About a month after we returned from America, we started back to school!
This post is in chronological order of the complete school year.
Some of the pictures look like I put some kind of fun house mirror filter on them--sorry!
The class clowns!
It's traced!
Last year, Sarala began studying Hindi with Rosetta Stone and doing typing lessons.
A new twist to have computer as part of the school day!
Parks, the puzzle master
I loved this bird by Jackson
Books, books! We love books!
One of the things I started last year is that they read some of their history read alouds out loud to each other.
It was definitely interesting at times...
but they learned to work together and be attentive and listen to each other!
I mean...having 2 little toddlers running around just makes school interesting.
I'll post more about that in some upcoming homeschool posts.
Reading aloud together is one of my favorite parts of school.
In science, we studied birds and I started off wondering how hands on and interesting it would be, but it ended up being so good and fun. We discovered so many beautiful birds from our own yard and in other places around us. The above picture is taken from the window of our stairs. My nerdy little birders are still looking up birds and marking them in our bird book. You might just can predict which one does it the most!
One of the biggest things I implemented this year was chores.
We had no chart or schedule or plan that year (but have one this year).
They generally had their own jobs and had to do bathrooms and dishes when asked.
Sam's job was to keep the kids' and kitchen's water bottles filled at meal times and bed times.
Jack sweeping after snacks and meals--this chore was basically done away with by getting a dog.
These two...love to be at the table and around for school!
Sometimes on the table!
If only learning to tell time was that easy!
Making birdfeeders
hanging them in a few different places
An excerpt from a prayer journal. I love the last prayer! Sweet, sweet.
Too many days there is a "help us have a good day"
and we've been doing much more intentional prayer together this year.
More of Sam's handwriting (not traced).
There was a day when he first began writing I thought I'd never be able to read a word of his.
He's come a long way, and it's even better now!
love, love, love!
All so true and such a great description!
A common kingfisher. I wish you could see his beautiful blues and greens and browns!
I love and miss nature more than a lot of things in the US (not family and friends ;).
It's sweet to my soul to have things in life (like science curriculum)
to help me see it and find it in a big, crowded, dirty city!
Most of our school days last year, the dog just had to be put in her crate!
Creativity and fun--I'm sure they were supposed to be using these. ;)
On two different nights we had Indian Barn Owls perched on the wires on our wall!
This is the best picture I could get of him,
but the kids got to look this interesting owl right in the face out of the window!
It was such a fun experience for them!
Another try on a bird feeder (they all failed)!
Another poem by Sarala
sweet distractions
Gray threw a little Indian numbers into Sarala's math sheets.
I don't even know the answers!!!
See how the commas are in such different places!!!
And Sarala's answers to her dad!
Jackson reading their read aloud.
And then this...
this is when it was like the Lord delivered a perfect, timely science experiment right into our laps!
The kids in the neighborhood have long known Jackson loves critters,
and they ALWAYS call on him to look at something new or unusual or bring the things to him!
They called on him to come check out this caterpillar.
After online research, we realized this guy was ready to pupate!
And they like to pupate in dry soil or flower pots!
And, we had just that and put him right in there!
We got to use our butterfly keeper that we never used in the US
cause I couldn't figure out when we'd be home long enough to schedule to get our butterflies!!
In just a couple of days there was a chrysalis under there!
And the exact week (many weeks later--I did take this out of chronological order)
we were studying metamorphosis was when he came out, transformed into a beautiful moth!
2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
At the top of the container--a beautiful Oleander Hawk Moth!
Check this out!!!
This was seriously SO cool to me. I could not have ordered a chrysalis nor planned this better nor timed it so perfectly! I had wondered if we had killed it or something. This was another way I truly believe the Lord met us right where we were in learning and school! An amazing grace to see His hand in such details--a great reminder at how He covers us in grace and in in all things and in Him all things hold together. Times like these I get quite emotional and cannot even share the depths of love and grace I feel and know from the Lord!
A monarch caterpillar in our neighborhood.
We have one particular poisonous plant that feeds them and houses SO many of them.
Aren't they so beautiful!
And one decided he would make his transformation right on our wall!
A beautiful chrysalis!
Handwriting tying it all together. :)
When I read to the kids in the afternoons, my boys get in all kinds of weird positions begging me to scratch their backs or rub their arms. They love some physical touch! They pull and jerk their shirts up. Most of the time, I LOVE it and am thankful for sweet snuggles with these bigger, growing boys. But sometimes I just deny it--like when they are super sweaty or I'm too hot to be touched in hot season or when I want them to look and listen and follow along for Pete's sake! This particular day after denial, they decided they'd scratch each others' backs...and Sarala definitely grabbed a picture. I'm glad she did!
Many days during school Wint and Parks play outside.
When we're doing individual stuff the big 3 rotate out and
read or play with them while I work with the others.
Thanksgiving school. :)
More chores
Wint LOVES sharpening pencils!
Some days they littles watch a movie.
This day was Toy Story and they got so ready for it!!!!
It was one of my favorite read alouds when I was in school too!
Not the traditional way to do your work at the desk.
a snippet from a science notebook
More Nature Finds!
look at that sweet pup--oh, how she loves to be with us!
A nymph--baby praying mantis!
How super cool!!! We also had studying about them too!
In February after some evaluations, Parks started some much more intentional time with me!
We call it preschool...it's really speech. It's amazing how well he's speaking 6 months later!
I'm so thankful for good resources, guidance, and support we have with our company!
Thankful journals!
We read the Little House books for 2 years with other books and breaks in between.
It was bittersweet to end Laura's stories last year.
This particular day after reading about her and Almanzo's engagement,
I shared with the kids Gray and I's engagement story--sweetness!
It is so good to remember and retell!
Have I mentioned just yet that I homeschool with 2 toddlers and
sometimes that is a little messy (pun intended!) in more ways than one!
Tender! Reading with his dog!
I think the number of photos might suggest how much I'm enjoying the chore implementation! ;)
One of Sam's language lessons--they love their dog so much!
We have another puzzle master--and he's quite a puzzle lover and worker!
We ended in such a good place right before much travel and an exciting summer.
I was so thankful for a much needed break--like never before! Ahhhhhhh!
But, I've loved jumping back into school this year and making some good changes!
I have begun drafting a few blogposts that I hope and plan to roll out over the next couple of weeks.
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