1. Our youngest, Peter, has learned with skill and precision how to escape from his playpen at will. This first week of trying to get the daily chores done with a 20-month old underfoot (along with the four other kids and the dog) has been..... an adventure. Today's small success: I managed to convince him to (willingly!!) go back to his playpen and stay for a nice afternoon nap!
   
2. I baked my own bread for the very first time! It was lumpy... lopsided... maybe a bit more coarse than we're used to... AH, but it was warm and well-received by my spectacular family. (Thanks, guys!)
3. I actually took the time to throw this post together!
   

Camp Stanislaus

George in the back.


"Camp Stanislaus is operated in conjunction with the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, a religious order of teaching brothers who have operated St. Stanislaus College Prep since 1854. The camp has functioned successfully since 1928."

NB: George could not water ski three weeks ago.

Heading out for a day of fishing.

Ah.. Sailing.

Sunrise over Bay Saint Louis bridge

George on the water.

George doing something less thrilling than water-skiing.

**All of the pictures were taken by camp photographer, Brother Dwight.

Yes, I did drop off the face of the planet

(In case you were wondering)
But I'm back now.

I won't bother with a full recap in an effort to explain my disappearance. However, I am now missing my gall bladder and a wayward lymph node. I feel much better now. End of summary.

And here we are -yet again- approaching the beginning of another school year. I have spent the last three weeks slaving to produce several 3-ring binders worth of schedules and lesson plans that I will most likely never use (again) but which I feel compelled to have... just in case.... something. Either way - I'm only a couple more book-purchases from being ready to conquer Year Four of homeschool.

As usual there will be changes.

We enjoyed using CHC's curriculum last year - however, there's just not a lot of meat to it. Last year that was a good thing... We needed something of a break. Now though - with the break behind us - with little children only getting bigger - with my gall bladder now in parts unknown and no longer able to ruin a school day - I think we're ready for more.

This school year we're going to have a 12 year old boy, an 11 year old boy, a 6 year old girl, a 4 year old girl and a 2 year old boy in the house. I really want everyone to be involved. I really do not want to have to juggle schedules for at least three different children while trying to entertain the youngest two.

I browsed through (most of) the 6,438,390 search results on Google and finally decided to give the Connecting with History program a try this year. I ordered Volume I and waited breathlessly for it to arrive. When it got here, however, I was disappointed. It wasn't the curriculum itself -- no it seemed very solid if not mildly intimidating. The problem was actually the content... We have tried so many different approaches to history over the last three years that we have started 'from the beginning' far too often. I really couldn't stomach the idea of another few months of the Sumerians and Babylonians.. oh and those pesky Egyptians. Enough!

That's when I ordered Volume II of Connecting with History.

And so here's the year's plan summary:

• History/Geography/Literature/Reading/Religion: Connecting with History Volume II
• Grammar: Latina Christiana I & II (You can't learn Latin if you don't know grammar)
• Spelling/Vocabulary: Book of Roots
• Science: Apologia General Science, 2nd Edition
• Art: Christian Heritage Art Program
• Kindergarten LA & Math: Time 4 Learning
• Math: ALEKS Math Lvl 6 & Middle School 3

Hopefully I'll be about the blog off and on to let the world know how it all comes together.

In other news - we got one of the fledglings out of the nest for a few weeks this summer: George is at camp. Three weeks at Camp Stanislaus in Bay Saint Louis, MS and I hardly recognize him:

We'll be driving to pick him up Friday morning and, I admit it -- I can hardly stand the wait. I really miss this kid. Whose bright idea was it to send him away for so long anyway?? Er.. oh. That was me.