Update

Goodness, it really has been awhile since i've posted!  Family members keep telling me so, but I hadn't fully realized. Homeschooling is going well; as always, i lack in organization, but the kids keep learning anyway.  That's the biggest lesson for me in the whole thing: Kids will get what they need if you only pay attention.  No amount of planning or forcing will get things accomplished better than that.  Ryvre is reading very well, i think.  He's still sounding out some words, but he's tackling books like Harry Potter because he wants to.  He's also a wiz with a gameboy, but i suppose most traditionalists wouldn't see that as a good thing. I really don't mind; the games he plays are helping with his math, reading, and critical thinking. Willow is writing more, and teaching herself to spell a few simple words, like people's names and "love" so she can write short letters.  She constantly hovers over Ember, correcting and trying to help her write letters as well, but Ember doesn't seem to mind the attention. A couple of nights ago, all three took part in their first role-playing game session.  It was a simple game, but they were amazing!  They each created a character with unique abilities, and worked together to defeat a group of monsters and save a damsel in distress.  They seemed to understand the rules and did their own math to determine outcomes in combat and skill usage.  And of course they were imaginative and had fun! I do still have some readers here, so i will try to be better about updates.  I use facebook a lot more lately, so if you would like to add me, please send a message with your info--my profile there is friends-only, but for the sake of convenience, this blog is not, so you will have to ask for my name and location privately.

Halloween

This year we tried out the "Halloween Alternative" at the Baptist church.  I would consider it a success, and we will probably go next year.

There were crafts



And face painting





And food.  I suspect Ryvre was trying to sweet-talk Willow out of a bite of her cupcake, painstakingly decorated.  She was having none of that.



Meanwhile...NOM!



Busted.



Two princesses and an alien. 



We also did some late trick-or-treating and hit seven houses that were still giving out candy.  No one felt cheated out of their Halloween expectations, and we went home with a moderate amount of good candy as opposed to tons of "meh."

Birthdaypalooza

Ryvre's Ben 10 Cake (Dale's artistic rendering of Diamond Head in the center)



Psychadellic Rainbow Cupcakes! 



Swimming!



Coloring!



Ryvre's favorite gift...



The Omnitrix!



Probably one of Ember's favorites...but hard to tell by the expression.  She was really tired.



Blowing out the candles!



Ryvre's turn




I am still tired.

Updates

Ryvre is reading to his sisters.  He still has to sound out a lot of words, but he's confident and rarely gets frustrated anymore. Of course once one kid realizes you're taking a pic, they have to look at you weird. Willow is taking on more responsibilities; she retrieves items from the dryer, keeps her little sister's cup full if water, and helps her in the bathroom.  She also helps prepare and serve lunch.  Willow has a very nurturing personality, but it often comes across as...um...bossy.  So i'm trying to play up the positive by giving her things to do that are helpful. Ember is about halfway potty-trained.  There are good and bad days. Random learning moment: Prisms!  Brought to you by pirated WoW CDs on the endtable. And one more random thing: kids at a local grape stomping festival. The police department did fingerprinting, which was probably the coolest thing there

Silver Dollar City

Our trip to Silver Dollar City, earlier this month: Kids posing by a "pumpkin tree" just inside the entrance Ember "helping" with the basket weaving.  The others wouldn't try it, but the lady was very nice. They love the rides, of course, but the bigger two are getting bored with the "baby area." Note the look of fear in the third cart.  The next time around, i caught Ryvre's arm tight around his little sis to comfort her, but that one came out blurry. Frozen Lemonade.  Guess what?  We all shared it.  I kid you not. Possibly the most fun she had all day; running around the rock wall i probably shouldn't have let her run around on. Scratch that, playing in the fountain i probably shouldn't have let them play on was most fun. It IS fall!  PROOF! For some reason this young lady was running around with her friends (two pirates and a Dorothy) in costume.  Ember was absolutely enamored.

The Beginning of a New UnSchool Year

First Week of School! I had planned to make a post for the first day, but...well, I just plain didn't get around to it. The challenge this year is on my end.  DOCUMENTING everything the kids learn, and how much time they spend doing it.  That is what the state requires, should They ever happen to ask, and I must have these things in order now that Ryvre is (almost) "compulsory age." Day 1 (Monday) was uneventful, and even a little tearful.  I explained to the kids that we really must make an effort to do some "schoolwork" every day.  Even if it's just a little.  They did not want to do it, so we had a nice long talk.  Ryvre and Willow both agree that they would rather stay home and do the work here than miss each other all day while stuck in "regular school" classes, even though they would be with other kids.  It's sweet that that's their main concern: missing their family for most of the day.  Day 2 was spent running errands.  It may not be everyone's definition of classic education, but we did have enlightening conversations about taxidermy (thanks to the decor of Lonestar Steakhouse), finances ("Daddy, can we have..." anyone?) and the water cycle ("Ember's cup is DRIPPING on me!") Day 3 (today) started out rough, but after 10 minutes of instruction, Ryvre has mastered the concept of Place Value, and is adding numbers well into the hundreds!  More importantly, after moping and resisting all morning, he is officially excited about math again!  And he also lost a tooth, as a sidenote. Willow is doing very well with addition; i have to ask her not to yell out the answers when Ryvre is doing his work aloud.

Math Genius

Huge News!

Willow can Add!

She just showed me.  I had no idea!  I suppose she's seen and heard Ryvre do it, but i've never actually sat down with her and explained the hows and whys.  I never "made" her do it.