Birthday Daze!

My baby is 3! Seems like yesterday....(ok, I have the right to recount the event, right?) James was born at home in our bedroom. He came much quicker than I expected and Rob nearly missed the event. He was summoned from the shower and when he rushed into the room, James' head was already born. My body birthed James all on it's own. I never pushed. I kept laughing as I held him and saying "I can't believe he is here already!"

So, here we are, anxiously waiting to be DONE with diapers and sippy cups. We are almost there! James is not allowed to go in the front yard by himself because we live by a major road. Rob is always telling him he isn't old enough. After waking up on his birthday, I immediately sang "Happy Birthday to You". As soon as I finished singing, he held up 3 fingers and asked sweetly, "Now can I go outside?" Awww!

James insisted on a Blue's Clues cake. Blue's Clues is very outdated and I couldn't find anything to put on top of his cake. So, we made a "clue"! He loved it!


Did I say he loved it?


The whole gang. I like having simple family dinners for the birthday child. I like to bond together as a core unit vs. the party being all about the friends with the family in the background.


Huffin' and a puffin'.


Ready, set, go!


James is my most expresive child. He is a joy to watch!


His very own umbrella! Too bad we are in a dry spell.


Yay for cups and forks and spoons! (And Dollar General!)


$10 from Papa and Grammie. He'll have fun spending that!


There is SO much I could say about my youngest son. He is a joy. Whatever he is feeling, he'll express it. He loves to tell me he loves Jesus and "everyone". He loves life, laughs deeply and loves wholeheartedly! And I love him! Very much! Happy 3rd birthday, James! And NO, you can't go outside just yet! Maybe next year! Maybe.

Homeschool on my mind.

When "Team A" (Rebecca, Zack and Elijah) was still in diapers, I gave no thought to their future education other than to be excited about them beginning kindergarten. I didn't focus on teaching them their ABC's before school, because in my opinion that's what they went to school to learn! I taught them to color, draw, paint, mold interesting things with play-do, and 21 things to do with glitter. We taught them to ride their bikes, play in a pool without drowning, climb trees and tie their shoes. I don't ever remember focusing on education, though. Homeschooling was FAR from my mind. Kindergarten came for Rebecca and she went to Hobe Sound Elementary. I'm convinced her teacher had Alzheimers. She would repeat herself several times in our parent teacher conferences and I remember thinking, "Is Rebecca learning ANYthing?" The answer was NO! She ended the school year not able to read. In preparation to enroll her in Hobe Sound Christian Academy the following semester, I taught her to read and also to write in cursive in less than two months. I wondered again about the capabilities of her previous teacher. HSCA was great and Rebecca flew ahead in her learning. However, in coping with Zack's newly diagnosed Autism, things were hectic at home and we were ready for a different pace in our education. With MUCH fear and trepidation, we asked a zillion questions from the ones "in the know" about home education. We embarked full speed ahead and long story short, we are now wrapping up year number 7. Rebecca will be in High School next year which is a whole new chapter for us!




But, that isn't the subject of this blog! I want to talk about "Team B", otherwise known as Nathanael and James. Over a half dozen years into being a teacher of my children, I am in tune with their learning styles even at their young age of 4 and almost 3. Nathanael is smart. But I don't think he gives two hoots about "book learning". He is naturally curious about things, how they work and what makes them go. He LOVES God's creation and creatures and will cuddle with ANYthing! Even a dead tadpole. He enjoys being read to and enjoys even more the cuddling that is necessary when one reads a book! My assessment is that he will learn, but he is in NO hurry to get there. I may not begin formal Kindergarten with him until he is six. Unless he changes, he will be a "hands on" learner and won't care much at all for seat work. Fortunately, he doesn't like to be outdone by his little brother, and sometimes changes his mind to follow along with what he previously rejected.




James, on the other hand is completely opposite. He craves learning. He'll be three next week and I can't teach him fast enough. It started with him learning his ABC's last fall. Now we are working on what the letters "say". I'm presenting him with three letter words all from the same family and he is catching on fast. I was astounded the other day to hear him asking me what different letters say. He likes to announce, "Mom, 'A' says aaaa," whenever he spots an A on a cereal box or in a book. He took it a step further and asked me "Mom, what does Q say?"

I enjoy doing all the same things with Team B that I did with Team A. We color, draw, mold, paint but are much more judicial with the glitter. (I guess I'm getting old!) But it's been fun adding the dimension of looking ahead, knowing that I will be the one who will teach them to read. It gets me motivated to get moving and not wait. So, we plunge in and expose them to whatever their minds will accept. Bible verses are recited for every vitamin they chew, lapbooks are piling up full of stories they learned about and explored and every day is an opportunity to fill their minds with SOMEthing! I love it! I wish I knew then (with team A) what I know now! I confess that I prefer teaching this age than I do the current 5th and 8th grades of Eli and Becca.

I'm getting ready to attend the largest homeschool convention in the USA, held in Orlando. FPEA's annual event is much anticipated in the homeschool realms. I have been able to attend only once before and am SO excited that I won a free pass this year! I'll be focused on solidifying High School material for Rebecca. A few years ago whenever I thought about teaching the higher grades, I literally shook in my boots. Now that I'm here, God gives me the grace I need to do it! I'm absorbing all I need to know about this road with ease. The ropes don't feel as rough as they did a few years back. I guess my calluses are thicker!

