Summer Days Are Beginning

The summer heat has finally hit us, such that we hole up indoors during the afternoons. In response, I am trying a swap of our normal routine (schoolwork in the mornings, outdoor play in the afternoons).

This morning we tumbled outside to play by 9:00 a.m. Already the humidity was thick and mosquitoes swarmed. In summer I enjoy reading many more books because I use my time supervising outdoor play to read books . . . especially now that I have two children old enough to push each other or the toddler on the swings!

John with a mighty stick.
Later he occupied himself at length with target practice: throwing tree nuts and pine cones at tree trunks to practice his aim.

Mary swinging hands-free

Margaret swinging, long since having ditched the baby bucket

I took a minute-long video of the manner in which our six-year-old boy typically swings. Can you imagine what it's like to try to teach him school when what he'd like to be doing at that particular moment is swinging like this? We muddle through with tricks like starting the day with a "trampoline jumping contest" (how many times can you jump in a row?) and doing five jumping jacks in between his reading each sentence.




We've been eating outdoors in the sun room or on the lawn often these days.

I may not win prizes for Health Nut Mom of the Year--peanut butter on white wheat bread and Oreo cookies--but I hope the kids bask in my little attempts at love messages--on paper plates that will decay in our landfills and perhaps destroy planet Earth.

At this time of year, I am thick in the midst of planning curriculum for next year and re-organizing the school room to best meet our needs. I filmed a two-minute video of my latest arrangement of furniture. This stuff is so fun for me!



When I allow the children to do some educational computer games, they tend to fight. The child who isn't at the controls at any given moment seems to have a hand controlled as if by an alien being, slowly, creeping forward, reaching for the other child's mouse . . . . Said child keeps shouting out answers, thereby causing the child whose turn it is to scream and wail as if pierced by arrows.

So, I bought a pair of noise-blocking headphones and am trying out the rule that it is only one child's turn at the computer, the others may not linger behind his or her shoulders, shouting out answers. So far, there is an improvement! Unexpected benefit: Mama doesn't have to listen to the whizbang sound effects!

Mary trying the new headphones

Over summer, we are doing some basic "summer school" activities for about an hour daily: math, reading, and Bible stories, plus fun crafts that perhaps we don't have as much time for during the school year.

Painting with tempera

Mary: "I am painting a trumpeter swan!"
John: "I am painting a war truck!"

Joseph is newly five months old and able to sit in a booster for a short while till the effort tuckers him out. I've noticed lately that he is less content in his reclined bouncy seat. Who would want to stare at passing ankles? When I tried putting him in the booster, he perked right up and enjoyed being part of the action up high.

Joseph content as "part of the gang," watching the children color-by-numbers.