Homegrown

Here I am, suddenly embarking on my fifth year of homeschooling! I have a fourth grader... how is this even possible? In many ways, I still feel like I'm making everything up as I go. But in some very important ways, I am finally beginning to feel like I have a handle on things! Each year it seems that some little piece has fallen into place, and now, when my oldest is almost 10, we actually have a basic flow to our days. And I actually stick with my plan more often than not. Yes, I know, some people can make a schedule and stick with it like glue... I am not one of those people. If I could describe the perfect personality for homeschooling, in all honesty I am missing a lot of the traits I would list.

And yet God has called us to this path, and I am loving the journey! What I lack in organization, I make up for in enthusiasm. And I love, love, love to learn with my kids. I'm hoping they'll end up ok even if we don't do math every day at 9:30. Even if our chalk wall is a constant mess of scribbles and half-erased drawings. Even if lunch sometimes (often) consists of jelly toast and frozen peas.

Our first day of school seems so long ago now! But we followed our usual routine and began our school year by having a yummy breakfast, opening wrapped school supplies, and taking first day of school pictures. My crowns were a little haphazard this year... I may have been putting them together in the morning as kids were waking up. But they got done and the tradition continues! 

So without further ado, our yearly introductions!

Max, 4th grade

Favorites: Reading, drawing, paper crafts, puns and wordplay, Taekwondo, music

Goals: To earn an orange belt in Taekwondo, to publish a book like Grandma

Last Year's Goal Accomplished: Max acted in a play this summer!

Things to Remember: Max has shown amazing focus and dedication in his Taekwondo training this year. It is exciting to see him work really hard at something that is difficult but that he loves!

First Day of School Book: The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart

Lucian, 2nd Grade

Favorites: Soccer, the MN United, numbers and patterns, backyard sports, chess, board games

Goals: To beat his dad in backyard soccer and chess, to learn a new song on piano

Last Year's Goal Accomplished: Lucian has become a fluent reader!

Things to Remember: Lucian has the heart of a servant. Every time a sibling needs something- whether it be help with spelling a word or a comforting hug after an owie, he is there. He is receiving his first Sacraments this year, we couldn't be more excited!

First Day of School Book: If You Made a Million, by David M. Schwartz

Audrey, Kindergarten

Favorites: Ballet, gymnastics, biking, playing princesses with Edith and the neighbors, curling up in sunbeams
Goals: To learn to read, to dance on pointe shoes...someday.
Last Year's Goal Accomplished: Audrey rides her bike like a pro with no training wheels!
Things to Remember: Audrey has become very affectionate this year! She writes cards and draws pictures for everyone she loves, and she is always asking for kisses and cuddles. I could get used to this!
First Day of School Book: Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey

Edith, Preschool

Favorites: Hockey, Wild player Zach Parise, coloring, stickers, playing princesses with Audrey and the neighbors, singing, telling stories
Goals: To learn to skate, to cover the entire house in a layer of stickers
Last Year's Goal Accomplished: Edith is VERY close to being potty trained!
Things to Remember: Edith keeps us in stitches with her stories and adorable mispronunciations. My favorites are "Cinderella" (umbrella), "Alligator" (elevator), "Hole-and-Tell" (Hotel),
First Day of School Book: I can't remember! That was two whole months ago!... oops.

Blaise, Baby

Favorites: Balls and hockey sticks, peas, his siblings, toilet water
Goals: To learn how to get places faster, to figure out a way into the bathroom when the door is closed.
Things to Remember: Blaise was carrying around a hockey stick before he started walking. He is the sportiest kid I've ever met. His first word was "Ball" and he constantly has one in his hand or is pushing one around on the floor with any stick he can find!

We are a busy bunch! I hope to write more soon about the flow of our days, but for now I'll leave it at this little snapshot of my brood. What a great combination of unique personalities I have surrounding me! 

My Summer Birthday Girls

 My two girls have birthdays just over a month apart, and in our busyness this summer I forgot to post about either one! Today I will finally remedy that oversight.

Audrey turned FIVE on June 17! She celebrated a ballerina-themed party with a bunch of her friends and family. It was so adorable to watch them all play freeze-dance, "Don't let the balloon touch the ground" and all kinds of games of their own creation. Audrey, of course, spent the day in full ballerina get-up, complete with ballet shoes... for one day only they were allowed outside, lucky girl.

