Weekly Report: Stars in our eyes

First of all, I hope everyone read all the way to the bottom....We're NOT expecting a baby. That was a little rotten of me, I know.

Our caterpillars are coming along nicely. I was concerned about these black globs that started showing up. Sam told me not to worry. "They shed a little while they are growing. It's in the book, mom." Sheesh.

Monday vs. Friday


We played a little April Fool's joke on Jerm. He comes home late on Tuesdays so before the kids went to bed, they tied a string around the front door knob and zig zagged it around the house. The prize at the end was yummy treats!

We rode our bikes up to the Eyring Science building at BYU on Wednesday. I was so proud of the Sam and especially Elise. They did great riding up all that way and back. We met our homeschool group up at the planetarium where we enjoyed a show and lecture about the solar system. In preparation for this trip we watched a movie about the solar system at BrainPop and we read about constellations and planets. This tied in nicely with our studies of Greece and Rome. We also pulled out our peg boards and tried to make constellations.





We continue to enjoy our nature studies. Claire insists on dressing herself these days.

groovy.


We rode our bikes over to the library on Thursday. Sam participated in The Tempest as Stephano. He was very happy that he did not have to "love anybody". Elise learned about plants. She got to plant a snap bean in a little pot. She is very excited to watch it grow.

We've been doing pretty well with math. By that, I mean we've done it every day! My kids have really enjoyed Saxon. Okay, let me clarify. They understand Saxon. Elise loves it so far, but her math is still kind of fun. Sam's is a little harder. He has 30 mixed practice problems and 10-15 lesson practice problems. The lesson itself takes anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 minutes. So he ends up doing an hour and a half to two hours of math a day. It's not his favorite thing. He likes math, but he doesn't like to sit there for two hours doing it. I don't blame him. I'm going to try and break it up more during the day. I like to do it in the morning, because then it is done. But I think we need to change things up a bit. I'm sticking with Saxon though.

We're plugging away at the piano. We are all practicing new songs. I pulled out Debussy the other day and Elise said, "Mom, I didn't know you could really play the piano."
Gee, I guess I better practice more.

Sam and Elise got a new Highlights Top Secret Mystery in the mail on Friday. So they spent a big chunk of the day learning more about Australia. Those are fun packets. Kind of expensive, but fun.

Sam is still reading Tom Sawyer. This is the real Mark Twain. He likes it but gets distracted with encyclopedias and other books. He reads a lot, but not a lot of one book at a time.

Elise has been reading tons too. She is still working on Buffaloes before Breakfast. She finished Amazon Journey. She reads all of our library books. I'm too lazy to list them all here. BUT her reading is coming along. She struggles still with reading out loud. We're working on it. But her reading comprehension is good when she reads alone.

Claire is loving the outdoors. She amazes us with her running, jumping, scootering, roller blading, cartwheels, and flips. She feels it's her job to protect all the rolly-polly bugs that have popped up in our back yard. She is counting well to 20. She loves to sing 5 little dump trucks, and 5 little ducks. She is doing subtraction with those songs and she gets it. I thought we had all the letters down, but earlier this week when I asked her what 'p' was she didn't know. So we're going to review our letters.

Anna is talking so much. Here is an example of her talking at the table tonight: "Where 'poon? Where 'poon mommy? AAHHH! Ders poon. By my pate. Gay coo, mommy." (Where's my spoon mommy? AAAHH! There's my spoon. By my plate. Thank you, mommy.)

I've noticed that whenever there is a significant increase in mental capacity there is an increase in mischievousness. Why is this? Over the last few weeks Anna has picked up more middle names. That's how frustrated I've been with her sometimes. It's not enough to just say, "ANNA SOFIA!" I feel like I have to throw in, "ANNA SOFIA MARIA CONCHITA!" Like when she pulls all of the dresses off of the hangers for the 30th time. Or when she pours her cereal bowl on the floor. She knows better! Or the classic taking off all clothes and diaper out side in the back yard when it is 40 degrees! It's a lot of work to keep up with her right now. 'No' is the hardest word to learn and teach for me. It's nice to have help. Everyone has been helping. We love her and laugh often. However, she knows what time out means now.


We all love musicals. Sometimes our whole day seems like a musical. "Get your math done. Get your math done." (To the tune of Beethoven's Fifth) Here is a prime example:



Scripture Study: Through Ether chapter 12
I love Ether chapter 12. I think about Moroni and his incredible faith. He was living in an unthinkably difficult time. How could he maintain such faith? It's incredible to me. I think this example of Ether must have been a tremendous comfort to him. Moroni tells us that Ether preached "great and marvelous things unto the people, which they did not believe, because they saw them not." Then he admonishes us to "dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." It is not easy to be un-disputing! Sister Tanner reminded us today in conference that there was no ram in the thicket when Isaac and his father left for Moriah for the sacrifice.

The Lord gives Moroni these beautiful words in Ether 12, that have touched my life in so many ways:

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto me weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. (Ether 12: 27)