Faithful Over Little Things

Busy, Busy Day!

Post By: Mary Beth

Today was a VERY busy day. We didn't do all that was planned but we did some fun things that were not planned. Last night at baseball Karoline started collecting things such as stones and dead leaves. Katie joined her and they together got enough supplies to make a beautiful fairy house. So this morning began with Karoline waking me and Katie up excited about FAIRY HOUSES! We went out and made a beautiful fairy house (soon to be posted at Blossoms and Bees) along with Karoline's steps leading to the fairy house and Katie's Water Hole for the fairies to bathe in. Then we came inside and cleaned a bit. After that, Katie and Karoline wanted to make fairies to have in their house (pictures will be in the post at Blossoms and Bees) and I realized that we don't have any fairy kits or the Klutz book anymore (too many fairies have been made and we have run out of supplies) so I made up a way to make them (ask me now and I wouldn't be able to tell you exactly how we made them). Nicky joined us and made a boy fairy for the fairy house, Karoline made a purple fairy (you can guess what her favorite color is), and Katie made a light blue one.Light blue is not Katie's favorite color but she wanted to make one in my favorite color since I was helping Karoline make hers and I didn't get to making one for myself. Here's a list of what everyone has done today so far...the day really slipped away but was so much fun!

Christian: Studied for the Lifeguarding test all day today with mom. He will be taking that this Sunday!

Patrick: Went to the eye doctor and came back with contacts. He has now learned how to put them in. He started his Sonlight reading. He is now at soccer.

Me (Mary Beth): I have helped make fairies and fairy houses, I have taught the virtue of Hope to Katie and Karoline through The Little Flowers program,. We made notebook pages.  I have cleaned and watched Karoline and Sarah while mom T-Tapped.

Stephen: Cleaned, did Math, Native American main lesson book, and went to soccer.

Nick: made a fairy, did Math, listened to the Native American read aloud and cleaned.

Katie: made a fairy, did Little Flowers (led by me) the virtue of Hope,  listened to the Native American read aloud, and made a Fairy House.

Karoline: Helped me make a beautiful purple fairy, learned about the virtue of Hope and St. Monica, and made a fairy house and listened to the Native American read aloud.

Sarah Annie: Ate her first solid food today, mushed avocado.

Late addition: Mom read Romeo and Juliet at bedtime. Dad sang Karoline to sleep with the Dire Straits version. He knows all the words to all the songs ever sung.

 

Blowing Off the Dust and Beginning Anew

Below is the first post I wrote on this blog set aside to record our daily learning. During the time I kept this blog, productivity was pretty high in our home. and accountability was very high. It served its purpose well. But it was cumbersome to record it all, and far too time-consuming. Now, I have children who are capable of helping me to record. I'm a firm believer in teaching children how to journal. So, we're back. We'll post when we can and we hope you benefit from a peek into our days. Pretty much everything else is just as it was nearly three years ago. I've highlighted any edits new to the post below.

I'm re-committing to a Charlotte Mason education.  In the course of writing about Michael's home education experience and talking to him at great length about what has stuck with him, I'm more determined than ever to provide that for his younger siblings. 

I've spent the past few weeks filling once again the baskets of books and reminding myself of the great gift I give my children when they have a mother who is so excited about the contents of those baskets that it is contagious. And, admittedly, I'm tweaking a bit.  I think I'll take more seriously Miss Mason's Latin requirement.  I've been persuaded that such wisdom was not confined to her time and place.(Need a sheepish blushing icon here, and a Latin tutor wouldn't hurt either.) [Still looking for the perfect Latin book.]

I am also more determined to keep good records.  I envision the sidebars detailing books and resources and then saved for when my feeble brain has to retrieve them.  Right now, though, I don't have time to do the sidebars. (Incidentally, Mary Beth has designed the sidebars at Real Learning.) [Mary Beth is still doing sidebars and I don't have time NOT to do sidebars. Reading lists are crucial to reporting to authorities and colleges. Be assured of reading lists.]

For the moment, this blog will just be a daily recap, a means for accountability, a chance to record and maybe reflect.Honestly, I don't know if this will work. This blog has been sitting here for a month, waiting to become a record of a Charlotte Mason education.  But I have been worried. I don't want something else that pulls me to the computer, so I am concerned that having to run over to the keyboard to record the little things might be a distraction to faithfulness.  On the other hand, I see the merit of a "living record" and the threat of accountability to you all. We'll see how it goes.