While it was exciting to watch Audrey turn five, I didn't get the feeling that she's growing up too fast. She has a maturity (and an attitude...) beyond her years. If anything, five still seems too young for her! But I won't for an instant try to rush this time. I will cherish the fact that a teddy bear with its own wardrobe of clothing was the best gift she could possibly imagine. I will relish the memory of her opening a pink frilly nightgown and jumping with excitement. Sometimes in the midst of parenting my strong-willed little girl, I forget how young she is. I love the sweetness in these photos; they remind me that sweet and strong can (and do) coexist in my dear Audrey.

A month later, on July 27, Edith turned three! We celebrated with a "Snack Dinner" (Edith's choice), presents and cake. She received a Wild beach towel and fleece blanket, a new swimsuit, and a stuffed triceratops from her Uncle Ben that she promptly named "Jellycat" (Last year's gift from Ben was a stuffed cow that received the name "Puppycow"... so there's that).

I assumed Edith would choose a hockey-themed cake for her birthday, but she surprised me and requested a Thomas the Train cake! This was doubly sweet because her sister's third birthday cake was also Thomas-themed. Sometimes I notice more about my girls' differences than their similarities, but at the end of the day, they are best friends.

It is so fun to see how excited the other kids get when one of their siblings is celebrating. They love making the day special and going out of their way to show love to the birthday kid!

Happy belated birthday, girls! I love you lots and lots!

Extra, Extra

Paul and I made the decision early on in parenting that we would actively guard our family's time together. We have had the kids involved in a smattering of activities over the years, but the bulk of our evenings and weekends are dedicated to time together. In the last year, however, our kids have started to show interest in very specific activities, so we decided it was time to follow their lead. I have always had a mild fear that my kids would miss out on their calling because I failed to introduce them to it at the right time, but it has become abundantly clear that they will find their way in spite of not trying out every activity under the sun.

In  January, Audrey started ballet classes at St. Paul Ballet, and it has been perfect! For young kids, St. Paul Ballet offers drop-in classes on Saturday mornings, early enough to not interfere with other weekend plans. The drop-in option was perfect for us! When we were around, she could go to ballet, but if we had other plans or were out of town, she didn't... and we only had to pay for the classes she attended! Her teacher Miss Siri became her hero, and she can't wait to start again in the fall!

Lucian took a soccer class at the YMCA this spring, and then his dream came true when we signed him up for Team Soccer this summer! He and his buddy Augustine are on the Yellowjackets, and it is a BIG DEAL. Actually the league is through West St. Paul Community education and is super low-key, but they get to play actual games, which is what Lucian has been waiting for his entire life. He is on cloud nine.

And then Max, my boy who just wants to perform, was given the opportunity to be in a real live play! Community Ed in a neighboring town put on a performance of Peter Pan and Max signed up and was given the role of Michael! He had to memorize over 40 lines, and I was a nervous wreck. But he remembered every line and delivered them with confidence and enthusiasm! Way to go, Max! Grandma Yantes was even able to make the trip up to see him perform, and we were so glad to be able to share the experience with her.

I think this year has marked the beginning of a new era. Next thing you know, I'll have a collection of "(Fill-in-the-blank) Mom" bumper stickers on my car!  In all honesty, though, it has been a joy to see them begin to express their diverse personalities and find out what makes them tick. They have also been incredibly supportive of each other, which just makes my Mama-heart melt. I have always known that I love my kids, but I am beginning to realize more and more how much I like them!

Tiny Dancer

From the moment she was born, she was built like a ballerina. We kept waiting, but her long, skinny fingers and long, skinny legs never filled out into that chubbiness we expect in babies. As she grows, it seems as if every pound she gains goes directly to her height; her arms and legs just keep getting longer! And she carries herself with a gracefulness that I don't see in her siblings... and I don't remember having as a child.

I didn't set out with a mission to make her fall in love with ballet. I want my children to discover their own interests and pursue them at their own pace. When she wanted a Thomas the Train birthday party when she turned three, I was all about that. When she was all about princesses at age 4, so be it. But then she discovered ballet and my heart leaped! Ballet was one of the joys of my childhood. I only took a few years of intensive training, and I was never the top of the class, but it has stayed in my bones all these years. 

