::summer learning::

I want to use this summer to its fullest.  

One of my goals in to work on a summer tutor plan with Lily.

I met my mother in law (who was a first grade teacher) at a local teacher store and started digging through the workbooks.

I have a small notebook that I am tracking lesson plans in and writing notes to keep the baby sitters going with this when I am not home.

Here is a sample lesson plan.  I have allowed flexibility in this plan, if something is working well than we can keep going with it.  If it is not than we can stop and move on to something else.  My goal is at least one total hour everyday.

Lesson Plan:

Start with 10 minutes of reading out loud - any book she wants to read

Do at least two Mind Bender puzzles.  She loves these logic puzzles. 

2-4 pages from her Summertime Learning workbook.

4 puzzles from Puzzles and Games that Make Kids Think.  This book has four different sections/types of games.  She loves it.

1-2 pages from her Science workbook.  I LOVE this one.  We were in Lowe's and saw a peach tree.  She proceeded to tell me they were temperate trees and need  a certain amount of cold days to make fruit.  WOW. 

Then she does a journal entry.  She can write about anything.  I don't proof read it.  We just talk about what she wrote.  

Any other suggestions? 

::max vs porch steps::

 Max tried to jump the porch steps at my friends house.

It did not work out.  

His face took the brunt of it. 

 Then he and Maren (her similarly aged daughter) took turns pouring frosty in each others hair.

 Let's not forget the stubbed toe.  

And the chocolate face.

::potty training - take three::

Yes. 

I have posted about potty training Max before. 

Yes - I keep quitting. 

He wins.  Often.

AND YES, he is 3.5

But I think I might have hit one something here.

Naked.

I take all his clothes and diaper off, except for a tee shirt. 

And just walk away. 

If he wants to pee of the porch - fine.

If he wants to use the toilet - great.

What ever. 

And so far that kid has not had an accident. 

(Minus when he pooped on the porch.  But that is another story.)

"It just slipped out Mommy.  Sorry."

Can it be that he might not wear a diaper to NFL training camp? 

(But now, how do I put pants on him?)

::summer schedule::

I didn't want the summer to be a crazy mess.  So I made a glorious list. 

The Gordans (the family that helps babysit) has no problem with this.

My hardest sell will be Josh.  

All chores listed are the kids chores.  

Here is is:

8am – up and eat
          Clean up dishes and spray off table
          Brush teeth and hair, get dressed

9am –   Start one load of laundry
Play

12p – help make lunch and spray off counters
Eat
          Clean up dishes and spray off table
    Bring Luna in and feed her 1.5-2 cups

1pm – Max nap

1pm-2pm - Lily work on workbooks, reading and programs
          Emma work with goats

2pm-3pm – Chores  (if no Emma, do not do animals)
Lily – sweep kitchen, organize shoes, tidy bathroom, fold laundry, unload and reload dishwasher, help Emma with animals
Emma – feed animals, put away one basket of laundry (rotate between Daddy, Max and Girls) sweep dining room, shoes area, and family room, help Lily with dishes

3pm – wake up Max if not already awake
          Play till pick up

5-6pm – make dinner and eat
          Clean up dishes and wipe counters

7pm-8:30pm – read and play

8:30-9pm – get ready for bed
          Showers, teeth, medicine

9pm – bed time

::three babies in one day::

I did three photo shoots in the same day.

Three little boys.  

Reid

 

 Nate

 Owen

If you want to see more link here.  

::three sisters::

One of my favorite things in the whole world in multitasking.  LOVE IT!!!  Getting two things or more done at the same time feels like heaven.  I think that is why three sisters gardening appealed to me.  You make a mound and plant 5 corn seeds.  Once they are about 6 inches tall you thin them to 3 plants.  Then you plant five climbing beans in the mound, thinning them to three.  As the corn grown the beans grow up them. At the same time you plant the beans you plant four squash seeds, thinning to one.    These three sisters work together in a perfectly symbiotic relationship.  The beans and corn use and provide different nutrients to each other.  The squash (pumpkins? or luffas?  I'll do a crazy type I think) spreads out and acts as a weed mat.  At the very far end of my orchard garden I have three mounds ready for this.  The corn is planted and just starting to poke up.  I will keep you posted on the progress. 

 

photo from here

Best place to explain it.  Because it was written for children, so I can understand it.

 

::cottage garden progress::

The cottage garden is coming along great. 

Like my bowling ball?

It was the only thing in our attic when we moved in.

I love the darn thing.

The little beans are coming in.

Now I have my fingers crossed that they will actually climb.  

 First little tomato showing his face.

This plant has lived in a pot in the house since the second the plant stores had them out.  He has had some serious TLC.

Little baby butternut squash.

The little tomatoes are growing fast.

Carrots are coming in.

Sweet pea's are flowering.

Lettuce is perfect.

The chives are too pretty to eat. 

Getting twice the broccoli this year. 

That's a bush watermelon.