For now, though, I hope to be able to report on narrations--lots of narrations.  When Michael was in grade school and everyone else was very little, it was out of desperation that I would send him off to read and then to narrate.  Reams of paper became a detailed Book of Centuries.  Squirrelled away in his room, hiding from the chaos, he devoured the Redwall series and fashioned himself into a writer after Brian Jacques.

Read it.  Write about it.  That's all.  It's inexpensive too (but that's the "abundance" thread on the big blog, isn't it?). [Well, this is a little different. We've infused our narrations with color and dimension, incorporating what I believe to be the best of Waldorf and Montessori methods. Charlotte Mason is still the queen, though]

What made this method of education work?  Masterly inactivity on my part, just because I was so darned "active" elsewhere. A nearly total lack of television and no video games. And there was something else, something I cannot replicate here. Michael had no local friends.  When we moved to this neighborhood, there were fewer than 100 families residing here.  Almost all of them had no children yet (the neighborhood was brand new) or had very young children.  Michael had friends, but they were children in homeschooled families in the next town over.  There was no town school here.  Now, there is one two blocks away.  And the rhythm of that school, those children, draws my children.  Suddenly, we are on their calendar, their clock.  And it's a problem.  Those teachers don't stop for dirty diapers and nursing babies.  If they need to take maternity leave or sick leave, someone else steps in.  Frankly, I'm not thrilled about our world being invaded by the neighbors.  I liked the sense of life on our own. I wanted to get the children to work hard at chores today before Daddy comes home tomorrow.  Instead, there are nine adolescent boys in my family room playing video football.  But moving is not an option just yet and so we offer it up and strengthen our resolve to buck the culture and do what we know is right.

A Charlotte Mason education is simple.  That's why it is so do-able for a large family and only one "teacher."  It's "living." That's why it adapts to the demands of real life. And it is sound.  That's why children educated this way not only "know their stuff," but they appreciate what they know.

This time around, as I commit again to the educational principles of Miss Mason, I KNOW it works.  I've seen it work under my own roof. And, this time around, I have lots of support.  In the beginning of this grand CM experiment, God blessed me with a handful of women who were thoughtful and brilliant and very willing to talk and talk and talk about it.  And I am still so grateful to have bee educated by an intimacy with them.  That little circle has widened though--and the internet world of CM-inspired Catholic  education is a hopping place!  Praise God for the blessings He has so abundantly bestowed on us.  We can adapt the educational theory of an Anglican pedagogical genius and steep ourselves in the Catholic faith with the support and encouragement of colleagues all over the world.  And then all He asks is that we are faithful over the little things.  The little souls.  Please God, grant me the grace.

The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes--The Plan

Everyone:

• Watch The Song of Bernadette
• Read about St. Bernadette in the Loyola Kids Book of Saints
• Make a page for Liturgical Year Notebook

Gracie:

• continue practice writing her name
• Numeral and gem matching
• Signing Time
• Help make Kettle Corn
• Listen to: The  Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge

Katie:

• "L" work Handwriting Without Tears
• Gem Trading game
• Signing Time
• Help make Kettle Corn
• Beginning working on "Sunflower" virtue in Little Flowers with Mary Beth
• Listen to: The  Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge

Nicky:

• "How I got my name" page in First Communion notebook
• "L" work Handwriting Without Tears
• Gem Trading game
• Signing Time
• Color the Lavender Fairy
• Listen to: The  Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge
• Help make Kettle Corn

Stephen:

• Lively Language Lesson: Linking verbs
  
• Gem Trading game: sixes with Mary Beth
• Cursive "L"
• Signing Time
• copy the Lavender Fairy Song and illustrate
• Make Lavender tea for tea time
• Read Aunt Green, Aunt Brown, and Aunt Lavender and write a narration
   
• Read Ultimate Lego Book
• Listen to: The  Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge

Mary Beth:

• Lively Language Lesson: Linking verbs
  
• Gem Trading game--sixes with Stephen
• Signing Time
• copy the Lavender Fairy Song and illustrate
• Make Lavender tea for tea time
• Read Aunt Green, Aunt Brown, and Aunt Lavender and write a narration
   
• Listen to: The  Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge
• Read More Catholic Tales by Caryll Houselander: "Loaves and Little Fishes" about the Living Bread.

