Izzy and her BFF Tamara planted these sunflowers in the spring. Now they are huge! I think the girls have learned that
1. You need to plant sunflowers in the back because in the front they take over everything!
2. Don't plant them too close together!
We are now enjoying the bees and the squirrels who come to enjoy Izzy and Tamara's sunflowers!
Izzy did not take ballet class last year because she was a little burned out with it. But last night the city was offering a free master class and performance and Izzy and her best friend Tamara participated. Here are some of picture memories.
We do not subscribe to HBO, so I had to wait to get the John Adams DVDs on Netflix. It was well worth the wait!
I confess to not knowing very much about our 2nd President; so much of his story was new to me. Maybe that is what made it such compelling family television - Mr. Pete and I could learn right along with our children. The producers went out of their way to present a real picture of life in early America from the bad roads, the rotten teeth, and small pox to difficult travel and dubious and painful medical care! I did feel that after watching this, my children had a realistic idea of how difficult life in the colonies really was.
The cast lead by Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney (as John and Abigail Adams) made these historical figures come to life! We got so caught up in every episode that I found myself doing additional research about them on line to share with my eager family! We came to enjoy Ben Franklin's wit and George Washington's valor while at the same time wondering if Thomas Jefferson was the father of liberalism in America!
Since Sam read the Scarlette Pimpernel last fall, the French Revolution and its impact on America was of special interest to him.
There are some scenes that might be too intense for younger kids. A man is stripped totally naked (yep, a second of full frontal) tarred and feathered right at the boat yards! The small pox innoculation scene of Abigal and her children was also pretty intense as was the at-home mastectomy of Nabby Adams (for breast cancer) in the last episode. There is one short (fully clothed ) sex scene between John and Abigail that can be easily skipped as well. (Although catching octogerian Ben Franklin in the bathtub with his girlfriend was one of the funnier parts of the series!)
As a homeschooler, I pointed out to my children that Abigail was completely home educated and a voracious reader. Throughout the series the collaboration between Abigal and John is highlighted as essential to his success as a leader and politician, and as a man. Her opinion and counsel was highly valued by her husband. Their love and respect as portrayed in the series makes her death all the more poignant in the last episode.
Sam, my sophmore, spent a lot of time studying American History last year. He said that this series really made that time period come alive for him. He even re-read that part of his history text! I think particularly with the 4th of July behind us, it is important to see the growing pains that our country went through to come into existence. This series does that well.
I couldn't believe how luck I was to have this event fall into my curriculum! i have been studying Ohio history with my children with particular interest in the canal system. It turns out the home of one of the canal architects was going to be moved right through downtown Akron yesterday. We couldn't resist going!
Here is a bit about the home and the efforts to save it. I hadn't known it was a historic place before all this publicity. It has been a tattoo parlor!
Lots of people were there yesterday including the Mayor of Akron. We had the good fortune to meet a nice lady named Peg. She had wanted to come with some friends but no one would go with her! So we made each other's acquaintance and stayed together. She was very observant and helped to point things out to Izzy and Noah.
Anyway, here are some of my photos. The house passed right in front of us! It was all done with remote control - proving to Sam that there might be some career skills gained from playing all of those video games! The guy moving it walked by us with his big remote. Again - pretty cool!
Created with Admarket'sflickrSLiDR.
Outside my Window...beautiful green trees, a blue sky, and it's raining!
I am thinking...I feel so bad for Izzy and Noah, taking swimming lessons this morning at an outside pool when it's only 57 degrees!
I am thankful ... that at least I could afford these lessons! $10 for two kids for two weeks is pretty good! These are also from the American Red Cross which is new for us and while the swimming technique has been average, the safety instruction has been superb.
From the kitchen...sloppy joes and chips for Izzy's BD!
I am creating...a birthday party! For my beautiful Isadora!
I am going...to try to get some upper body exercises in today, but I am mainly going to concentrate on getting ready for Izzy's party.
I am wearing...blue capris and a peach knit shirt that a lady gave me last week from church. In fact she gave me so many clothes that I shared them with my neighbor lady who NEVER has a chance to get clothes for herself, but is always buying for her kids. She works as a hotel maid, so these shirts were almost new looking and she could even wear some of them to work.
I am reading...For the Love of Literature, but almost done with that
I am hoping...to get Sam back on the right track with his summer schooling!
I am hearing... the whir of this big exhaust fan!
Around the house...still working on that basement!
One of my favorite things...Rosie's nap time! Me thinks this will continue to be my favorite thing for a while.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Do reading and math with everyone every day and to start Sam on his government class and to get to my transcribing income goals for the pay period.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing for you...
