many things but does try to take away from what we believe. We can equip ourselves by learning prayers such as this - the basics of our faith on which the universal Christian church is agreed. I think teaching the children this summary of our faith now will be an invaluable tool, or weapon in their armoury, later.

As I washed up, I built on my original ideas and I think we can do something good with the Apostle's Creed, Armour of God, Fruit of the Spirit etc. A little H-production perhaps. Bit like the Sunday School one last week, except maybe a bit better organised and they won't be stuck at the back where no-one can see them!!!! ;)

So the copy work for today was writing out the Creed (LittleH#1), writing out the first 2 lines and doing a drawing (LittleH#2) and we are making the full written version of LittleH#1 into a shield display.

Other than that- we have done practical maths - baking - weighing and measuring (they are good, and surprised me with the sums I asked them to do while we did it), and money maths (counting and sorting the coins in the Peter Rabbit money box).

In between times, LittleH#2 has been devouring books today, I love that he can be a bookworm at 5. He's read predominantly Christian books today, actually, so it has been a good start to our week and perhaps a bit of a rededication to the Almighty God who has called us to this work.

Domestic Science / Home economics?!

Well whichever of those 2 are more appropriate (can think of good reasons for either) it's not exactly Rocket Science. At least not in our house!

This morning we started back into Miquon with a little bit for everyone - even LittleH#3 did some geometry on a page requiring identification of squares and triangles and then a funny little picture of a man made out of shapes to colour in. That kept him busy for about 2 minutes and my 'village school' type idea of teaching everyone in the same room was good / interesting / still needs work but on the right track!

LittleH#1 had some multiplication pages to do, and I also tore some sequential work out for LittleH#2 as well as finding him some number handwriting pages for practice. Learningpage was the best in the end, but I also did some in orange highlighter for him to trace over. He got frustrated and was sad because his numbers don't look good on paper, and a lot came out backwards today for some reason. That hasn't happened for a while (he is left handed and has done more backwards writing than LittleH#1 did when he was starting out). I told him his head was ahead of his hand and that I know how frustrated he feels. I told him that he was really good at 'mental arithmetic' but that we need to work on 'writing maths' and am kicking myself for letting him do a year of letter writing practice as and when it was appropriate, but not having practised numbers in the same way. So a numberwriting crash course required. He's only 5, it doesn't matter, but he really wants to do maths and writing work so I need to have some 'handwriting time' organised as part of each day.

The multiplication went well for LittleH#1, and a few pennies dropped along the way. We discussed how you describe the sentences - 2 times 4, 2 lots of 4, 2 4's etc, and 4+4. In fact I am pleased that we got a lot out of a fairly simple page - that is what I like about Miquon - it isn't too prescriptive. I am also kicking myself for not buying the online version because LittleH#2 could have done that page as well, and wouldn't have had actually to write any numbers. Think I may well be downloading it later because I am trying to use the Orange Book for both of them and I randomly copy pages before I use them but I didnt do that from the start... I sound like I am in a muddle... I'm not, I'm just trying to save money on resources! For now we are sharing the book. LittleH#1 is further ahead in the book, and I left some of the early pages for LittleH#2 intentionally.

Following lunch (the strangest cheese on toast I have ever made - bacon, eggs, toast, peanut butter and honey on toast - spot the deliberate mistake - no cheese...) we had a lesson in first aid when LittleH#3 fell over and hit his head and nose on the floor. Nosebleed was quite distracting and it wasn't till I put him to bed I saw the bump. LittleH#1 was very good - brought me the frozen peas and teatowel, phone (for moral support!) and then picked up the runaway peas when the drama was over. Lots of good pea jokes and the boys are getting very good at making puns. Need to teach them some other literary devices but for now that one is keeping us very amused. Better than the joke book LittleH#1 is reading. Maybe a school project might be for him to write some of his own jokes down?

I was very pleased with LittleH#1's emergency situation response - something that is a goal for us this year actually.

Currently the home ec project is in the oven. We have jokingly called it Domestic Science (because they like science so I gave the kitchen some Importance in our school!). Today's 'lesson' was a mix (ha, get it?!) of both. We had to 'make' some ingredients before we could make the cake.

• Had no vegetable oil. Needed 100mls. So I 'tested' with LittleH#1 whether 100g of margarine will make 100ml of oil - it just about did. Not sure either measurement was THAT scientific but it did the job.
• Had no caster sugar. Did something I have wanted to try for a while. We put the raw sugar in the blender and made caster sugar. Apparently if you keep going you can make icing sugar. I do believe that. I think ours was a halfway house between caster and icing.

So we have learned how to be economical with what we have got, how to make oil from solid margarine, reinforcing what we know already about 'matter'. As well as how to cook.

Next stop: walk to the shops. I think we will continue with 'tables walking' as really that is the next landmark I want to get to - learning a few of our tables.

In the meantime LittleH's 1 & 2 have been teaching themselves geography with the Leapfrog globe. Reporting exciting things to me as I wash up the dishes and now they are drawing flags. LittleH#2 just showed me the Libyan one he's just drawn. They began looking at continents and discussing volcanoes / islands made from volcanoes / funny names they'd never heard of before. I must record all this 'extra' / natural learning because it makes a very interesting picture overall when I look back, as we have for the review. I really do see these extra 'learnings' as God's provision to us as a family - his provision in the form of their learning.