Paddy: sick
Christian: sick

The weekly master list

In an effort to use the Serendipity plans in a peaceful and organized manner, I made a master list of all the activities in all the lesson plans for this week. This might not be useful for anyone but Katherine because you'd have to be with us in every area for it to work for you. But, theoretically, I am going to  make eight copies of this master list. Then, I will write the name of a child across the top of each list. I will underline everything that is to be done on Monday in red, Tuesday in orange, Wednesday in yellow, Thursday in green and Friday in blue. Not everything will be underlined on any one child's list. Hopefully this will not utterly confuse them or me;-). I plan to print all the dowloands for the week on Sunday night. My sincere hope is that all the prep will allow me to be away from the computer during our morning time. I'll let you know how it goes.

Gnomes and Gnumbers

• Sort the right number of      gemstones into baskets.
• Practice with the Montessori      Roman Numeral cards
• Practice writing Roman      numerals when Mom writes a numeral. And then practice giving Mom the      numbers for the Roman numerals.
• games      of bean bag toss
• Fill baskets with different      amounts of gemstones. Sor into groups of twos. Do you have an odd number      or an even one?
• Write numbers on paper or the      blackboard; circle all odd numbers in one color and all even numbers in a      different color. 
• place value on the rainbow      tray: Make different numbers by placing the numerals within the bands      of the rainbow.  Tell me the value of the numerals.
• Build numbers with the Base      Ten set or gemstones place the correct numerals on the rainbow tray.     
• Make a number on the tray and      then build it with the manipulatives. (Review Lesson      Three for more explanation on place value activities.)
• Addition Strip Board: build equations
• Record addition equations on      graph paper.
• Memorize the addition tables      +1 through +9.  Use the  equation slips.
• Addition with regrouping or      carrying: The      Math Worksheet Site. Do one worksheet a day
• Draw Number Ladders.
  • For number 12
  • For number 1
  • For number 11
• Read      12 Ways to Get 11 and then:
  • Make a number picture for each of these       numbers
  • One
  • Two
  • Three
• Make a Main Lesson Book page for the number Four.      Hints: four gospels, four sides to a square, four legs on the dog, four      cousins
• Modeling clay numbers 1-5
• Form Drawing.
  • listen to the story
  • draw the form in math       MLB
  • use the form to make a       border for one other MLB page
• Listen to:

12 Ways to Get 11 (Whole to Parts, Addition)

Teaching Textbooks- Lesson : M T W TH F

Oak Meadow Math Lesson M T W TH F

Alphabet Path

• Listen Gorse Fairy Tag
• Draw  St. George      and the Dragon
• Color St. George and the
• Trace the G with your finger.
• Practice the Letter G by      copying the model drawing.
• Use  The      Song of Gorse Fairy as      copywork.
• Sing      the song as well and soon it will be memorized.
• Add the letter "C"      to our alphabet main lesson book: careful, caterpillar and Cherubim
• Try to find letters in the      environment.

Nature Study:

• Make a four square with the      following:
  • Botanical       Information
  • Plant       Indications on the Flower Fairy Site.
  • Look up a picture of       the Gorse       flower and sketch it in the main lesson book along with a narration.

• Read and narrate The      Life and Times of the Apple. and make  sure to include drawings
• Work with the botanical      nomenclature cards for life cycle of a pumpkin
• Make an entry in your MLB,      drawing and labeling life cycle of pumpkin.

Art:

• Using the illustration in The      Flower Fairy Alphabet Book,  sketch the Gorse Fairies in the      main lesson book.
• Color the Gorse Fairies in      the Flower      Fairy Alphabet Coloring Book .
• Model the fairy or flower      with modeling beeswax. 
• Picture study: is      Boy with a House of Cards. Copy and narrate

Faith:

•   Read the poem about      St. George in Letters      from Heaven.
• St.      George and the Dragon.
• Make a Wee      Felt      Saint of St. George. 
• Begin Faith in Numbers book,      using Jenn's      list. Make MLB pages for "one"

Books for Read-Alouds and Narrations (These are to be narrated both verbally and artistically.)

The Gullywasher
Grandfather's Journey
Follow the Drinking Gourd
Grass Sandals
Aunt Green, Aunt Brown, and Aunt Lavender
Goodnight Moon
The Grouchy Ladybug
"G" is for Googol: A Math Alphabet book
G is for Galaxy: An out of the World Alphabet book

Writing:

• Read Snow White.
• Discuss symbols.
• Write a narration of Snow      White
• Write a critical paper      discussing the symbols.

