This Friday's Report

I'm so disappointed!  I wanted to share the puppet show video of Vermont that my kids performed for me this week.  But I haven't been able to get it to load properly.  This was one of those projects I thought would be quick and simple, but they ended up working on it in bits over four days.  Silly me...what was I thinking? 

Once again, we had a full schedule to juggle. We forgot a guitar lesson. (Boo.)  So, now I'm writing it in the dead center of the school schedule for that day. 

I thought I crashed my husband's computer today, but am thanking the good Lord he was able to get it back to normal.

It was a beautiful 60 degrees, so we stopped at the park for a bit.  And my daughter went to a friend's birthday party.

And, while I love preschool, I do not love the germs.  My poor little one went to bed with a fever tonight.  Praying to God that's the extent of that.  (PLEASE.)

So, no wonderings or wanderings to tell you about this time.  Just a little status report.  And a tired little mama ready for bed and hoping the weekend brings some rest and a cleaner house.

I 

A Question and a Promise

Homeschooling last  week was a blur.  A couple of highlights include studying about Vermont (I am planning to see a puppet show by my students tomorrow to tell what they've learned)  and we started our Story of the World book.  The kids thought about historians and archaeologists.  We made some "treasure stones"  from Kid Concoctions as a hands on archaeological type activity.  Our drama club started and the Lego league transferred their equipment to their practice site.

Over the weekend we went with our church to Hidden Acres camp.  It was great fun.  The kids went swimming, hiking, zip lining, and horse riding.  It was beautiful weather.

In preparation for the trip I looked at the library for something to read.  I picked up a book on parenting daughters.  It is written by a couple from a distinctly feminist point of view, so I've had to read with my filter on.  It has given me a little food for thought, but so far I have not gleaned much for parenting.  We'll see if it gets better.

Have you read any great books on parenting daughters?  (Please do not recommend Dr. Dobson's book.  I've read it and was not wowed.)  And I'd prefer something with more of a focus on younger girls--it'll be awhile before my girls are teens.  As far as I can tell there is a real lack of material on this topic.  At least the Lord promises us wisdom when we ask...that's a promise to depend on when it comes to parenting or homeschooling, or pretty much anything else I guess.

Happy Labor Day

Well, it's Labor Day.

Saturday, we went to Des Moines.  Two of my kids needed things for dance class this week, two of my kids needed school clothes, my daughter needed a gift for a birthday party today, and I was looking for some things to enhance our astronomy study.  We found everything on our list.  My favorite purchase was space flashcards at Target for $1. (And wow, do I hate spending that much money all at once.)

Yesterday we went to church.  We rested in the afternoon...which means my children gamed.  We had an awesome summery supper--barbequed ribs, mashed potatoes, Iowa sweet corn, and watermelon.  And we played a card game that my guys had been exposed to by friends while they were in Rhode Island.  It's called Family Fluxx.  It's really fun.  The rules are continually changing.  And it's not a skill game so the whole family can participate (except non-readers need a little help).

In yesterday's Des Moines Register, the Roses and Thistles column quoted Samuel Gompers, founder of the American Federation of Labor in 1886.  He said in address to the International Labor Congress in an address titled "What Does Labor Want?": We want more school houses and less jails; more books and less arsenals; more learning and less vice; more constant work and less crime; more leisure and less greed; more justice and less revenge; in fact, more of the opportunities to cultivate our better natures, to make manhood more noble, womanhood more beautiful and childhood more happy and bright.  These in brief are the primary demands made by the trade unions in the name of labor.  These are the demands made by labor upon modern society and in their consideration is involved the fate of civilization."  I thought that was a pretty great quote and a nice reminder of what we are celebrating today.

As for me, I'll be catching up on my housework and laundry that got ignored Saturday.  But I'm glad for the holiday to be able to focus on that instead of having to juggle school and all of that.

Happy Labor Day to you all!  God bless America!