In our family, we read basically every (good) book we can get our hands on, exposing our children to lots of big ideas and lots of interesting activities. We just finished a novel by Linda Sue Park called A Single Shard, and the kids have been making pottery out of clay for days on end. This is what happens; they read about something, become deeply interested, and then move on when the next thing comes along. But Audrey...

I don't even remember the first ballet book we read to her. I think it might have been one of those boring informational books with a sentence per page and outdated photographs. Whatever it was, it lit a fire in her! She suddenly wanted to know everything about ballet. We started watching clips of famous dances, she began requesting library books about ballerinas. She discovered Misty Copeland. She asked me every day to put on the music to the Nutcracker so she could practice her dance routines.

I adore watching her twirl around the room. Her natural grace and uninhibited movement brings me so much joy. I look forward to the day I can watch her from the audience as she lights up the stage!

A Princess Turns Four

We have a princess in the house! A far cry from her Thomas the Train party for her third birthday, this year it's all about FROZEN. Princesses, tiaras, swirly skirts, the whole shebang is what she wanted. What she got was a homemade Frozen cake, which she helped to decorate, and a plastic tiara to wear while swimming at her pool party. Good enough? Good. 

Audrey's fourth birthday was on a beautiful Friday in mid-June, and we celebrated by making a cake for her party the next day, opening one birthday present from her brothers, and having McDonalds for lunch. Paul was leaving for the Grandma's Half Marathon in the afternoon, so we were on our own for the evening and most of the next day. The kids played outside and we had a relaxing day... and I think we probably watched a movie in the evening. Probably a princess one that Audrey chose. (I'm not going to apologize for my lack of memory!) 

 

In the morning we got up right away and went out for donuts at our favorite stop, Granny's. We walked into the donut shop and what did we find? A clown making balloon animals! Now, if you're not familiar with Granny's, this is about the last thing I expected in this little hole-in-the-wall hidden gem. But apparently just for Audrey's birthday, they pulled out all the stops! She was in heaven. 

We then got all packed up and headed down to Grandma and Grandpa's for the big birthday party! When asked who she wanted to invite, she told me, "Gianna and Josie and my cousins and all my grandmas!" which is (almost) exactly what she got! Gianna and Josie, her two little friends, came with their families, her cousins came, and so did two of her great-grandmas! The only grandma missing was Grandma Yantes, but thankfully we got to celebrate with her in Rapid City a few weeks later. And Uncle Patrick did an OK job of filling in the gap.  

It doesn't sound like a long list of attendees, but when you count up all the children in all of the families, we had 13 kids at the party! It was a little crazy... especially seeing as Edith decided that that day she would suddenly become completely fearless around the pool. And decide not to nap. I spent much of my time trying to keep my youngest child alive, and my mom had to take over a lot of the meal preparation that I had planned to do while my afraid-of-the-water two year old was napping. Ah well. She's a saint, and she took it in stride (thanks a million, Mom!)

Paul arrived with Patrick and Anne in the late afternoon, just in time to grill up hot dogs for the hungry masses. Everyone piled out of the water to eat, and then piled right back into the pool after cake. Audrey was super brave, tooling around with her life jacket and a pool noodle... I think she wanted to be in on all the action, but she's still a little small to play water games with the big boys. She made a rule that there would be no battling at her birthday party, so her brothers and the boys had to put aside their Star Wars games for the day. 

All in all, it was a successful party! Audrey had a blast, and that's all that really matters in the end. My sweet little girl with the big personality is getting bigger by the day! I'm so thankful for her.

 

Generation Gap

Audrey and her great grandpa have a tradition every time he comes to visit. He pulls out his camera and says, "Audrey, let's take a selfie!" She climbs up next to him and they put their heads together and smile. People talk about the older generation learning all of their tech skills from the younger, but my grandpa can proudly claim to be the one who taught his three-year-old great-granddaughter the meaning of the word "selfie". 

Sure, she's taken thousands of self-portraits on my phone over the last couple of years, but now she has a word for it... and most often these days, she doesn't turn the camera on herself unless Great Grandpa is around. Sometimes her brothers hop in on the photo as well, but I can tell it's really just a special thing between Grandpa and Audrey. I hope they take a selfie together at her high school graduation! 

Say What?