Lively Language:
Read section in "Merry-Go-Round" on singular and plural nouns.

• Discuss nouns that are made      plural by adding -s to the ending.
• Make a MLB page by dividing      one page into 4 rectangles.  The first will be labeled "Add      -s"  Draw pictures of nouns that are made plural by adding -s to      the end.

 

• Review section in      "Merry-Go-Round" that addresses noun that are made plural by      adding -es to the ending. (Nouns ending in s, z, ch, sh and x.)
• Label 2nd rectangle of MLB      page with the title "Add -es." Use a variety of nouns with the      different endings to demonstrate this rule.
• Reinforce -s and -es endings      with cards from "Singular/Plural Kit."

Wednesday

• Read section in      Merry-Go-Round that address nouns in which the y is dropped and changed to      an i and then -es is added.
• Use 3rd rectangle in MLB      page to illustrate examples.
• Use "Singular and      Plural Kit" to review the three forms we've discussed this week.

Thursday

• Read the section in      "Merry-Go-Round" that address nouns that end in -f or -fe, the      -f changing to a -v. 
• Use last rectangle of MLB      page to illustrate nouns that follow this rule.
• Use "Singular and      Plural Kit" to review what we've learned this week.

Friday

Using four different colored Lyra Pencils, analyze a writing assignment from this week and underline Rule #1 in red, Rule #2 in blue, Rule #3 in green and Rule #4 in purple.  Challenge: If you have a collective noun, circle it in gold Lyra.

RULE #1

Add -s to end of noun.

RULE #2

Add -es to nouns ending in -s, -z, -ch, -sh, and -x.

RULE #3

If a noun ends in -y, drop the -y and change to an -i and then ad -es.

RULE #4

If a noun ends in -f or -fe, change the -f to a -v and add -es.

Monday Night Football Geography:
Read and narrate E is for Evergreen

 

Monday Rhythm

Our weekends tend to be very busy. On Saturday, I went from ballet, to George Mason to get Michael, back to ballet, to the craft store, the sports store, the yarn store, back to ballet, home and then to football. Michael took Christian to a homeschooled teen event that night.
Sunday was even busier, if that's possible.

We spent hours outside at soccer.When my children reach the end of the weekend, they are happy but they are tired. Monday is always tough, particularly since, by Monday, my husband's been gone three or four days.There's weariness all around.

So this week, I decided to stop trying to make Monday very academic. After beginning with prayer and reciting our September poem, we spent the morning making fairy houses for our seasons table. The nice thing about spending weekends out at soccer is that usually we're in parklike settings. Lots of collecting can happen there. So, the children brought their rocks and their acorns to the scene. A craft on Monday morning engages their hands before their heads are quite awake. By the end of our crafting time, they were more into the indoor rhythm.

Then, we had lunch. After lunch, we dedicated about an hour and a half to geography work. We all worked together after that to put the house in order. By 5 or so, it was time to drive to ballet, and soccer and football again. The little ones listened to books in the van while I dropped off and picked up. After nine o'clock, I collapsed into bed.

On the Anniversary Day

Today is our twentieth wedding anniversary. We took a leisurely breakfast in bed this morning. Then, Mike will have the boys all day at the studio, followed by RFK Stadium, a tailgate party, and a big soccer game. I will have the girls. We're planning to pursue our fairy trail and then go to the knitting store and then on to ballet. Not exactly a conventional twentieth anniversary celebration, but more than I could have ever imagined oh those many years ago.

That was so much fun, let's do it again!

Remember the color code. And the things that are all together are in black.

Katie and Gracie, Mary Beth, Nicholas, Patrick, Stephen

 

9am Beginning our work: Light a candle, morning offering, rosary

decade, poem

Read The Little Chapel that Stood

9:30am 3 Pages of Language of God, Oak Meadow Math, copywork from

Flower Fairies book (copy poem and illustrate in MLB),

9:30am Language of God: 3 pages, Math U See, Latin work, copywork (the

collect),

9:30am Math and Language Arts: make page for “1” in MLB

9:30am Try again with yesterday’s plan, if not, go to Katie’s plan

9:30am Tale of Jolly Robin: read and narrate, draw in MLB

10:30am Math U See

10:30am Snack and Signing time (all the littles with Mary Beth signing)

11am Wee felt folk

11am Handwork: Wee Felt Folk

11am play dough--roll B's

12pm Lunch and outside play—some gardening to be done.

