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! 

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!

Art in Bloom

Paul just returned from a week-long work trip and I am still alive! This is thanks in no small part to the help of my wonderful friends and especially my mom. She was here almost every day, carting kids to and from various activities and helping me through the crazy dinner hour. She even took pairs of kids to stay overnight to give me (and them) a little break!

When she took the girls overnight, I used the opportunity to do some activities with the boys that I wouldn't dare do with all five kids in tow. Audrey is a bit of a ticking time bomb right now, and Edith is just an unpredictable two-year-old. Without them, I felt safe bringing the boys out to Jimmy John's for dinner followed by a quiet trip to the library to pick out chapter books and get their very own library cards!

On Thursday morning, I was feeling really brave and decided to check out the opening day of Art in Bloom at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. It's an annual exhibit that I have always wanted to see but have never before had the opportunity. So why not bring three boys, one baby in a stroller, to a museum on a crazy busy opening day of a super popular exhibit?? Nobody's crazy here, nope, not me!

It actually went really well, except for a bit of fussiness from Blaise. Without the girls, we were able to linger in front of each floral arrangement and compare it to the painting it was created to represent. We asked questions and pondered and discussed... I felt like a total boss homeschooling mom! Since those moments are few and far between when I'm out in public with the kids, it was nice to once feel like I was doing something impressive.

 

In the first room, I had a woman approach me to ask if I was homeschooling. She told me that she homeschooled her kids a generation ago and all these years later was so thankful for that time with her kids. She was so encouraging and inspiring to me! Then throughout the museum we constantly had smiles and way-to-go's sent in our direction.

Of course we still have many (many, many, many) crazy days and I often find myself wanting to pull my hair out, but it was a lovely morning of encouragement and beauty to give me a boost as we close out this school year!

 

The Little Minecraft Party That Could

Three years ago, my sons discovered Minecraft. For awhile it eclipsed everything else in their lives; every waking thought was about creepers, diamonds, farming, mining, and building. I'm not saying that the game is bad in itself... in fact, it is very creative. But it took over and drove me absolutely bonkers. But over the years I have implemented some major changes in their Minecraft intake, and I'm happy to say that it has turned from obsession to one interest among many.

For Max's 7th birthday, he wanted a Minecraft birthday party. Since his birthday is on Christmas, and we were traveling, I totally dropped the ball and didn't plan any party at all. The next year, he and Lucian requested a joint Minecraft party... and again I totally failed to plan a party. Holidays, more traveling, winter, blah blah blah. Lots of excuses. First I thought I'd plan it for January, near Lucian's birthday, but we took two large trips in January and it just plain didn't happen.

Feburary? That's not too far from birthday season. But now there was morning sickness to contend with. No party.

March... still sick. No party. I told the kids we would try for a Minecraft Spring party.

April... May...  running out of excuses, but life just seemed so busy! I couldn't find the energy to make it a priority.

Finally at the end of May, I sent out an email to a few friends with a possible date for a party. Amazingly, everyone was able to make it! I got to work on the cake (the number one priority in my boys' minds), bought a bunch of food, and planned a few silly Minecraft-related games.

The day of the party arrived and the boys were ecstatic! They decorated the house with Minecraft themed drawings, they set up all of the games, and they both dressed up as Steve (the main character in the game). Their friends came with their families, and it was actually fun and fairly relaxing, even for me! There was a pinata, Pin-the-Sword-on-Steve, and Enderman Tag. There was Lava to drink, themed snacks, and The Cake. My normally impossible-to-please eldest son told me that the cake was absolutely perfect. I can die happy now.

Max was so excited, he had to capture the making of the cake

My cake

A Minecraft cake... see the resemblance??

I'm pretty sure the kids had a good time too, snacking and running around and snacking some more. And now, after what seems like years, the party that has been hanging over my head is in the past, checked off as complete! No more worrying about when the Minecraft Party will finally happen, it happened! And it was a blast. 

Lava to drink, redstone (strawberries), experience orbs (green grapes)  and much more!

A Boundary Waters Adventure Tale

It has been years in the making... finally Lucian got to experience the Boundary Waters for the first time! Ever since Max went at age five, Lucian has had it firmly ingrained in his mind that he would get to go when he turned five. Sadly, the summer of Lucian's fifth year was so hectic and crazy with our move that he did not get to make the trip. But we promised him it would happen this year, and we stuck to it! Paul and my dad made the plans, they invited my grandpa along, and before I knew it, I was waving them off as they pulled out of our driveway.

The girls and I had a relaxing "staycation" with my mom at her house, full of swimming and movies and donuts. But the whole weekend I kept wondering what my boys were up to at that moment. When Sunday evening finally came, I got to hear about the whole adventure! 

Lucian informed me that it was "the best time I've ever had in my life!" and way better than he expected it to be. When asked what he had expected, he said he thought they would just "sit around in a circle and clap mosquitoes." Oh that sweetheart. He couldn't wait to go even when that's all he was expecting to do! 

Friday night they stayed in a bunkhouse in Ely, which we later found on Google Maps... the boys didn't want me to feel left out. On Saturday morning they ate breakfast in town and then drove to their entry point. The hike in to the first lake was about a half-mile, and each boy was outfitted with a child-sized Duluth pack. They were given clear instructions that at any point along the trail, they were welcome to drop their packs and someone would go back for them. But off they set, brave and determined, and they made it the whole way with their packs!

They canoed to their site and set up camp, then the moment Lucian had been waiting for... FISHING! Both boys caught Northern that were big enough to keep, Great Grandpa was kind enough to clean them (Northern are a pain to clean... very bony), and they got to enjoy them for dinner. Lucian told me back home that everything tastes better in the Boundary Waters. He is so right. The boys also spent some time whittling and attempting to catch chipmunks. 

After s'mores and stargazing, they read their bedtime story by headlamp in the tent, then slept until pancake time in the morning! Grandpa had called the boys a few days before the trip, asking about their food preferences. Fish for dinner, s'mores for dessert, pancakes for breakfast was the desired menu... ask and ye shall receive!

They packed up camp, canoed back across the lake, and unpacked the canoes at the half-mile portage to the car. Again, the boys were given the same packs, the same instructions. Again, they hauled their packs the entire way, Lucian as the pace setter, Max and Great Grandpa close behind. 

They got lunch in Ely and then drove home to their ecstatic sisters (and mom! and grandma!) who showered them with hugs. After a late dinner and baths (you can about guess the color of the water when they were done!) it was time to crawl into their very own beds. They fell asleep quickly and slept very well.

But the next morning, the first thing I heard was both boys agreeing that it was time to go back. They had been in civilization long enough, they wanted the wilderness again.

Do you think you can make it until next summer, boys?

Packing up at the bunkhouse

On the trail

The fish!

Since Dad was in charge, Max got to light the fire

Lucian spent a lot of his time around the fire with a whittling knife in hand

Trying to catch a chimpunk

Mmmm... pancakes over an open fire!

Maybe next year Max can carry the canoe...

Max's treasures

Can you canoe?