Summer Adventure #1

Today we began our summer adventures! The kiddos are so excited to not have any school for the next 2 months - little do they know, Mommy is tricking them and they are doing plenty of school!

After Wesley finished his final speech lesson this morning, we headed over to Bertz-Tiger Point Preserve to do some exploring. While there, the kiddos learned about the Timucuan Indians. They learned about how they used the St. John's river. They laughed as they practiced saying the names of their Chiefs. They enjoyed having conversations, but only using a certain sound that mommy told them - just like the Timucuan's did with the English when they first arrived.

The kiddos also learned about plants and animals. We learned to identify poison ivy and various spiders, along with different shells.

However, I think the all time favorite activity was capturing the baby frogs! As we were walking towards the van, Hannah noticed these little creatures jumping through the grass. As she got closer, she realized what they were and the collecting of frogs began! At one point, Lil'Robert had 7 in his hands! They all had a great time - we had frog races and jumping contests. We even had a competition to see whose frog could stay in their hand the longest with the palm open (Hannah's won!) As our time at the preserve ended, the kiddos begged to keep their newest pets. Poor Wesley even cried as he wanted to be a daddy to his froggies, since he has never been a daddy before!

All in all, I think today was very positive! We had a great first Summer Adventure and will continue discussing information for the remainder of the week!

 

HomeSchooling Success

For the 2013-2014 School Year, I am hoping to do something a little different...

I am wanting to create my own curriculum this year! It only took me 3 years to gain the confidence to do this, but I am ready and so very excited!

I am also going to do some tweaking with Robert and Hannah's 'grade' level. Right now, we have them 1 year apart in school - for 2012-2013, Lil' Robert is in 2nd and Hannah is in 1st. Math is about the only subject that they will stay separated by grades. All of the others, we will combine which, I believe will help them greatly since they love to help each other and work together!

Here is how our curriculum will look:

• Our outline will come from Easy Peasy. She has created an incredible curriculum that is available to all. She even has a pre-school outline that I am using, with great success, with Wesley right now!
• To supplement reading comprehension and spelling, we will use K12 Reader.
• For extra practice with reading/phonics, we will use Progressive Phonics. They also have a handwriting section that I am sure we will use.
• Time4Learning will be used to help fine tune math skills and help with English. There is a science and social studies section on their site, but I am not convinced we will use it yet. 
• I will use WorksheetWorks to create worksheets.
• For Religion, we will use their CCD Books.

I am so very excited about the 2013-2014 School Year - good or bad, it will be one to remember!

Learing IS Fun!

Today I finally listened to some friends and turned to our computer for schoolwork...

At first, I was hesitant as to how they would take it. Would there be our usual fights about not doing school, or needing a day off, or doing xyz, etc - there is ALWAYS some excuse! However, today I was shocked!

I opened up Reading Eggs and had Robert and Hannah take a simple test to see where they were at. They then continued playing the 'games' not knowing that they were learning! Each of them played for about 45minutes with absolutely NO complaints - only the occasional, "Mommy, I love these games!" I dared not tell them they were learning/doing some school work!

Then came math and I opened up IXL Math. It is different from Reading Eggs in that you determine where your child is at. You are also the one guiding them as they go. Whereas in Reading Eggs, you must master one skill before you can progress to another. Regardless though, each kiddo had a fabulous time!

After I PULLED them away from the computer and made them go outside, they thanked me for letting them take a day off from school! Little do they know....

Sneaky School Wednesday's

As you can see from the title, Wednesday is sneaky school day!

On this day, I will print off some computer sheets that are incredibly fun, yet incorporate math! We will go outside and search for insects and discuss the difference between arachnoids and insects. We will go on a scavenger hunt for different animals and classify them into categories (herbivore, mammal, vertebrae, etc). We will search for acorns that have sprouted and talk about the roots and how they work and what they need to live. We will use chalk to have word races - this works by seeing who can write a given word the fastest, the neatest, and correctly. I will do MANY read alouds and pretend to have trouble with a word and require help. Or I will stop reading at a point where something big is about to happen and the only way they can figure out what comes next is to read the rest of the chapter!

I really think Sneaky School Wednesday's are my absolute favorite day of the week - and I am nearly positive the kiddos would agree since they do not have to open a single workbook!

