Apple Picking

One of my favorite things about the area we live in is the abundance of farms and u-pick locations. This time around we were blessed to be able to pick apples for free. I have boxes of apples in which to turn into applesauce, apple pies and cobblers. Here are a few pictures of the girls.

Bobo Turns 7

My little monkey girl getting so big, so tall and so independent. She is such a ham, the clown of the family. She makes us all laugh with her antics and expressions. My she has many expressions and they can change by the second. I love the watch her play, how she can make a little cubby or fort out of pillows, bring in a few toys and play for a long time. She doesn't need her sisters to entertain her. Her toys can do that just fine. She is friendly and confident and hasn't a care in the world. It seems she isn't paying any attention to what's going on around her until she pipes up with a comment that makes it clear that she is. She has a quick wit that often surprises me. Bobo is a busy girl, moving and shaking and touching everything. She learns through touch and movement. Anything that is wet and gooey call for her attention. She is growing fast like her sisters and I pray I can pay attention and enjoy each moment.

Belle turns 11

Oh why oh why do my little girls have to grow up. Belle is such a character. Her sense of humor gets me all the time. She love nothing better than to push my buttons, tease and see if she can get me all riled up. And when she does I laugh. She got me again. She is such a mix of little girl needing a hug from her mom, to independent spirit, pulling away, doing things on her own. I love the way she plays. She gets a character in her mind and becomes it for a day or two, dressing in character, creating, leading her sisters. She is a drama queen. She is creative and gifted in so many areas. I feel so blessed to see her grow and see how the Lord has gifted her and to be a part of helping her develop those gifts. Belle and her best friend Jo celebrating with their first professional pedicure. Oh my what I have started?

Tree climbing

There is nothing better than having at your disposal a girl climbing tree right in your backyard. It's not too big so as to scare mommy but big enough to make one feel like they have conquered the natural world.

Max

Occasionally I will throw in a post or photos of our pets. After all, they are a part of the family too!

Good Dog--
Bad Dog---

More Etch - a - art by Belle (6-08)

Welcome to the family Moondance

I rented a movie at the video store called Moondance Alexander. It's a sweet story about a girl and a horse. Love those. The girls watched it last night while hubby and I were out celebrating our anniversary. When we came home and I tucked Belle in she told me that tomorrow (today) she was going to be Moondance. She woke up at 6:30, was dressed in rainboots, shorts and cowgirl shirt. She went outside and swept the large patio. She picked up after Max, picked up and bagged fir cones, watered the lawn in several places. She was out for a couple of hours at least. I love it when she gets in these pretend roles. She often times does it alone and it will last for several hours to a day or two even. I also love that these creative roles tend to be helpful to me. After all, if she isn't pretending to muck out the stalls, she is surely doing chores just like Laura Ingalls.
Susan

Tap/Tumbling Recital---Bobo

This scrapbook page is from Scrapblogs. It is a fun website, that is user friendly for the non scrapper.
Susan

Etch-a-sketch and creative reading

I have never been able to do something like this with an etch a sketch.

By Belle

This is creative reading by my Bobo who constantly comes up with unique positions in which to do her school.

Phi's first violin recital

kid art

This is Belle's gift to me this year for my birthday. I just love it.


Artwork by Phi



Artwork by Bobo

Birds---A Poem

See the bird
up very high,

Flying around in
the big blue sky.

The bird is lovely,
the bird is nice.

It stays away
from nasty mice.

Up high in a tree
it makes it's nest,

It is one
of the very best.

by Belle

An early present

perfume
Originally uploaded by mamaduso

Phi wanted to give me my birthday present a little early, before it goes bad. She made this by herself this week. It's a sweet smelling product. It is creative and thoughtful. What is it? Why it is perfume made from all natural ingredients from our backyard. It has all manner of leaves, herbs, flowers and such. I love the thought, the effort, however I'm just a little hesitant to spray this on me.
Susan

Kid Quotes and Peer Influence

Belle has a sweet little girlfriend who has Turrets. Although it is mild, when you pay attention you will notice odd little sounds and squeaks that she makes. One thing in particular that she is doing right now (sounds and quirks change and evolve periodically) is a loud swallowing sound.

Here is an example of peer influence. I have noticed that Belle has started making the same swallowing sounds. Last night at the dinner table she was doing it and her sister Phi pipes up and says "will you knock it off, you do not have Turrets"!

We all roared with laughter. We were not laughing at Turrets, but the peer influence Jo had on Belle and the fact that Phi was the one to point it out.

Susan

Learning to read

My youngest, Bobo is a kinesthetic learner. She is social, interactive, joyful, easy going and just plain cannot sit still. It has been a challenge getting her to sit long enough to go through a reading lesson. She interrupts herself and other things interrupt her and take her focus off the page. I have noticed in the past, and keep forgetting that she works this way, that if I create a learning game in which she is moving, she stays focused for much longer and has so much fun. The simplest things can excite her. To help her count and with her numbers I would throw large dice across the room and she would run and then count the dots and tell me the number. She would do this much longer than she would sit at the table doing math on paper. A friend reminded me today to put her reading words on cards and throw them on the floor. I call out a word and she has to find it and turn the card over. When we get to the last card she needs to read it to me. We did this game 4 times in a row with the same words. When I was done, she wanted to keep going. Guess what we are doing tomorrow?
Susan

Restaurant

One of my favorite things about my life with three girls is seeing their creativity. I grew up as an only child and while I know I used my imagination, there was no one to share it with. As usual, it is Belle who instigates the creative play and the other two follow along and contribute to the fun.

Yesterday, I told Belle she needed to make lunch for her sisters and herself. She took her job seriously as she drew up menus and activity sheets, much like kids get in restaurants. It was so cute I just had to share.She also did the waitressing and cooking. I am sure there will be plenty more posts such as this as creativity abounds in this family.

Susan

Introduction

I think I will introduce my family. Hubby likes to be anonymous and you may not ever see a photo of him, but just know that he is a great dad and husband and each year we are married I am more and more convinced that he has been hand picked by God to be my soul mate. I feel very blessed to be his wife.

We have three beautiful daughters whom I am very proud of. They are so unique and I am continually amazed at their gifts. I hope that as parents we do a good job in raising them to be Godly women. I also hope in homeschooling them that we take every opportunity to discover their God given gifts and develop them so that they may use them to glorify the Lord.

Our oldest is Belle. (All my girls will have blog names as to protect their identity). She is 10 1/2. She is all girl. She is creative, bright, artistic, and musical. She has a great sense of humor. In fact it is quite dry and she takes after her father in that way.

Our middle daughter is 9. Yes they are only 17 months apart. She is intelligent, serious, analytical, truth oriented and quirky. She is small in stature, but big in presence. We call her Phi (fee).

Our third daughter, the baby is 6. She is happy, fun loving, affectionate, goofy and definitely the comedian in the family. She is the lowest maintenance child in the family. We call her Bobo.

That is my human family. My pet family consists of 2 cats, Lucy and Bella, and our Labradoodle, Max.

Susan

Welcome

Welcome to Classic Academy. This is the blog in which I talk about my kids, share our homeschool life, and keep a record of their growth and development, talents and gifts, creations and antics. My goal is to make books from this blog so that I have a beautiful hard copy of our life together, a record of our school and learning, a memento of their childhood.

I love comments and welcome them. Thanks for visiting.

Susan