Edith said her first phrase today, "Mo nana" (more banana). I'm sure that doesn't surprise anyone, since her love of food is a well-known fact. It got me thinking about the first phrases of each of my children, and I realized that they are all perfect little capsules of their personalities. Now, I'm not saying that Edith is defined by her love of food, but it sure is central to her life right now! Here are the others, to the best of my knowledge. But remember, I'm a mother of four... if these aren't accurate, I claim Mommy Brain.

Max: "Macky wanna run!" My former little-ball-of-energy has turned into a big-ball-of-energy! He has learned how to channel his constant motion a little bit, and as he learns to read he is spending more and more time with his nose in a book. But even when at rest, he seems to nearly vibrate with excess energy!

Lucian: "I did it!" Results-oriented from the beginning, the older he gets the more I see how driven and focused my second-born is. He wants to be given tasks, and he will not rest until the tasks are complete. Part of our daily routine is a checklist of things to do, such as "make bed" and "do something creative". He jumps out of bed each day and completes his list before his older brother has even thought about his.

Audrey: "Audrey do it!" I'm not certain that this was her very first phrase, but it was definitely an early one. Unlike her older brother who enjoyed proclaiming his success, Audrey was more interested in demanding to be allowed to do things on her own. Whether she was able to complete the task or not was irrelevant. She did NOT want any help! This trait has faded a little bit lately; I think she realized that it's nice to have people do things for you sometimes. But her independence and refusal to be told what to do is staying strong. Look out world!

Time will tell what Edith's first phrase really says about her. Maybe it is an early indicator of a love of cooking, or maybe she'll study monkeys in their original habitats. Who knows? But I can't wait to see how her little personality develops!

It's Official

"Merciful and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger, abounding in mercy."
 -Psalm 103:8, our quote of the year

This is the year we've all been waiting for... the year where I fill out my official Letter of Intent to Homeschool in the state of Minnesota! Up until now, we have had no requirements, no paperwork, no nothing. For all our school district knew, Max didn't exist. But now he's registered at Merciful Heart of Jesus Academy, i.e. "home". The others are still unofficial, but this was a big step for me! I've made a real commitment, signed a piece of paper and turned it in. We are a homeschooling family for real.

Following Pope Francis' lead, we have chosen the theme of mercy, with St. Faustina as our Saint of the Year. As always, the kids were greeted with crowns bearing their grade level and were forced to pose for pictures. This year, although they weren't happy about it, you sure can't tell by looking at them! We then had pancakes with whipped cream and raspberries from our neighbor's garden, prayed a Chaplet of Divine Mercy made out of chocolate chips, decorated our quote poster for the year, and painted a simplified Divine Mercy image. If any of you remember my experience at the start of last year, you'll be glad to hear that this year has kicked off on the exact opposite foot. I am pumped to start exploring and learning with my kids, I have a clearer understanding of my goals, and it sure doesn't hurt that we actually have space to create an inspiring and organized environment.

Our day of traditions continued when we went out for pizza with Grandma at our favorite joint, Tommy Chicago's. The kids always receive a picture book as a first day of school gift, and after dinner Grandma brought them to the fountain outside the restaurant to read all of their books to them. They loved it! But it started getting a bit chilly so Paul and I grabbed hot chocolates for them from the Caribou Coffee nearby. Then they really loved it!

I can't say enough how excited I am for this year. Last year was a tough one, with lots of burnout, lots of long and difficult stretches, but we powered through and stayed strong. I'm so glad we did! This year is already looking to be joy-filled, jam-packed with learning and peace and love!

Max, Grade 2

This year Max wants to learn: Cursive, Ancient History, how to paint like Leonardo DaVinci
His goals are: To read a chapter book, to craft a diamond sword in Minecraft
Important moments: Beginning First Reconciliation and First Communion prep! WOW!
First Day of School book: The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush, by Tomie DePaola

Lucian, Kindergarten

This year, Lucian wants to learn: Math, anything involving patterns and numbers, Science (especially experiments), cooking
His goals are: To learn how to pump on a swing, to beat Daddy in Chess
Important moments: Being in a different class from Max at co-op and doing great!
First Day of School book: The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein

Audrey, Preschool

This year, Audrey wants to learn: Painting, coloring, reading, everything her brothers are doing.
Her goals are: To teach her baby sister to walk, to jump higher than Daddy
Important moments: Starting Good Shepherd (no more nursery for this girl!)
First Day of School book: Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman