Today was a productive day, despite a later-than-expected start.  Ruby and Molly each made it easily through three Math lessons.  We are doing several at a time because they already know most of the beginning lessons, but I want to make sure I know that they know the material.  The English lesson and the Writing lesson went well.  Right now they are listening to their History being read on a CD.  We started a little study of the book of Ruth, and the girls were actually very interested.  So far, so good.  I even went to the grocery store and got started on dinner already.  Josh will be glad about that.

Mack made it through two Math lessons and then it was all downhill from there.  He whined about how tired he was.  He then asked me to play MEMORY with him.  I told him I would gladly play with him a little later today, but that at that moment I must teach Molly and Ruby their math.  He got so mad.  He whined and said, “Well, if you aren’t going to play with me now, then I don’t want to play with you at all today.”  OK.  Fine.  Then, he starts heading towards the stairs and tells me that, “I am going to my room and just staying there.   I’m just gonna go to my room by myself and stay there.”  OK. Fine.

He was relentlessly whiney and very demanding all day.  Like I have said before, being four years old hasn’t been so good to Mack.  He really is a sweet boy, but has this awful side that we have been seeing a lot of lately!  He threatens regularly.  Like this afternoon after me showing him which writing sheets he could try (which were not the ones he wanted), he said, “I’m never going to do any handwriting ever again.”  So dramatic.  Not sure exactly what to do with him right yet.

I even mentioned that to Ruby…”Gracious, that Mack is being a mess today.  I don’t know what to do with him.”  I said.

Ruby, very quickly said, “Well, you could throw him out the window.”

She is funny.

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The other night we were reading aloud from LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE.  We came to a description of Mr. Scott.  The words used were short and stout.  I asked the kids what they thought the word ‘STOUT’ meant.  Ruby said, “Fat.”  Mack said, “Oh, it means you can’t come in ever.”  hahahaha!  He thought I was saying, “Stay out.”

So maybe if I start telling Mack to “Stout” of the school room he’ll go find something else to do besides whine in my ear.

Today marked the end of a huge part of our lives as we said goodbye to our friends at KINGS; it also marked the beginning of a new phase of life as I stare at curriculum scattered in my school room for my children.  Curriculum that I am in charge of teaching.  There is no other teacher I can name to blame for all the work!  It’s me.  Yikes.

Seriously, I am extremely excited at the thought of this adventure.  I enjoy spending time with my children.  No doubt they drive me batty at times, but I get on their nerves, too.  I am slightly outnumbered, but overall, we enjoy one another’s company.  I am looking forward to my own schedule each day.  As of now, we don’t have anywhere we have to be any of the mornings.  My goal is start with a verse they will have to copy for a week at a time in their own little notebook.  We’ll have lively, deep spiritual discussions about it, I am sure. (ha!)  Following the Word and prayer, we’ll move to math for all three.  If you know me very well, then you’ll know why we start with math right after praying our hearts out.  We’ll need it.  I’ll give Mack a break after that because he’ll probably need it.  Ruby and Molly will move into Writing and then English.  We’ll all take a break then because I will need it.  And I am sure there will be a load of laundry needing to be folded and put away. I’ll have a few math games ready for the girls to play together while I work with Mack on his handwriting. Story time will follow.  This will be led by Ruby or Molly while I oversee in the kitchen getting lunch ready.  After lunch we will all read History together and listen to a cd that came with the curriculum.  History seems to have some project possibilities.  We’ll see how all of that goes.  We’re reading through LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE series right now, but I wouldn’t dare start our read-aloud time until after Josh gets home because he would be so upset to miss out on the Ingalls’ adventures.  So in between history and reading aloud, we’ll have to plan dinner.  I truly want my girls to love to cook.  This won’t be “”caught” by me because, quite honestly, I despise it.  However, I want to want to like to cook, so I am going to give it my all as I bring in the kids and their ideas for dinner.  We are planning to make a recipe binder full of their favorites that they will learn, over time, to cook all on their own…..hmmmm….maybe I can fake liking to cook long enough to teach them how to cook really well and with great joy and then I will never have to cook again.  A-ha!  A little motivation.  That’s all I needed to keep me going.