What swimming in cold water is like!
I am finding this year that it is much easier to go on field trips in the summer time than it was during the regular school year! I think part of this is because Rosie is a little easier to manage now that she is a little older. There is something to be said about visiting locations when the weather is mild as opposed to snowy and cold!
So far this month we have made two such field trips. We are studying history and these trips fit right in.
Our first was to Mary Campbell Cave.
Mary Campbell was sort of the Elizabeth Smart of her day. She was kidnapped by Indians and lived with them for a number of years before she was rescued. (She may have exhibited signs of Stockholm Syndrome upon her return.)
There are a few books available about Mary
We took Rosie and Noah, as well as Izzy and two of her closest friends.
The cave is awesome.
Here's a plaque commemorating Mary's life in the cave.
We also took a guided tour of the Perkins Mansion. Colonial Perkins was the son of General Simon Perkins who was the co-founder of Akron, OH. Colonial Perkins had a sheep business with John Brown, the abolitionist. The Perkins family had 11 children and many of them are buried in Glendale Cemetery. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the mansion, but we were free to snap away outside!
That big stone under the well was brought here on the Ohio Erie Canal and then hauled all the way up the hill to the Perkin's home. I guess it was a two day adventure getting it there!
One of the Perkins children fought in the civil war and was part of the March to the Sea! He brought back a willow sappling that has grown to an enormous size. It was struck by lightening a few years ago, but it is still a healthy tree.
There are many old trees on the property.
I'm hoping to have some more of these adventures with the children this summer!
This weekend Sam, my right hand man, is attending a Franciscan University Youth Conference in Steubenville, OH with 45 other teenagers from a local church. They will join up with over 2000 other teens for an AMAZING faith filled weekend!
If you've never heard of the Youth Conferences, here is a short demo to give you an idea what it is like.
Sam went last year when he was 14. He attended with our homeschool youth. Calvin and Mr. Pete went as well. But this year, I couldn't come up with the money in time for him to go with the homeschoolers, so he is going with the youth from a neighboring Catholic church. He only knows one other kid, and of course neither is dad or his big brother will be with him. But I have confidence that he will make some friends and have a good time. This morning Sam wasn't even nervous about it, in fact he was pretty psyched!
Tonight he will have some fun and dinner, but there will also be adoration with the entire community in attendance. Tomorrow he will have more workshops and then mass. Throughout the weekend there will be opportunities to get to confession. Then Sunday morning they have breakfast, another awesome mass, and then on the bus for home!
The youth leader for this church is a youthful young man, probably between 25 and 35 years of age. He has a lot of enthusiasm. Before the kids left today he made them form a circle and do the shout out prayer. That's where they go around the circle and each kid shouts out in one word what they want from the weekend. I couldn't hear what Sam said, but I heard several kids say, "guidance," and "direction."
I pray that Sam gets everything out of this special weekend that he can. I pray that the other teens find what they are seeking from the Holy Spirit this weekend as well.
In the meantime, I'm missing my Sam, but I'm very proud of him too.
Outside my Window...I have a table surrounded by beautiful young teenagers, boys and girls. In fact I am quite stunned to see how many young ladies are coming around to visit Sam and Gabe these days!
I am thinking...AAAAAAAAACCCCCKKKKK I'm not ready to deal with this boy/girl stuff with my little Sammy and Baby Gabe (who are 15 and almost 13 but in minds eye are 5 and 3!)
I am thankful ... that I live in the inner city. Never thought I would say that, but it's true. My kids have made good friends here, we have had good experiences (and bad ones too) but overall I think this is the place God wanted us to be.
From the kitchen...spaghetti and then tomorrow Pasta Salad!
I am creating...my curriculum for next year!
I am going...to the pool every morning with Izzy and Noah for swimming lessons. I'm trying out a new pool this year. The classes are offered through the Red Cross and they were only $10 for two weeks for two kids! They started today and really had a great time. I can't believe my good fortune and finding such inexpensive, high quality swimming lessons!
I am hoping...to walk with Mr. Pete tonight. I am also hoping that Sam has a good time spiritually and every other way, at the Youth Conference this weekend.
I am hearing... the whir of the air conditioner Mr. Pete pulled out of someone's garbage. I can't figure why anyone threw it away? It works very well!
Around the house...still working on that basement!
One of my favorite things...My nap time! I have just really needed a nape every afternoon lately!