1pm Clean the kitchen

1pm Picture book read aloud & beeswax modeling: Christopher’s Harvest again

1:30pm Apologia Birds--work on lapbook

1:30pm Botany Study:Choose a flower fairy and research the plant for your

notebook. Draw the leaf and the flower and tell something you learned.

1:30pm Nature Stories

1:30pm Nature Stories

1:30pm Quiet Time

2:00 explore the weegarden.com website and plan a wee garden.

 

2:30pm Help make tea snack

3pm Tea time and Read Aloud:St. Patrick’s summer

4pm Afternoon chores

4pm Clean up together

4:30pm Dinner Prep

9pm Independent reading historical fiction

Best Laid Plans

I got a little carried away with the Google calendar feature. Here is our plan for the day. The children are color-coded because they each got their own Google calendar for my planning purposes and then I merged them to make one big agenda. The things we are doing all together are in black. Here are the other colors:

Katie and Gracie, Mary Beth, Nicholas, Patrick, Stephen

The times are totally approximate. (Except for lunch. Nicholas ensures that we stick to that time very precisely.) so far, I like using Google Calendar because i can easily merge all my "lives"--my sports mom calendar can be on its own or it can be combined with my "school day" calndar. Each child has his own calendar so that when some of them go off with Dad for the day they can take just their plan with them. Bigger kids can see the day's agenda all mapped out, print and follow it. Littler kids can just see what's ahead. Christian's schedule isn't here at all. I haven't keyed it in yet and all the books are in his room this morning, so it will have to wait. He'll be at the orthodontist in the morning so I don't expect much out of him today. He can't think when his mouth hurts. Anyway, I'm just tinkering. Maybe it's of some use to you. I'll come back tonight and report on what we actually did.

Mon Sep 10, 2007

9am Beginning our work: Light a candle, morning offering, rosary

decade, poem (September Flower Fairy poem)

9:30am 3 Pages of Language of God, Oak Meadow Math, copywork from Flower Fairies book (copy poem and illustrate in Good Book)

9:30am Language of God: 3 pages, Math U See, Latin work, copywork (the collect),

9:30am  Read Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Make "B like a bear" for Good Book, B sandpaper letters. B with HWT manipulatives

9:30am Prince's Adventure Story:  Draw QPKW in Good Book

This got totally scrapped because Nicholas wanted nothing to do with learning any letters out of order. it doesn't matter that he knows the letters and it was really all about the story. It doesn't matter that he can read. He wants to do letters in order, with Katie. I should have known better. Nicky is all about order.

9:30am Tale of Jolly Robin: read and narrate, draw in Good Book

10:30am Math U See   I forgot the DVD player is in the edit suite trying to extract video from the conference recordings.

10:30am Snack and Signing time, Snack and Signing Time Mary Beth sang for Rachel; see  note above

11am Make Acorn Fairies & draw narrations of picture book stories

11am Acorn Fairies & Draw narrations of picture book stories

11am Handwork: make acorn fairies

11am Handwork: Wee Felt Folk   he never got to this.

11am Help Mary Beth make fairies

12pm Lunch and outside--"B" shaped grilled cheese

1pm Clean the kitchen

1pm Picture book read aloud & beeswax modeling: Christopher’s Harvest Time

1pm Picture Books and beeswax modeling

1pm Picture books and beeswax modeling

1pm Listen to picture book read aloud

1:30pm Geography Block: Read B is for Buckeye and make Ohio pages for Geography Notebooks (everyone but Katie and Gracie—they just listen to the book and then have some quiet time.)

2:30pm Help make tea snack (Biscuits and honey)

3pm Tea time and Read Aloud: St. Patrick’s Summer Peter Claver

The afternoon is a crazy mess of running hither and yon but I'm not posting that detail online.

8pm Bedtime picture books: children’s choice

9pm Independent reading historical fiction: everyone who can read in bed

A Very Hot Day before the rest of the Very Hot Days

I'm really re-thinking our yearly rhythm. My children were actually begging for more academics today. It's blisteringly hot now and not much fun to be outside. I'm hesitant to delve into a unit since we're going to start and stop and travel and since Patrick is running hither an yon to play soccer all 'cross the country. I need to to do some thinking about him in particular. Truth is, he'll still be going here and there when the "proper" school year begins...

* Live the Liturgy Mike made a DVD of a little girl's funeral last year, at the family's request. The editing was finished yesterday and he sat to watch it to be certain all was well before delivering it. So, my children watched a funeral today. A very odd thing to do, I know, but an opportunity for much discussion about life and death and God.