The other great aspect of Sneaky School Wednesday, is that there is minimal attitude. The fighting is non-existent. But, the love they show towards one another and me is incredible. They love the freedom and their behavior reflects this, which makes me so very happy.

Seeing my kiddos happy is such a joy. It definitely makes me feel like I am doing something right. In fact, as I sit here writing I am watching them create an obstacle course in the backyard. The are having such a great time and using their imaginations in ways that would be hindered in a traditional school.

No matter how hard the day might be, at the end of it, I am so glad that we are able to homeschool. That we are able to have sneaky school Wednesday. That we are able to explore the world in ways a classroom would not allow. But mostly, that my children are able to grow up at their own pace. They are not forced to act a certain way because of peer pressure.

Children are truly a gift from the Lord and I am so grateful (most of the time!) that I am able to spend almost every single moment of every single day with them!

What a gift I have been given!

Shower Spelling

After a good bit of trial and error, I finally found something that the kiddos enjoy for practicing spelling words...

I bought 4 packages of foam letters and put them in a bucket. I then had each kiddo put on a swim suit and hop - with not knowing why - in the shower -->

Once in there, I informed them of the rules:  I will call out a word and whoever 'writes' the word correctly first wins. If there is fighting or screaming, you must sit out for 2 words. The first to get 10 words, in a row, correct, wins! What they win is up to the initiator of the game... ME!

 Even Wesley had fun trying to figure out how to spell words... He was quite good at finding 'W', 'A', and a few others!

Each kiddo had a great time and really practiced new words. I enjoyed every second of hearing their laughs and giggles - especially since they had NO idea that they were learning new information... in their little minds, they were just playing and having fun!

 

God's Timing

Thank God for friends who are there when you need them!

A group of my friends and I had been planning a Valentine's Day Celebration for about a month. Given the recent events and my desire to do absolutely nothing, I had no intention of going... until my girlfriends decided that they would come to my house and make sure that the four of us went - and boy am I glad that we did...

Once the decision was made, we needed to make Valentine's for all of our little friends. This year, we went super simple and the kiddos cut out and decorated hearts for all. Once we were done, we put everything in a pile on the table and planned on cleaning once we arrived back home...

The party was a blast (pictures to come!) and I am so glad that we had the distraction. The kiddos had a great time and it did my heart such good to hear my kiddos laughing and see them smile. They played with friends and made crafts. And when it was time to leave, I let out some intense emotions by cleaning the entire floor with baby wipes - it felt good!

When we came home, it was time to clean up all of our art supplies from earlier. Right before I put the last stack of papers in the HomeSchool closet, I came across this picture that Hannah had created over the MLK weekend, when Aunt Maura was first admitted to the infirmary for IV antibiotics...

Aunt Maura - Love Hannah - I hope you feel better soon.

Letters to Heaven

On Monday, I decided it was time to return to school, in an attempt to make life normal again... Our first lesson was to write a letter to Aunt Maura in Heaven....

Aunt Maura, Do you get sugar in Heaven?
Love, Bert Bert

Aunt Maura, What is Heaven like?
Love, Hannah

Q-Tip Painting

Today is a dreary day on the homefront. It is warm with rain moving in. It is overcast and windy. It is a day that depresses you to look outside....

Since it is Thursday, I have my pre-school class for Wesley and Leighton. We have already begun the process of learning letters and their sounds and how to write them. Early this week, we went on a scavenger hunt for items that begin with L and W. We also used our fingers on sand paper to trace their letters. We have written them in chalk. We have had fun!

Today, however, I wanted to do something different. I was going to take all 4 to the zoo to look for animals that start with 'their letter.' In order for this to happen, the kiddos were to pick up their toys and do their chores while I took a shower. Wouldn't you know it, that once I was done, nobody had done as I asked. As a result, they lost the zoo privilege. (Tomorrow will be too cold, but maybe next Tuesday we will try again - they don't know this, though!) So, I had to go to plan 'B'. Which meant coming up with a plan b!

As I was drying off, I figured out just what we would do. Since we are working so very hard on letters, I decided that I would five the kiddos q-tips to use to create their letters and after that, they would use them to paint. It was a success! Not only did they get some good practice, they also had fun!

Here are some pictures of our very creative morning :-)

Hannah, My Black Eye Bee

Today in science, we discussed insects and what differentiates them from arachnids (spiders). (In case you did not know, there are 3 distinct differences: 1. 6 legs 2. 3 parts to the body and 3. Antennae)...

