Lighten our darkness.

This is a theme for us at the moment - fire! We have been on retreat as a family, and (longer post to come) have spent a lot of time lighting fires, and praying about various things, including reading Pentecost and praying for the Holy Spirit to fill us anew and take us forward as a family.

Today I need to hang on to that, so I am lighting a fire here and now!

Junk Food

Of the educational kind.

At least that is what it is to me. I think teachers might call it something different "Getting on Activities" but that fills me with a bit of guilt if I let it!

Anyway. In view of all the sickness, theirs and mine, I decided we need something just readily getdownable from the shelf. Especially as LittleH#2 is so keen he wants to ask me for work all the time, so if I need to get something else ready I can let him get on with something from where he left off while I get the next thing out / printed off. I am glad he has this enthusiasm, it is giving me (LittleH#1) more direction and momentum.

So I went to the education shop, and bought Spelling Rules book A for LittleH#2, and Book C for LittleH#1. Both are a tiny bit easy in some ways, but LittleH#1 brought the first two books home from school when we left, and he loved doing it. Still does. LittleH#2's book is definitely too easy in many respects but he does need easy letter and writing practice, so there are still benefits in letting him do the book for fun. It is officially a Reception book, and he is officially in Reception. Though goodness knows where his English is on the scale.

I also bought some convenience maths food. Maths Plus. Again, a book we got from school for LittleH#1 and worked through, and I disliked a number of things about it so supplemented it with other things. I have stuck with the 'other things' but for a few different reasons I still think we should probably have that book on the shelf, for use in seasons! I got Books K and 1 for LittleH#2 (again book K has started off far too easy so it is the equivalent of a fun activity book in the early pages, though it is introducing concepts we probably ought to get through albeit quick). Later on in the book the ability level bears no relation to the first pages, so I do think it is a strange scheme. LittleH#1 is on Book 2.

The first morning, even with tonsilitis, I found LittleH#2 in the dining room at 6.15am setting himself up and beginning Spelling Rules. LittleH#1 is frustrated that his brother is already about 8 or 9 units into the book. Of course they are easier and a bit shorter, but also he is more motivated. I think that as long as it doesn't get out of hand, that little bit of competition (or maybe iron sharpening iron, even at their age) is quite good.

Anyway. They are decent curriculum books but not my curriculum of choice, hence seeing them as junk food. What they will do is ensure that some of the basics go on all the while, leaving me to do more creative and meaningful activities with them when I can, with less of the guilt that creeps up on me when we do it naturally.

Bible time is good again. We have had some brilliant reading times together, and they are really getting the hang of rotating a verse each and keeping up. Their reading is wonderful.

As for 'not junk food' I have ordered the First Language Lessons (Jessie Wise, I think?) from book depository for LittleH#2, although I think we will also benefit from doing it together with LittleH#1 because I would like to work on his oral language a bit - he freezes up when asked questions verbally sometimes, like narration.

I have plans also to do the Australian Traveller book / curriculum with them (kind of Australian five in a row), I just have to pluck up the courage to order it. I had a lovely time reading just to LittleH#3 yesterday afternoon "Are We There Yet" by Alison Lester, another Australian travel book.

Other self starting things they are doing at the moment is devouring space books (again, although this time LittleH#2 is a competent reader and told me some sun facts over breakfast). They were reading them this morning before 7, and I got the facts over my porridge - about sun spots and flares. I told them they are not allowed to learn before breakfast. ;) They loved that, I am not sure whether I should encourage play rebellion but anyway. That's my humour and there we are.

Later today we will face the music at the dentist. I am sure some school will come out of that. Maybe he can teach them to brush their teeth better than I can.

Hotwheels Maths!

I mentioned the hotwheels maths and haven't come back yet to say what we did. So here it is.

I wanted to introduce the idea to LittleH#2 of collecting data, and I was inspired by the boys at play a little while ago with their hotwheels track, complaining that the same lane or car kept winning.

I set them the task (this was possibly the hardest part!) of choosing only 4 cars and we decided which lane they would go on. I wrote them all on the white board (the cars had fantastic names that the boys copied down on the sheet I prepared for them). We did a number of races, and recorded which car won each time.

I then asked them to tally the number of races each car had won, and we recorded the data that way. Next step will be to make a simple bar chart displaying the race data.

It's all quite easy for LittleH#1 but I don't have a problem with that, he can work independently without my help, he can help LittleH#2 and it is revision for him.

Little H#3 was able to join in - we had him as the race starter, and I took photos of them all. Anyway, simple or not, it was a good afternoon's activity for them all together and is one of those (maybe not quite so rare) scholastic bliss moments. A terrible video, but here's one of the races all the same!!

In sickness and in Homeschool... again!

Well we are in a health blip - nothing major but even if they were at school, Little H's #1 and 2 would be having a fair time off at the moment with a flu virus that just seems to be going on forever! No-one is spared, so with a family of 6 we having been nursing someone or other (usually more than one) for about the past 3 weeks...

School still goes on, kind of, but it has been even less formal (and less organised!) and there is beauty and blessing in that, as well as a bit of extra guilt and stress for me!

I have had a bit of an exploration of the NAPLAN standards, a year ahead, so that I can see where we are in terms of what is expected of Y3 which Little H#1 will be next year. Really the thing I am interested in is how the maths curriculum compares and I am glad to have looked at it now - not because we are going to go anywhere near NAPLAN next year ,but because I can see what gaps we have in what we are doing. I have listed those for myelf but a noteable one was logic problems. I used to love those as a child anyway and we haven't done much logic and not enough probability (which actually Little H#1 copes ok with). So I will supplement what we are doing in maths (I don't really feel the need to apologise for concentrating on number, but I will do some more of the other things to make sure we are a bit more rounded).