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Do reading and math with everyone every day. Have the kids watch most Roots
Calvin's graduation ceremony with the local homeschool group is on Thursday during mass. Each parent will get three minutes to honor their graduate and present a diploma.
Calvin is getting his diploma from his charter school later, so instead Mr. Pete and I are presenting him with a graduation ring. We are also going to read him a letter that I hope he will find memorable, moving and inspiring. This is what I have so far.
Dear Calvin,
I can’t believe that we are at the end of our shared educational adventure. It seems like only a short while ago I was preparing for your first day of kindergarten and agonizing over curriculum choices for you. As I look back on those first few years of homeschooling when it was just you and me for most of the day, I remember how much fun we truly had.
I remember how surprised you were when we read the story “Just A Minute Janet” about a mom who turned the tables on her procrastinating daughter. And how you laughed and laughed when you read in our Pathway Readers, that “Dad did something to Rover,” because you knew what Dad did!! Later I remember how much fun we had learning poems like Casey At the Bat, and how much fun we had with your brother Sam “clenching his teeth with hate” when he only had those little baby teeth and some of them were loose! And I remember the first time we read the poem, The Opportunity, about a prince in battle finding a broken sword another soldier had thrown away as trash
Then came the king’s son, wounded, sore bestead,
And weaponless, and saw the broken sword,
Hilt-buried in the dry and trodden sand,
And ran and snatched it, and with battle-shout
Lifted afresh, he hewed his enemy down,
And saved a great cause that heroic day.
You have always seemed to admire the underdog, the heroic, bravery in the face of immense odds. You always liked those types of stories and literature the best. I know that is why Father Damien touched you in such a deep way and I always thought that is why you chose that name for your confirmation.
In a way you certainly had your own share of struggles. Being the firstborn has its privileges but it has its burdens too. Dad and I fully recognize that you were our guinea pig kid and your siblings owe you a debt of gratitude for forging the road of our insecurities down for them. This is why Noah at age 10 can go to the Portage Path store with a friend, while you weren’t even allowed out of the yard at the same age!
And while we spent many many months working with Dr. Holinga, (and I remember how hard you worked!) it never killed your love of books and a good story. I hope that is a gift that stays with you for the rest of your life.
You have a few other gifts that will serve you well too Calvin. I remember taking you to the McDonald’s play place when you were about four and Sam was a baby. You did not know any of the other kids there but you told me, “That’s okay mom, give me a couple of minutes and I’ll make friends.” And you did. You are truly a people person. Whatever call God makes on your life, I am pretty confident that it will involve the easy way you have in making people comfortable and in making new friends.
When your dad and I graduated from high school, both of our families sacrificed to be able to give us graduation rings as a momento. Over the decades while the details and memories of high school have faded, the love and memory of our families is still very real for us in this graduation rings. We know your charter school will have your diploma, so tonight we want to present you with a graduation ring from us, your parents. We hope that wherever you go and whatever you do in this life, that you will always remember that your parents, your grandma, your siblings and your extended family all loved you and supported you.
Your dad and I also thank you for making us better people. The Catholic Church teaches that children are a benefit to their parents. That’s hard to see sometimes when you’re changing messy diapers, teaching long division, or having arguments over a decent curfew. But as we stand here now we realize what a gift it has been to have you in our lives and we understand that we are better people because we had a chance to be your parents.
I remember our very first homeschool mass, where I had you carry your big pile of books up to be blessed for the school year! Besides watching you try to manage that big pile, I remember one of the readings from that mass, and I’d like to leave you with those words as a guide and advice as you start the rest of your life:
Sirach Chapter 6
3 My son, from your youth embrace discipline; thus will you find wisdom with graying hair.
19
As though plowing and sowing, draw close to her; then await her bountiful crops.
20
For in cultivating her you will labor but little, and soon you will eat of her fruits.
21
How irksome she is to the unruly! The fool cannot abide her.
22
She will be like a burdensome stone to test him, and he will not delay in casting her aside.
23
4 For discipline is like her name, she is not accessible to many.
24
Listen, my son, and heed my advice; refuse not my counsel.
25
Put your feet into her fetters, and your neck under her yoke.
26
Stoop your shoulders and carry her and be not irked at her bonds.
27
With all your soul draw close to her; with all your strength keep her ways.
28
Search her out, discover her; seek her and you will find her. Then when you have her, do not let her go;
29
Thus will you afterward find rest in her, and she will become your joy.
30
Her fetters will be your throne of majesty; her bonds, your purple cord.
31
5 You will wear her as your robe of glory, bear her as your splendid crown.
32
My son, if you wish, you can be taught; if you apply yourself, you will be shrewd.