Well, after we finished, I sent the kiddos on an adventure with their binoculars that we made yesterday to find some insects. After a few moments, I realized Hannah was no longer outside. I begin to call her name and walk towards the side gate to see if maybe she, in some mysterious way, interpreted stay in the backyard as go to the front yard. As I round the corner to the gate, I hear a child made hum behind me. When I turn around, I saw a beautiful bee that just so happened to resemble my sweet Hannah!

Hannah, My Black Eyed Bee was oh so proud of her creativity... and so was her mommy! I think it is safe to say that she fully understood the lesson. ;-)

Just A Bit Busy....

Well, once again, I do great updating friends and family on our family happenings and then for some reason, I stop. I think this time however, I have an excuse. Are you ready for it?!?!? Okay, well......

We have been busy! Our homeschooling studies are taking longer than they have in the past 3 years - and yes I know, this year I am teaching a 1st and 2nd grader while also teaching/entertaining/keeping away a full of life 3 year old who thinks (and knows) that he is just hilarious. It is a job these days. I hope that satisfies as a good enough reason for all. If not, well, come spend a day here, handle all of the homeschooling and entertainment needs ON TOP OF all of the daily household chores....

To give you a better understanding of our day, I will let you into our typical daily routine, Monday - Friday, with VERY few days, or even weeks, off.... We are trying to 'train' the kiddos to not leave their beds until 7a. Somedays this works, most days it does not, so they end up snuggling on the couch with mommy - they *quietly* watch cartoons while I close my eyes until 7! At 7, we start the process of getting daddy out the door, but only after I have at least 1 cup of coffee. Once daddy leaves, between 7:45 and 8, our day really begins. I make breakfast for the kiddos and while they are eating, I am reading them the morning prayers and Bible verses from our Magnificat. After breakfast, we do chores. As soon as those are done and checked off of the list, we will begin school. In the morning, Robert and Hannah do their handwriting work solo while I do a bit of 'work' with Wesley. Once they are done, we move onto the mommy supervised subjects: Spelling, Language/English, and Reading. Typically after these are done, they are antsy because we have been working for 1.5-2hrs, so outside we go. Most days we go for a bike ride around the block a few times. Lately though, they have preferred the backyard. Whichever they choose is fine with me, as long as they are happy...and done with the 4 morning subjects! Around 11:45, I attempt to serve lunch. I say attempt because there is always the I like this, not that - this is nasty - I will eat if you let me skip nap - etc ~ UGH! Once lunch has ended, we enter my favorite time of the day.... nap/rest/reading time!!! Welsey MUST nap. Hannah, must read for 30min and is not allowed out of her room until 2pm. Robert must read for 30min and then he can play on the computer, do puzzles, anything that is quiet and he can do solo. I clean, start dinner IF I am cooking, sit for a few if I can, fold laundry, and prepare for science, math, and Religion. Once they are all up and fed... again.... I will do math. This is a 1:1 subject. So while I am working with Hannah, Robert is working with Wesley - teaching him colors, shapes, songs, etc. Then they switch and I work with Robert. After math comes science. To simplify things this year, I am starting with 1st grade science for both. Once that is done, we will go to second, and so on. Finally, our last subject for the day is religion. This includes a story every week from their children's Bible, with review questions all week. They also have a religion text and activity book that we use. Once school is done and we put all of our school marterials. Around 5:30 I serve the kiddos dinner. Then bath/showers, playing with Daddy, watching Figure It Out at 7, and then reading a book to mommy while snuggling in bed. Once they are out, I set about cleaning up from dinner. Doing some more laundry. Getting lessons for the morning. Hopefully taking a shower. Saying hello to my best friend and thanking him for all he does so that I am able to stay home and teach our beauties. He is such a great man... . Hopefully before midnight I will make it to bed where I say a quick prayer thanking God for the day and begging him to not let anyone have nightmares - this last part almost always is answered for 2/3's of the kiddos.... I will pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow for just a few hours before life starts all over again....

So, like I said previously, I hope that you realize this is not just an excuse. When I say life is busy, it is! And this is just a day where we have no doctor appointments, homeschooling field trips, the kiddos weekly run club, or Adoration that I try to squeeze in at least once a week. But, although our life is crazy and some days I feel like I cant breathe, it is a life I would not trade for anything! And without the hard work of my true love, this crazy, hectic, wonderfully blessed life, would not be possible.

