This is the sort of thing that leads to politics

Luthien and Thomas, who is all of five months older than her, have been having an argument over an imaginary trophy for a non-existent contest. I told them to imagine up another trophy and quit arguing, so they did and proceeded to argue over which trophy was first and which was second.

Now one has ALL the trophies and the other have none. Just to be clear, there are no physical objects representing these trophies. They are completely imaginary constructs, mimed without props.

I'm so tempted to build a couple of boffer swords and just let them have at it...

A quick post on note-taking

I need a spot to stick an image, so I can share it on the welltrainedmind.com forum.
Here is how I take notes.

Just in time for Spring portraits!

Luthien decided to take scissors in hand and give herself bangs. Go ahead, laugh. I don't even know what she did with the hair, so I don't have her first lock cut to keep! Not that I've ever been organized enough to do a baby book.

They are uneven, but not as short and obviously hacked as Dakota's were when she pulled the same stunt.

Summer Session is In!

Today was our first organized day of homeschool for the summer. After breakfast we went out in the yard and Luthien watered her wildflower patch while I weeded. Then we came in and actually sat down at her little table.

We read an Aesop's fable, The Lion and the Mouse, practiced Havamal verse 52, which ties to the moral of the fable, and Luthien did: a color page related to the fable; a tracing page for the letter "M" featuring a mouse; and several worksheet pages related to the letter M, an alphabet dot-to-dot, and the concepts of more and less time, more and less quantity, and matching the same number of an object.

From there we moved from the table to her bed in her bedroom and read and practiced a poem Luthien chose and insisted on, and read a rebus story together (the kind with pictures for some of the words so the child can "read" along). Our official "school time" for the day was adjourned so we could pick up my babysitting charges and go to the park. We will finish up this afternoon with read-aloud time, classic Winnie-the-Pooh followed by whatever else she wants. We were both quite satisfied with how it went and are looking forward to doing it again tomorrow!

Planning for Kindergarten

I am a procrastinator and a planner both. I've found that if I plan far enough in advance, I can avert disaster inspired by my procrastination.

Luthien will be in Kindergarten in the fall. I've got her curriculum all planned out, and some idea of how our days will go.

My goals for her K year are:

1. Learning to read
2. Prep for first grade math
3. Beginning handwriting
4. Getting used to doing seatwork on a regular basis

Luthien's stated educational goals include:

1. Learn to sew
2. Learn to play the recorder
3. Ballet lessons

I plan on enrolling her in Eagleridge, a 1 day/week enrichment program through the Mesa schools. A friend's children do it and they've really enjoyed it and gotten a lot out of it. So, that will be Monday's schooltime. Ballet lessons and library trip will constitute one day a week, and an outing such as the zoo, science center, an SCA event, etc. will be a third day's planned activity. One day will be "take a break day" each week, preferably on David's day off if we can swing it. That will leave three "Homeschool Days" when we will do lessons.

We will be using the following curriculae:

For phonics: Tanglewood School's free program and Starfall.com, phonics games
For Literature: Nursery rhymes and tales, the complete works of Winnie the Pooh, and the works of Beatrix Potter.
For Classical Studies: Aesop's Fables
For Heathen Studies: Norse Myths
For Music: Recorder Fun Book 1
For Art/Crafts: My First Sewing Book and Kit
For Math: Funtastic Frogs Math, workbooks we already have, pattern block activities, time and money games
For Geography: Me on the Map, Geography Songs Kit, Kingfisher First Picture Atlas
For Modern Studies: Wee Sing America
For Science: Museum trips, backyard nature study
For P.E.: Ballet classes through the city

Sounds a bit daunting, but really it's not. Here's how our schedule should go:

Daily (at least 3 days/week): Phonics, a math activity, short copywork exercises to practice handwriting and reinforce phonics or geography (Ex: The first week she will probably have to copy her name), and read-aloud time including the week's patriotic song or reading, fable, myth, nursery tale, and modern children's lit, plus any books Luthien wants on top of that. Also a nursery rhyme will be subject to memorization, and we'll stick with one until it's down.
Weekly: Sewing lesson, Recorder lesson, Geography activity

Seatwork shouldn't take more than twenty minutes to a half hour, read aloud time maybe half an hour, and the rest is playing games.

I hope to get us into a regular ritual/rhythm to our days. There's a chance I may be babysitting during after-school time, which would give her a chance most days to play with at least one other kid. Especially if I'm still working at Wal-Mart (likely I'll cut back my hours if I can get that after school gig), keeping us on a regular schedule might just save our sanity!

Now I just need to put in a curriculum order and come up with a good excuse to start some of it next week instead of next fall...

Simplifying the Holidays

Okay, Yule is my favorite time of year. And I tend to go overboard. Last year I went WAAAY overboard.

This year, we're simplifying. I have informed Father Yul (aka Santa Claus) that he may only bring Luthien one present for under the tree this year, and this is not to be a large one. She is only getting one gift from me, too. The tomtens will no doubt be up to their usual thing, but I'm considering getting us smaller stockings, too.

David is getting pants. He really, really needs pants.

The things kids notice

Me: Yule's not all that far away, you know.
Luthien: I know, it's at the store.