We did some beginner logic problems on Friday and I enjoyed doing something very different with Little H#1, and he enjoyed them too. They were free off the internet of course. :)

We also have done some money play and work recently - we definitely need to do more of that, and I think the time has come to start with pocket money and saving up and actually using money in shops.

The boys have been playing games really nicely too, and there is definitely an improvement in the patience of taking turns, accepting that they may not win, and also importantly being willing to attempt things like forfeits (or action cards, required in a lovely game we have called Bright Buttons). The Bright Buttons game is aimed at 3 year olds but even last year when I bought it, neither of the older 2 felt able to attempt any of the easy actions if they required physical movement or impersonations etc. So it's a nice game they can all play together and still get something from.

Little H#2 is very keen now and is asking for work even when ill, which is difficult because obviously it is harder for him to concentrate and he gets upset with himself for getting letters back to front or questions not quite right.

They have inspired me again with Bible time, we have had some lovely devotion times recently and Little H's #1 and 2 are reading fantastically from their Bibles. Little H#3 is also desperate for "work" but his attention span is age appropriate and it's a little hard to keep him engaged sometimes in preschooler activities. ANyway. I am trying to master setting work for 2 slightly different developmental stages (they are closer in maths than I might think) and soon I will have a better idea of how to balance all 3. There are those scholastic bliss moments (like hotweels maths last week) where they all work together, Little H#3 can join in and we all come away with something good. I will detail that lesson separately but here is a sneak preview:

Time for myself...

I have had a few comments recently where people have said I don't get any time to myself. So true! Well almost. I don't get to go out shopping and drink cappuccinos (without little people in tow) and if I am at home and some of them are asleep that is basically my 'time to myself' equivalent. Anyway. For now, a bit of sewing usually does the trick and fools me into a false sense of 'me time'. It does mean though that the housework is neglected a bit (more).

Here are some things I have just made.

This is a quilt that has taken me about 6 weeks to make. Haven't wasted much time and have wanted to get it done as quickly as possible, whilst still doing a neat job. I've learned a lot as I have done it, and it has been a healing and a spiritual project as well as producing something as a gift for someone else. The story behind it is personal so not appearing here, but basically the outside blocks, sashing, binding and buttons represent all colours of sky, cloud and stars. The centre block represents the rainbow and dove.

This time I have quilted in the ditch, and around the stars which are officially Le Moyne stars. The design is completely my own which I am pleased with but it is a dedicated project and the design and work was done in prayer so the design is spiritually inspired rather than being anything about me being artistic! The rainbow block 'just about' works, it represents rather than looks like a rainbow, the inclusion of which was essential but problematic! The blocks are made from men's shirts, something else that limited my rainbow options. Anyway. Praying over the right time to gift the quilt to its intended owner, and excited about that.

Not so much of a story about this one! It is a waldorf inspired doll, for LittleMiss's second cousin's first birthday (got that?!) on Sunday. Started it Weds afternoon, finished it Thursday evening. so not onerous although I need to put some time back in the housework exchequer today.

How we study and some achievements!

We seem to do some subjects in blocks, rather than itty bitty subjects every day of the week. I used to be concerned about this but actually it suits the children more to learn that way, and when I add together all that we have done and are doing, it seems to balance out in the right proportions.

Currently we have been having a bit of a science and music festival. The science has included the exploration of hovercraft technology, making some models with a motor and batteries from a little kit Matthew brought LittleH#1 back from his trip to Melbourne - our week without him is another story ;).

LittleHs 1 and 2 are learning the ukelele, as well as the guitar. They already knew a few chords on the guitar, and have been having lessons with DH, as well as music sessions. Matthew came back from his conference talking about a session they had with about 300 delegates all playing the ukelele and being taught for the first time how to play some chords. With only 4 strings it is easy for someone to pick up. So we bought 2, one cheap one and one good one - and now they are playing 4 chords (LittleH#1) and 2 chords (LittleH#2). They have been introduced to Bluegrass, and we are working on a VonH version of You are my sunshine. Got a few Colin songs we think they might be able to manage too. With practice! Meanwhile I'd like to think about getting LittleH#3 some Suzuki method violin lessons to see whether he'd like that. The ukelele playing is also improving their guitar playing too. Bonus.

We have also begun teaching them the music stave and note names. Whilst this is something I can do (and I want to teach them the recorder) it has been nice for Matthew to take on music a bit with them, so that's how we are dividing the work for now.

We are thinking about how we might make a bigger hovercraft model next, and also were amazed how LittleH#3 described what he thought was happening to the air underneath the takeaway box container that was the hovercraft body. He thought that the air built up and then tried to escape and that is how the box lifted up a bit and moved around. He'd be right! :)

Other achievements recently are that LittleH#3 has begun riding his bike without trainer wheels at only 3 1/2, and LittleMissH is standing up and threatening to cruise. She is talking a lot, and communicating even more. I haven't officially designated it homeschool but they are all enjoying a mix of Auslan signs and baby sign language with her, and that officially can count as LOTE if I want it to. It will certainly get a mention in dispatches next year!

I have just discovered how to 'right' the date and time I post things on the blog. That had been annoying me for a while. :) Edited to add: ah, no I haven't. I appear to have a technical problem but I don't suppose anyone minds (hardly a great following) and I am just going to have to live with it!

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.