On a different note, I realize more and more every day, what a great life God has grantI re me - even with all of its challenges that have come my way these past 3.5yrs, there is nothing I would change.... Well, 1 thing - to have my family about 590miles closer! If there is one thing I have learned in these past 3.5yrs, with all that has happened with me, with trusting God, and going from 2 to 1 incomes, and then on top of all that, our decision to beginin our homeschooling adventure, I have learned that it truly takes a village to raise children. Honeslty,I believe we would be completely lost of it were not for all of our incredible friends who are there in a moments notice, no questions asked. Who don't offer help just to sound nice, but rather because they rnd truly care. And our family who is only a phone call away at all times, no matter where they are....

Baseball's Never Been Hotter Than The Jacksonville Suns!

Today, we met up with our homeschool group, HomeGrown Homeschoolers, for a field trip/behind the scenes tour of the Jacksonville Suns Stadium! To say that we were excited is quite the understatement :-)

At first, we tried to keep the trip a secret and let it be a huge surprise for them today, BUT I needed some bribery for nap yesterday and told Ms. Hannah. Now, she was under STRICT orders to not tell a soul, but evidently, she is not ready for secrets.... not only did she not take a nap, she also told both brothers within minutes of me telling her. Ugh!

As usual with the Riker Family, we were running late, but luckily, this is common among home schooling families, and well, families in general, so we had plenty of time to spare. This would have been great, but it was a 90* October day - with no breeze. Another UGH!

Before the tour started, we took a group shot of all the kiddos - go figure, my midgets would stand in the very back where they were only visible from side angles!

 After the group photo, the tour began - at first it was the boring stuff, but after a bit in the fabulous Florida heat, we made it to the dugout, followed by the indoor batting/pitching/practice area, followed by the Suns weight room and locker room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After this, we made our way to the main level, right behind home plate.

 

 

 

 

The kiddos were quite anxious to get to the third floor and after daddy finished taking pictures, we were off. The third floor held the press box (where there was an actual hole in the wall where a ball came flying through the open window and hit the wall - the announcer leaned to the left and kept talking as if nothing happened the entire time!), the crew room for the video guys and scoreboard people, and the suites where you pay too much money to sit in an air conditioned room and watch baseball!

 Once this was over, the tour was over, and it was time for lunch - Capri Suns, chips, and hot dogs - what more could a group of hot, sweaty, hungry kiddos ask for?!

 

After lunch and a few more pictures.....

 

....it was time to head down the stairs and get home....

.... but Wesley wanted to try and buy some tickets first!

As we were driving home, we saw the Jaguars practicing and as we continued towards the Hart Bridge, we noticed that the road was closed and there were many marines and combat vehicles. Curious, we pulled into a parking lot to watch, only to see a few Marines sitting inside of a tank. We pulled all of the kiddos out of the van and walked over to see what was going on. These gentleman told us that they were setting up the vehicles to show off for the Marine Corps Half-Marathon in the morning, but would LOVE to open up the other tank and give us a private tour!

We were able to watch as they lowered the gate, which was pretty cool. Who would have known that lowering a gate was a two man job?! We were able to see him climb into the drivers seat, instead of opening a door - the kiddos thought that was SO neat! He allowed all of us to walk inside, ask tons of questions, and then he even let the kiddos try on the bullet proof vests and helmets! This poor marine, was in full fatigues, and sat in the fabulous, non-breezy, 90* blazing sun....

 

 

We said our thank yous goodbyes and decided that since we had already skipped nap for the day, that we would take the kiddos to Adoration since it was on the way home. Let me just say, I am so very impressed with each of my children. They were so very respectful. The behaved so nicely. There was not a single poor choice made. Lil' Robert for the first time ever, instead of genuflecting in front of the Blessed Sacrament, he laid down prostrate - this brought tears to my eyes as he is going to be receiving this beautiful Sacrament in May of '13.

Once we left the chapel, we walked over to the Rectory to see Grandma, since we had not seen her in a few weeks because of the missions trip to Jamaica, but she was nowhere to be seen. We waited, Robert recited his entire Act of Contrition, Wesley acted like Wesley, and Hannah sat perfectly still. Finally after a good bit, we packed up and left!

 It was an incredibly adventurous morning! We all had a great time as a family and made some very, very precious memories!