33
If you are willing to listen, you will learn; if you give heed, you will be wise.
34
Frequent the company of the elders; whoever is wise, stay close to him.
35
Be eager to hear every godly discourse; let no wise saying escape you.
36
If you see a man of prudence, seek him out; let your feet wear away his doorstep!
37
Reflect on the precepts of the LORD, let his commandments be your constant meditation; Then he will enlighten your mind, and the wisdom you desire he will grant.
One of the things I really felt our Homeschool Group got right was our annual High School Semi-Formal Dance. It fulfills the need that many of our homeschool girls seemed to have of getting dressed up and going to a formal event, and it was a good experience for the guys to in having some fun with the fairer sex and practicing some of those social graces we have been training them in for years.
This year our dance had a 1940s, retro, Hollywood theme with black and white lace table cloths, and a Hollywood red carpet backdrop for picture taking!
My friend Ruth, who organizes this every year for us, arranged for a DJ and a dance class before the dance! Kids bring food and snacks as well as door prizes. This is a dance with a quest! Each kid gets a dance card. The kid with the most dance partners by the end of the evening is eligible for a door prize!
The kids get to learn a bit of ballroom and swing and then the dance is off for the next five hours or so!
It was fascinating for me to watch Calvin and Sam work the dance. Calvin, my senior, was obviously there to have fun, shake things up and have a good time. Having just come back from a senior prom last week, he had a lot of experience dancing and wasn't shy about showing off his moves!
Sam, on the other hand, worked methodically through his dance card, running up almost 30 dance partners and winning movie tickets.... S A H W E E T! ( according to Sam!)
There was even a group dance
I should mention that Rosie HATED SEEING SAMMY DANCING WITH OTHER GIRLS! She was having a great time dancing and twirling and running in the back of the dance hall until she saw her SAM dancing with another woman and would have none of it! So he danced with Rosie too!
After honoring the seniors and handing out the door prizes, spring dance 08 was history, but it was a great time that I'm sure all the kids and parents will remember for a long time!
This spring my family is participated on the Saturday Soccer League which is made up entirely of homeschool families! We initially became involved with this group for Sam as there were no opportunities in our area for homeschooled, high school players. Sam made a lot of friends, had a lot of fun and still got to play soccer.
The rest of my kids were involved with the local city soccer league, which we had participated in for over ten years. But this year, when I sat down to figure out how much it was going to cost to put three children on the league, I just didn't see how we could do it! For three kids WITH new mandatory uniforms, the cost came to around $300! To put four kids on the Saturday Soccer League was around $100!
But this past Saturday as I watched the kids play, I started to think of some of the other benefits my family was getting out of being on this different league. Most importantly to me as a soccer mom, I am not driving to different counties for different games all weekend long! The gas money alone is a significant savings!
Soccer goes from about 9:45 to 12:00 on Saturday and then its DONE! There are no practices, no Sunday games, nothing late Saturday afternoon. My family can now take off for Lake Erie, or the park, work in our garden, or anything else we want to do as a family without having our time managed around the soccer schedule.
We are also meeting other homeschooled families which is always a good opportunity. The league also tries to keep families together. Izzy, Noah and Gabe are on the same team with another family of farm children! Oh the stories they are hearing about life on the farm! And the stories those farm kids will hear about life in the hood! Talk about multiculturalism.
The founders of this league started it because they too were concerned about costs and the breakup of their family during soccer season. They started with just a few players and now they have four high school teams, three JV, some elemetary teams and even a small DD. Plus there is a waiting list to get in!
This is just the best example in my experience of homeschoolers finding a need and filling it. And I'm so glad we found them!
Scenes from Saturday Soccer in the park!
Last night I did something very difficult - I watched my son Sam fail in front of an audience of about 50 people. It was one of the most difficult things that I have ever done as a mother.
Last night was Sam's piano recital. He was playing a piece by Clementi that he has spent the last six months or so learning! He played it from memory for the Ribbon Festival back in March. He also played it from memory at my mother's retirement home a few weeks ago. I know that he knew this piece.
I have been an instrumentalist musician for over 30 years. I know that "it ain't over, until it's over" meaning that you have to keep practicing and going over a piece until you are done performing it for the season, particularly a solo. But I think Sam figured he had this one nailed. He didn't practice much last week at all and even though I kept saying things like, "you know your recital is in a few days," it seemed to fall on deaf ears.
