Homeschool PE

The local Park District has a lot to offer for families schooling at home. We are currently enrolled in their free home school physical education program that meets weekly. We laughed when they started out the season with Dodgeball, because "all kids know that game." Really? How many pick-up games of Dodgeball do you think get started in our house? I mean purposeful games of Dodgeball, not a sibling beaning another over the head with a wiffle ball. *That* happens all the time but I don't consider it a game.

The parents favorite line of the day while watching the game was "if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball."

Tea Time!

We had our very first Tea Time this past Tuesday and it was a raving success! I had actually underestimated the amount of learning experiences that can arise out of preparing a "fancy lunch," as Jane deemed it. We got lessons in setting the table and the differences in types of flat wear, we polished silver, put on a tablecloth, and rolled napkins into napkin rings. We made traditional cucumber sandwiches and fairy cakes and real tea. The children were delighted to choose "one lump, or two" and I will have to remember to purchase sugar cubes for next time. Also on the purchase list will be candles for the candelabra! All we could find were two Halloween candles- funny! We used our good silver and china and dressed up. Well, Jane, Bean and I did. Jack opted for a tie on top of his t- shirt which he promptly removed after I took a photo! We used our finest manners while we listened to Bach's Greatest Hits and read poetry from Robert Louis Stevenson's "A Child's Garden of Verses." It was a delightful morning.

First Day of School!

Everyone has a scrapbook full of those classic childhood "First Day of School" photos, unfortunately commemorating bad hair and clothing trends. Yet another reason we are glad to be homeschoolers- pajamas never go out of style!