Our Little Miss Drama Queen participated in a dance/theater class this spring with some of her good homeschool buddies, and she had such a blast.
I LOVED watching the joy and excitement on her face as she emerged from class each Friday afternoon. And the boys loved our weekly trips to local parks and Dunkin Donuts as we waited for their Big Sis. Our adventurous, nature loving Lil Mister even discovered his first Geocache on one of these outings! Not to be outdone by his tree-hugging Big Brother, on a subsequent forest tromp the Lil Sir got into a tussle with a stick and ended up in the Duke ER with a severe eye injury. But that’s a tale for another day…one that (thanks be to God!) had a a happy ending (and a whole lotta lollipops).
Anyhoo…where was I? Oh right, the RECITAL.
It was awesome. And somewhat chaotic. But fun and sweet and awesome nonetheless.
Some might even call it a SQUEAL!
Our Little Miss Blue Mouse
Here are some memories from the dress rehearsal:
(type in “wright” to watch the videos)
And then the performance was the next night! In front of a room with a PACKED audience, no less.
Getting all gussied up…
Welcoming her guests…
All ready to go…
And then show time!!!
(no password necessary for this one)
The final bows
The Little Miss did great and we were all so very proud of her!
We made it with some happy (sunscreen lathered) Littles,
Some happy (wine toting) parents,
And a happy (energizer bunny) Nena too!
After months of styling our house, then selling our house, then packing our house, we were all SO ready for vacation!
And with our usual zest and gusto we went full throttle and had a great, FULL week.
Full of sand,
Full of sea,
(type in “wright” to watch the videos)
Full of sky,
Full of sun.
Full of snacks,
Full of silly,
Full of swings,
Full of FUN!
And always, yes always….
Gettin’ stuff done.
It was a beautiful week.
We can’t wait to go back!
AT THE SEASIDE By: Robert Louis Stevenson
Read & dictated by Annabelle
When I was down beside the sea A wooden spade they gave to me To dig the sandy shore. My holes were empty like a cup, In every hole the sea came up, Till it could come no more.
She did it, folks. She survived both her kindergarten yearand her first year of homeschooling under Teacher Mama
…and learned a whole darn lot in the process.
And I did it, folks. I survived the first (often difficult, definitely entertaining) year teaching homeschool. Admittedly, I feel a lot like this right now…
But I’m so glad and thankful for the educational path that we have chosen. God is so much wiser than I am (shocker), and He knew this was the right way for us to go…both for the Little Miss, and for our family.
And with God’s help (and a whole lotta wine and ice cream), WE MADE IT TO SUMMER BREAK!!!
So here’s a look back at our last 5 months of school.
HOME SCHOOLING
Reading & Literature
What better place to read great literature than outside, with a cup of hot cocoa in hand?
Writing
First book by the Little Authoress.
Part biblical critique, part cookbook…the possibilities are endless!
Arts & Crafts
Lunchtime
in our very own Outdoor Cafeteria
GIRL SCOUTS
In a troop full of Girl Scout-Homeschool-Superstars it’s hard not to feel confident!
SCIENCE:
Earning her Butterfly Badge…Little Bros in tow.
They’re good company.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Gymnastics Class
For a girl who loves to wiggle (and TALK!), I can’t imagine a better class or instructor. Coach Andrew is one of our faves!
Spring Soccer
What with buying a new home and putting our current home on the market this spring, we only made it to one game. Sigh. But the Lil Miss still had a blast practicing with her team! She dreams of being a world class Goalie. Mostly, I think, because it affords her the most opportunities to sing and twirl.
Put on your game face!
CLASSICAL CONVERSATIONS CO-OP
We hit the gold mine when we joined the South Durham CC community. It’s a group chock-full of families who love Jesus, who are devoted to their kids, and who want to care and support each other as we travel this crazy (exhausting) homeschool journey together. We are so thankful for all of the friends and adventures we have enjoyed (and will continue to enjoy) with this group!
SCIENCE:
Building a structure for the egg drop
The Lil Miss and her Engineering Partner (Severus)
Success! The egg survived!
SCIENCE: CC Field trip to the NC Zoo
(a.k.a. How Much can a Mama Sweat in One Day?)
ART & WORLD HISTORY: CC Field trip to the NC Art Museum
This place is A-MA-ZING.
The volunteer guide kept her cadre of Little Pupils captivated the ENTIRE visit. She was so engaging and attentive. It’s awesome to watch kids’ interest soar when they are shepherded by a passionate teacher!
It was the same for me back in the day when I was taught by Mr. Bob Engberg. Great teachers are such treasures!
HISTORY: CC Field trip to Stagville Plantation
Using archaeological clues to learn about the lives and struggles of the slaves who once occupied the largest plantation in all of North Carolina
The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.
Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.
I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.