Last night a few hours before the recital I could hear him struggling through his piece and I suggested that perhaps he should take his music up with him, but Sam was determined to perform without the music. I thought he would probably make a few slips but since he seemed so confident, I felt assured.
We were wrong.
It was a disaster.
Although he started off well he came to a place where his fingers just didn't know where to go and although his right hand kept going, his left hand never did find their place again and even starting over and rebooting the piece didn't help.
I couldn't watch. I closed my eyes, and heard what the music was supposed to sound like in my mind and tried with all my might to will it over to him via his Guardian angel. But to no avail.
Sam had to stand up and apologize and go back to his seat to polite applause. His teacher said sometimes that happens. His grandmother patted his hand and told him that had happened to her once. I told him that if this was the worst thing that ever happens in his life, he would be a very blessed person. I don't think any of that helped.
He was hot and sweaty, ashamed and embarrassed.
Mr. Pete didn't help much. Seeing his son flounder helplessly was more than he could take and he got up and left under the guise of taking Rosie out for being disruptive, (although actually that little girl sat straight through it!)
As a musician who has had my own share of musical gaffs, I know that he has to keep playing now or yesterday's disaster is going to paralyze him. I guess Sam and I will talk about it a little today and see maybe I can get him a chance to play something at church in the next few weeks, just to give him some confidence back.
Last week I blogged about a Holy Water Font prototype that Izzy and I made. I got the idea from Alice at Cottage Blessings and her article on crafting for a crowd. I thought this might be a nice idea for our Legion of Mary Group.
I got the wooden plaques for 99 cents each. The glass containers in front were 20 cents each. Mr. Pete supplied the paint and I bought various stickers and other decorations. Another mom was going to supply the holy cards.
Following Murphy's Law not everything went as planned. We only have ten kids in our Legion of Mary program and I bought enough supplies for all of them. So it was a little disheartening when two of them decided they were going to go to a previously unscheduled volley ball practice instead! The mom bringing the holy cards forgot them. Luckily I brought with me an old Calendar from the Basilica and it had a lot of pictures to choose from, although they weren't as easy to work with. I was a little afraid that my kids would seem a bit slower than these other kids as far as working with art supplies go, but Izzy, Noah and Gabe actually followed the directions well and used all of the materials appropriately.
Some nice pieces were made but I didn't have my camera to take the pictures. These are what Izzy, Gabe and Noah made and what we are going to put up in our home!
When Calvin was a little boy and having trouble learning to read, a friend of mine suggested that we try the Pathway Readers! I purchased all of the readers up to the fourth grade level, and all of my children have been enjoying them ever since.
Our reading specialist likes them because the print is big and clear and the spacing is very good. She also likes the way they introduce words and then give them high frequency repetition until the children become comfortable with them.
As a parent/teacher, I have appreciated how most of the stories in the primary grades have a moral to the story and that things do not always work out so well for the disobedient children!
Izzy is my 5th child to go through these books. Noah and Gabe are reading them now too. What I didn't realize was how fondly my older children remembered these stories. There is a story about a little boy who is jealous of the attention his disabled sister gets and so he buries the doll grandmother gave her. Of course, since these are Amish country books, the doll was stuffed with oats - and the oats sprouted and pushed up through the dirt - which looked odd in the middle of the corn field and made Dad investigate!
I love that story, but it certainly made an impression with Calvin and Sam who stuck around for the sake of nostalgia just to hear it again! Calvin tells me that story as well as the one with the goat cart are two of his favorites!
This will be my fifth time through these books. I have markings in the margins denoting where I had someone do some copy work. I have even found and fixed a few typos! But I have yet to get tired of reading these stories and find as I pick up the next volume to give to the next child that I eagerly anticipate the good stories that I know I will have a chance to revisit!
These books are inexpensive hard backs. The workbooks are inexpensive and have been helpful in our homeschool too! I would highly recommend these books for any homeschool family or even for families that want to include a little more reading practice.
My other reading posts
Izzy's Journey to ReadingIzzy Eyes.Reading, Reading Recovery, reading woes and reading success.Teaching ReadingMy Son's First Report Card.
Pr 1:8 -
Hear, my son, your father's instruction And do not forsake your mother's teaching;
Ohio Law says: "An academic assessment report of the child must be sent to the superintendent annually. This report can be the results of a nationally normed, standardized test or it can be a written narrative indicating that a portfolio of the child's work has been reviewed by a certified teacher."
This is our "on-line" portfolio! I hope to turn this into our chosen certified teacher, Dr. Karen Holinga, for her to review for the end of the year assessment.
(which I am loving!) I am also reading 
by Christopher Reeves
