Don't you just love it....

Don't you just love it when you get to really see and hear that your kids really are learning?  I've had a few of those moments recently and it is AWESOME!!  We are in the Renaissance period right now. We have been reading like crazy the reading list that came with DD's unit.  She has loved it.  She has read so much.  One of the books was called "Nory Ryan's Song".  It's about a young girl in Ireland.  Anyway, last night at dinner as we were eating our baked potatoes, DD started telling us about potatoes and the Irish and before we knew it we were discussing the British and how they weren't really the nicest people (sorry to any Brits who may be reading here) in the past.  She talked about why "we" left there and came here.  She talked about how poorly they treated the Irish (I wanted to talk about how they weren't treated well here either when they first arrived but didn't get the chance yet).  Before I knew it we were talking about the Native Americans and how badly we treated them.  It was just unreal the knowledge she has.  Well, not really unreal but I guess I just didn't realize how much she had learned and retained.  Her thought process was just amazing!  The reasoning that was going on in her little head and so nonchalantly too.

The same thing is going on with DS too.  I don't remember what we were talking about but somehow we ended up talking about WWII and the different countries involved and he was just showing me up with his knowledge and he was right too!  Again, this was all off the cuff and very nonchalant like everyone should know this stuff, MOM.  I asked him how he knew all this because we haven't really studied this yet (that's next year) and he said, "I know you don't believe me but I read A LOT."  LOL  That cracks me up.  I do know he reads a lot but just didn't know he had read much about this subject.  I've not picked out those books for him yet so I just didn't realize he was reading them on his own.  Both of my kids are readers and I LOVE THAT!! 

I've said this before, but it has been a while so I want to say it again.  If you make it available, with little encouragement, they will eventually pick it up on their own.  Really, they will.  I have seen this over and over with my kids and I'm a true believer in it.  I just wish I had the money to make it ALL available to them.  LOL

The funny part of all this is that these were just normal conversations.  We weren't talking about school, we weren't doing school work, we were just driving down the road in one conversation, just chatting and the other was at the dinner table over baked potatoes.  It just amazes me sometimes.  I guess they are doing okay.  (Notice I said THEY.  They do it themselves with me just providing the books and curriculum and being available if needed but really and truly, THEY do it.)  I have AWESOME kids.... well, most of the time anyway.  :o)

Have a great day!

Long time, no write...

I know, I'm sorry.  I promise to get back to it soon.  I have lots to update here and I promise to do it soon!!

We have been reading our little heads off!  Well, DD and I have been anyway...

We are still reading "Do Hard Things" and it is really good.  I like what it has to say.  I know it is written for teens but it speaks to me everyday.  I need to work on all of this too.  I'm glad that we are reading it.  I just hope the kids are getting as much out of it as I am.  I hope they are really listening and taking it all to heart.

We finished reading "The Warhorse" and LOVED IT!  It was so exciting and full of adventure.  It was a little on the easy side but we enjoyed it anyway.    We had a hard time putting it down each day and on Thursday we had two reading sessions and we finished it.  It's a good read.

We are getting ready to start either "Mary, Bloody Mary" or "Nory Ryan's Song".  I can't decide.  They both sound really good.

DD has finished one of her books.  She read "The Midwife's Apprentice" and she enjoyed it.  I need to read it too.  It is short so maybe I could get it read in a day.

DS is still reading "The Pirate's Son"  and so am I.  I was really enjoying it and need to get back to it and finish it. 

We are working on the Renaissance and I'm enjoying it.  I think the kids are too. 

DD is working on Dental Health for Science.  We thought it would be a good time to do so since she has been in the process of getting braces the past few weeks. 

DS has picked his French back up and is enjoying it much more this time.  He is still busy with his Algebra 2 and Biology, music and more.

We are moving right along....  How are you doing?

I have a problem!

 I love homeschooling but one of the hardest things is.... you are going to laugh.... reading ALL the books!  When we do a study, there is usually a list of recommended books.  We are probably only supposed to pick 1 or 2 maybe 3 tops right?  Well, I have a hard time with this.  I want to read them ALL!!  They all sound so good.  We went to the library on Friday and we chose 6 or 7 books with all of them being chapter books except one.  What was I thinking? 

I figure we will try to read 2 of them aloud and then they will each read at least one on their own but I really want to read the others too!!  I guess we will figure it out but they all sound so very good.

This one I've started reading and I am really enjoying it.  I think the kids will love it.

 

We started this one aloud today and it will be a quick read. 

DD just started it and thinks the will be done in a couple of days.

 

This one sounds interesting... may be a read aloud but I'm not sure.

 

DD wants to read this as one of her's but I think we would all enjoy it so...

 

Again, not sure how we will do it or if we will even have time.

See my dilemma?  I run into this with all our studies!  There are just too many good books out there!  What a problem huh?    A good one but a problem still the same.  I'll let you know how we like them.

The Medieval Feast

Yes, we finally had our Medieval Feast that DD has been planning for a week now.  It was wonderful.  She did such a great job on it.  She decorated...

Her Stained Glass

 

Her Cross because every household had to have one in the middle ages

 

Her bow, arrow and cross

 

These clay figures she made with some candles

Praying woman and coat of arms

 

  

Her crests she designed.  She could not decide on which one she wanted to use so she just hung them both up.

The meal was wonderful.  We had 3 courses....

We had bread, lemon salad, cut up apples, and cubed cheese.  YUMMM!!!

 

Venison with a yummy sauce (not pictured) and roasted chicken

 

A Cheese tart and custard

It was all super yummy and she helped with every bit of it.  Then she provided entertainment for us.  She was a jester and mistrel.

 

 

She had planned on us dressing for the occasion but DH didn't get home from this trip the day before as planned.  He actually got home just about an hour before we ate and I had to go pick him up from the airport!  So we just ate in what we had on that day.

She was so funny.  She was totally into it.  At one point during the meal she asked her daddy, "So, Lord ****, tell us how the war in the holy land is going?"  Keep in mind that DH had only been in town for an hour and had been gone for 2 weeks.  He was totally taken off guard.  I told her she should have prepared us better for the table conversation!!  LOL  

It was great fun and we really got to see how much she had learned.  I was very impressed.  I can't wait to see what our next unit has in store for us.