As I read back over my little schedule, I noticed I never came back to Mack, so I did add in my handwriting lesson for Mack.  I would like to teach him the alphabet and how to read at some point in his life, so we’ll need to work on that.   He seems to be more interested than ever…and by that, I mean he will hang with me on the letter business for about 7.5 minutes.  From that point he wants to tell me how hungry he is or how very tired he is or how he needs to go look for “somesing that is very important.”

I just spent this Friday night cleaning my house and doing about 6 loads of laundry.  I get to go have my hair cut tomorrow, and I so need that done!  I look like a lion unless my hair is pulled back.  Well, I sort of look like a skunk, too, because of my gray streak that will be covered tomorrow.  I’m not going to be in a hurry to get home either.  Mama needs a break.  And I must get some non-waterproof mascara.  I always hate when I make the dreaded mistake and buy the mascara that will not come off except with painful scrubbing.  I am also going to re-invest in the pink pencil….the dark circles under my eyes that aren’t a result of the mascara need some serious help.

I am obviously just rambling and most likely putting off having to finish up any laundry that remains.

I hope you have had a much more interesting Friday night than me.

More school updates from Mrs. Dorminy in the near future…..stay tuned.

PapaMac turns 97 years old today!  Happy Birthday to you!!

The girls both said that “only three more ‘hops’ and he’ll be at 100!!”  (This is a very technical math term we use with the number grid–hops.)  They were impressed that he is almost three digits.

Now this is a funny story that I will let GG use her discretion on as to whether she shares it with PapaMac or not:

We were riding down the road listening to Ruby read a book.  She got to the word “ancient” and asked me what it meant.  I said, “Well, it usually is used to describe something really, really, really, REALLY old.”

There was a few seconds of silence and then inquisitive Molly asked, “How old is PapaMac?”

I think she thought I would answer, “Ancient.”

But I was laughing so hard that I couldn’t say anything.  These kids make me laugh.

Happy Birthday, GG!!!!  We all hope you are celebrating good times today!

WE LOVE YOU, GG!

 

 

We visited Augusta family over Labor Day weekend and had a blast.  My parents put in a pool and this is the new view from their side door.  Nice.  I tried to picture the new change, but I didn’t see it quite as nice as this.  It was so fun for the kids and relaxing for me.  I wondered what we did with the kids before they had a pool!  My kids seriously stayed in their bathing suits the entire weekend.

Kaybeth is the only one of the kids that will stop and pose for the camera.  Isn’t she cute?

I can get plenty of these shots, but really….how many of those would one want?

And then there was this sweet, yet pitiful face that is just screaming, “I’m water-logged; take me home for a nap.”

We celebrated Vance’s birthday while we were there.  His birthday is actually tomorrow, so HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY, VANCE!!

Birthdays mean gifts, right?  (Marcy, you can show him this picture on his birthDAY so he remembers that he did get a party!!)

Aunt Marcy brought out a fun pool for the kids.  It might have worn her out, but the kids had a blast!

And sweet Kaybeth again…

Marcy, Mom, Cacy and me

Mack taking a plunge

It looks like Jud and Molly are the ones that I didn’t get a good shot of with the camera…I’ll have to make sure I get some more of them next time.

Ruby (7), Molly (6), Jud (5), Vance (almost 5), Mack (4), Kaybeth (4), and Renn (3)

There’s a new view coming around here, too….not a pool though.  We’ll all just be seeing a lot more of each other–as if we aren’t already together a TON.  Soon I’ll be home schooling all three kiddos at home every day instead of leaving the house for their own teachers a couple of days a week.  I am super-excited and know this is what God has for us during this season of life.  No doubt it isn’t going to be a cinch, but I know it will be worth it.  More to come on all of that…..

I hope you are enjoying the view in your life these days.