SUMMER

As a homeschooler, school's never "out." We've been doing reading throughout the summer.  Although some days I'm not sure if it should be me teaching.

So I was going to post about my AMAZING BROTHER!! My brother Craig AND my nephew David both gave TEDx TALKS!!! Wholey moley I have a cool family! I waited to talk about our science trip with him until their movies came out on youtube, and here they are!:

Yes, I proudly claim both of them.

When I was in Utah, Craig showed us around his lab. (Yes, my love of science is legit, my brother is a Dr. of biochemistry.) Shauna, his wife, gave our family a tour of the university, and we were spoiled.

My brother inspires me. He's able to explain things so clearly. I want to be like him.

So Hyrum finished his math book!!!

Here is the final "test" he did.

This is more advanced than 2nd grade stuff here folks. Can I just tell you how proud I am of him? This is the kid who couldn't count to 12 at the beginning of the year....yah,  Total. Measurable. Improvement. Love It!!!

Maxwell finally moved past the "banana" rule chapter in reading, and I am DELIGHTED. With his progress he's making, I'm pretty sure we'll be done with book 4 by the end of summer.

Daniel is done with the first book of Barton. He's also filled up an entire notebook with his journaling.

Also,  we went to the last homeschool activity of the year. It was a "share fair" where we needed to bring something to represent something we learned. I brought my magnet sets, and I also brought my printouts of this blog (I make this blog into a physical book each year.)

It was fun to be part of the alternate school again. We are growing. They are going to let us use the upstairs of the building next year. We are doing the play Wizard of Oz, which I think will be a very ambitious project. 70 kids in one play? Oh boy. And Gymnastics will not officially be part of westwind school next year.

This summer we haven't been too out and about, but it's still been exciting. Mostly because Dustin's brother and his family of EIGHT have moved into our downstair apartment.

Our kids get along very well with each other, and each family has their own kitchen and laundry, so things have gone smoothly. I'm not sure how long they will stay, but it turns out that they might stay a year while they figure out where they should be. My kids won't know how to cope without them by then!

We did go down to Utah for a couple of days, but it was for a funeral, so that's not fun. We did go to the dinosaur museum there though, which I was happy about since we will be studying them this fall. It's not as big as Tyrell's but it has some pretty cool activities for the kids:

I also got to see my old best friend, Laura, which was so special to me.

And Maxwell got to see his old best friend, Morgan, which was special to him.

When we got back to Canada, Hyrum got BAPTIZED!!!

How did he get so big?!? I sure love this little boy with fierceness.

About the time of his baptism, I called Susan Barton about some questions I had on Hyrum's reading progress. She said he needed to get diagnostic testing for a complex child combination of conditions including speech language by a paediatric neuropsychologist so I could get a prioritized action plan evaluation.

Wow. did that conversation send me down a rabbit hole. I called everybody I could think of for two days straight. I've got him on the waiting list for neuropsychologists in Calgary and a paediatrician psychiatrists who specializes with language development in Lethbridge.

My family doctor had even given me a prescription for ritalin.  I decided against it. Maybe not forever, but for sure not until I know more.

All of this was a catalyst to make a new blog about Hyrum.

http://hyrumsbrain.blogspot.ca/

It only has one entry so far, but I think I will need a place to record all my thoughts and experiences with Hyrum.

I decided to make yet another blog as well. This one is for me to keep me thinking about teaching my kids how to feel the spirit, and to point out spiritual experiences. It is my most important education I can do, yet I'm too complacent about it, so I need a motivator.

http://youhearthemusic.blogspot.ca/

It only has one post as well, but I hope to write in both of these new blogs each week with this one.

By the way, I never finished off my school year with this blog, so here it is:


REFLECTIONS ON THE YEAR


Well, it's been my hardest year yet, that's for sure. I've been a basket case emotionally. Having TWO babies who constantly want my attention has been straining on school to say the least.

History

History? Did I actually do history? Well, we did get some accomplished. With baby craziness, I'm proud of what we actually did do. I NEEDED to cut back on something, and I don't regret it.

I do need to teach my kids about the Bill of Rights though (which should have been covered this year.) It's been nagging at me.

I've got some of my old energy back, however, and I really think I can carry out my plans for this next year coming up.


Science

Well, I kind of condensed science a bit because we missed a few weeks here and there, but really, I think it was great. I don't know how I could have done it without Jandy and Kirsten, but with their help, I feel good about physics.

Math

I love Rightstart. Sometimes I wonder if I should move to a math that is more video/computer based so I don't have to sit down with each kids every day for a 1/2 hour just for math, but I like the results so looks like math will continue as is. Besides, Maxwell is getting close to being done with the program.

He's going to be in FIFTH GRADE (I mean grade five eh?)!!!! Crazy.

Reading

Anxiety. Mostly for me. Half the time I think they need a different teacher. Sometimes because I think it would profit them, and half the time because I think it would profit me.

When I see homeschoolers who are reading perfectly for their age or above, I just marvel. IT WILL COME.



Now, Cursive? Writing Techniques? Typewriting?

Can I squeeze these in next year?---uhhh probably no.

We will be doing martial arts, art, gymnastics, a play, robotics, my science class, and I am going to DO history. So yah. Perhaps a wee overscheduled as is.

So there you have it, my last post for this school year.


BTW, I've been a bit of a home-body this summer, but Dustin went to AFRICA!!!

He went to help with a college his business partner set up to teach leadership skills and entrepreneurship to people in Benin (which is right next to Ghana---hey I didn't know where it was either.) It was a life changing experience, and he said he did more good in two weeks then he has done in two years.

I think I will talk more about this when I go in February!!! At least, that's the plan as of now. Let's see if I'm courageous enough! When a huge cockroach came out of Dustin's luggage and he showed me videos of foot long centipedes and showed me the bathrooms......oh boy.

But for now I will bid you adieu.