* Experience loveliness We worked on our nature photo techniques, as well as our weeding and pruning techniques in the early hours. And we paged through volumes of drawing and painting technique books. I'm determined to put together an art curriculum that sings this year. Nicholas spent a good while picking out the theme from "the Lord of The Rings" on the piano. I need to have it tuned and to find him a teacher. Katie and Mary Beth danced in the basement.

* Breathe deeply: Fresh air and exercise Lots of basketball in the early morning and then basketball with Dad in the late afternoon. It's way hot out there! I'm fairly certain there was basketball in the basement too, but I pretended not to hear.

* Serve others Chores were finished, more or less. I need to find a way to have the big boys finish cleaning the kitchen earlier so that the sounds of kitchen clean up don't wake the baby.

*Listen to, contemplate, and discuss ideas We learned that Mary Beth's best friend will be going to school next year. We all digested this news and it seemed a good day to sit with Mary Beth and Christian and talk specific plans for next year. Much clicking and downloading and fine tuning. I  think we're approaching clarity on how this will go. it's so strange to plan without considering Michael...

* Develop expressive skills. I had lots of help in some blog re-design. We spent more time with the Beatrix Potter Journal and with our little Potter books. Garden stories at bedtime.

* Practice logical reasoning. Math.   Nope.

* Receive focused attention and affection Check.

* Live the Liturgy Mike made a DVD of a little girl's funeral last year, at the family's request. The editing was finished yesterday and he sat to watch it to be certain all was well before delivering it. So, my children watched a funeral today. A very odd thing to do, I know, but an opportunity for much discussion about life and death and God.

* Experience loveliness We worked on our nature photo techniques, as well as our weeding and pruning techniques in the early hours. And we paged through volumes of drawing and painting technique books. I'm determined to put together an art curriculum that sings this year. Nicholas spent a good while picking out the theme from "the Lord of The Rings" on the piano. I need to have it tuned and to find him a teacher. Katie and Mary Beth danced in the basement.

* Breathe deeply: Fresh air and exercise Lots of basketball in the early morning and then basketball with Dad in the late afternoon. It's way hot out there! I'm fairly certain there was basketball in the basement too, but I pretended not to hear.

* Serve others Chores were finished, more or less. I need to find a way to have the big boys finish cleaning the kitchen earlier so that the sounds of kitchen clean up don't wake the baby.

*Listen to, contemplate, and discuss ideas We learned that Mary Beth's best friend will be going to school next year. We all digested this news and it seemed a good day to sit with Mary Beth and Christian and talk specific plans for next year. Much clicking and downloading and fine tuning. I  think we're approaching clarity on how this will go. it's so strange to plan without considering Michael...

* Develop expressive skills. I had lots of help in some blog re-design. We spent more time with the Beatrix Potter Journal and with our little Potter books. Garden stories at bedtime.

* Practice logical reasoning. Math.   Nope.

* Receive focused attention and affection Check.

Independence Day

* Live the Liturgy We prayed particularly for our Country today and we offered our rosary for Brian, our dear friend who is a Navy SEAL in harm's way.

* Experience loveliness Again today, we all attempted to paint wet on wet watercolors using only read and blue. I was more pleased with the results today, though I'm a bit frustrated at my inability to make the paint do what I want it to do. We also spent the late evening snuggled up watching fireworks and listening to patriotic marches.

* Breathe deeply: Fresh air and exercise Lots of basketball was played outside. Bike rides happened and the outdoor day ended with tag in the dark after sparklers.

* Serve others We began the day with an hour of concentrated cleaning. And then we cooked quite a bit today. We invited friends to tea.

*Listen to, contemplate, and discuss ideas We Wikapedia'd and discovered that strawberries are vegetables, bananas are herbs, and tomatoes are vegetables. This information delighted Michael and disturbed Nicholas.

* Develop expressive skills.Nicholas is determined to write and illustrate a book and was much chagrined to discover that his big brothers have already had their illustrations published in a real book in a real store. They told him all about their firsthand knowledge of the publishing process.Now, he's more determined than ever! We read The Hatmaker's Sign at teatime and I shared how hard it is when someone (or several people) edit your work. Poor Thomas Jefferson! He took those edits so hard.

* Practice logical reasoning. Math.    We cooked. That's about it for math on the 4th of July.

* Receive focused attention and affection Check.