I hope to blog more about our home education and post pictures of our daily school activities other than the field trips. Yes, we DO do seat work, writing, math and everything else in between. It just doesn't make good blog material compared to a field trip on a ship or some other exciting place.

But first, Summer break!!!

Rebecca and the girls signing "It Is Well"

The Little Red Schoolhouse.

Rebecca, Elijah and I had the wonderful privilege of attending a one room schoolhouse today. We didn't just didn't just observe, but actually became a living history museum for a little over 2 hours. They were totally immersed in the culture of 1886. They had to dress the part, act the part and only bring food and containers that were period correct.



The children all lined up for a group photo before the teacher opened the big doors you see behind them. They were all smiles until....


...the teacher, Ms. Hattie Gale opened the doors and had the children line up single file and prepare to enter the classroom. As you can imagine, one room schoolhouses were run very strictly. The children all took a deep breath and stepped back in time. Ms. Hattie Gale was authentic to a "T". Nobody was allowed to talk. Period. They couldn't even raise their hand to ask a question. The rules were explained and they marched in single file.


This schoolhouse was the first one built in Palm Beach County. It has been restored to it's original condition and is located at Phipps Ocean Park.


The children were each assigned a real student from that time and had to learn a little bit about them before attending class today. They wore name tags with their new name on it and were addressed by that name.


Elijah became John Wilder for the day. They each made a copy book before the field trip to write in. They were given slates, slate pencils and lead pencils to use while they were there.


Students were asked to copy the phrase "Good posture makes good thinkers." 100 times in their copy book. (What wasn't completed was to be "home work")


Like we have all read about in Little House on the Prairie books, students of all ages worked together and groups by age were called up to the front to study their level specifically.


"John" and "Levi" working on penmanship. It had to be done "just so".


The older girls worked on mental arithmetic. Rebecca became Maggie Lewis for the day.


During recess, the children played capture the bacon. The weighted sock was tossed into the center and if your number was called, you tried to beat the person from the opposite team with the same number to get the sock and get back in line. Ms. Gale made it fun, for such a simple game!


She kept picking on "John" and "Walter" and the children thought it was a hoot!


Period correct lunches were to be brought in period correct containers. We opted for beef jerky, apples and oranges. Others brought boiled eggs, cheese and home made bread. No lunch meat, chips, soda cans or juice boxes were seen at this picnic under a sprawling tree!


This little lady and her brother came in at least 20 minutes late. Ms. Gale stayed in character, reprimanded them and told them she would be speaking to their parents about their tardiness. She really gave them a scolding and I wondered how they felt just walking in like that totally unprepared for the "mood and setting" of this field trip. They took it well and were saying a solemn "Yes Ma'am" immediately. I think her brother was the youngest in the group and it was interesting to see how he would hold up. He did just fine!


Here is her little brother (I don't know either of their names) saying, spelling, saying a word and then using it in a sentence.


Elijah's, er, "John's" turn to say, spell, say...


Everyone had to read out of an authentic McGuffey's reader.


Ms. Gale went over some sound (Godly) character traits with them. I don't remember all she said, but it was about living honestly and always telling the truth, etc.


When 12 noon came around, everyone was allowed to step out of character and become themselves again. The smiles returned! Ms. "Gale" (I didn't catch her real name) did a Q&A with the children and posed for pictures with them.


"Good posture, young man!"


Ms. Gale pretending to put Eli in the "dunce chair".


Eli and Daniel pretending to warm their hands on the wood stove.


Rebecca with her lunch basket and HER authentic slate.


Ana and I were the chaperones for this trip and we had to dress period correct as well.


This was one of the most fascinating field trips for the kids this year and in spite of the serious atmosphere, they absolutely loved it! I also love how this went hand in hand with their history co-op they are doing on the Civil War. For those of you who are interested, the Civil War was 1861-1865 and this schoolhouse opened in 1886, about 20 years after the war ended. Did you also know that the Jupiter Lighthouse was lit in 1860? Civil War Confederate sympathizers removed the illuminating mechanism to darken the light for the duration of the war. My children also learned this week that their great-great-great grandfather John Wesley Foster was born in 1845 and fought for the South (the kids are NOT proud of that fact!) in the Civil War. He died in 1892. We have a photo of his tombstone but I'll save that for another post!

My Mother Has a Sense of Humor!

While my mom was here for Nate's birthday last week, we were talking and cooking in the kitchen. I voiced my frustration about not having even ONE spatula in the house! I have plenty of wooden spoons, but for some reason, not a single spatula. I never think to get one until I need it, but never think of it when I'm actually at the store. Anyway, I told Rebecca that she could please get me one for my birthday which was (is) coming up soon. My mother heard and made a mental note. As soon as she got home from visiting us, she went to the store and bought every spatula under the sun, and in every color, wrapped them all up individually in tissue paper, put them in a box and shipped it off to me. It arrived today and after unwrapping the first one, I had an inkling that there were a lot more to unwrap. So, I called her up on the phone while I unwrapped the rest. I felt like I was reading a Dr. Seus book. Red spatula, pink spatula, regular spatula, spoon spatula! What a hoot! The very last package in the bottom of the box was a coffee measuring spoon. I made coffee for mom and dad while they visited and suffice it to say, mom decided that I needed a proper measuring device. Yeah, I made some "grow hair on your chest" coffee. Sorry. I was distracted. Both times.


Thanks mom! You're the best! (did I tell you that I'm getting low on tea towels?)