10 things…
Sep 1st, 2008 by Alicia
…we’ve done, learned, played lately:
1. Each big kid did a workbook page of math before dessert tonight (Breyer’s chocolate chip ice cream with crushed oreos on top!). Jack did addition. Anna did rounding to tens and hundreds. Victoria did division (and survived).
2. I stayed home and cleaned while Daryl took the kids to the petroglyphs and fixed their darts (flying spears, he makes ‘em) and then to Windom for happy meals and playing in the park with friends. Jack fell and got a swollen lip, which earned him a Dilly bar to help with the swelling from Daddy. Daddy is in their lives to balance out my all-natural, organic, vegetarian, nutrient-crazed self.
Here’s Jack after. Blood, dirt and red dye #40, yum!
3. The big kids and I held hands and ran in the wind across the field across the street to the playground. We spun in circles, sat in the swings and played in the sand till it was time for me to make supper. Okay, the whole thing only took me 10 minutes but it was awfully cool as far as three little kids were concerned and I sorta enjoyed it too.
4. I agreed to start doing 5th grade homeschool with Victoria a week early and to make it fun like Jack’s kindergarten. Apparently, doing fun 5th grade homeschool goes a long way towards making up for being ten and she was mostly happy the past few days. We did a Krampf science experiment where you fill a glass to the very top with water and then guess how many cotton balls you can put in it before it overflows (virtually endless! it’s pretty cool!) and talked about why. She also wrote and delivered a shocking news story (writing assignment) about a thieving goat in Idaho, helped make smashed potatoes and did an art project.
5. We watched Nanny McPhee. Fun movie.
6. Victoria and I videotaped Alex dancing to the potato parade and attacking her Pooh bear. He is such a funny little character. He wears me out, but boy does he make me smile.
7. We ate raspberries from the back yard. Boy am I going to miss eating fresh raspberries and cherry tomatoes from the back yard.
8. Victoria, Anna and Jack played some sort of mad kindergarten game that involved a lot of running and shrieking. I think there was math too, but I’m not sure.
9. We released our last monarch of the year. Sniff. Later, I was in the back yard and a monarch came out of nowhere and flew to the lilac bush. She let me get within a couple of feet of her before flying away (and yep, this one was a girl — no spots — thanks Jeanne!). I always think it’s “our” butterflies visiting when they come and let us get so close.
10. The kids played with water in the back yard. We’re soaking up every bit of the last of summer.
This next week will bring a lot of change. The local school (across the street) starts on Tuesday, so our days of playing there 24/7 are numbered. Victoria is going to get her hair cut, perhaps all off for Locks of Love. She has kept her long braids for years for the Wilder Pageant but she says her hair grows fast “and I’m an all or nothing kind of girl.” 
We’re also going to an early morning “Not Back to School” picnic in our PJ’s at a park on Thursday. We’re traveling to Grandma and Grandpa’s town overnight to attend so the kids are doubly excited. That afternoon is the first homeschool swimming of the season, too.
It should be a fun week, a fun season, but I wish summer could hang on for just a little bit longer…
