Homeschooling is in full swing around here. Some days are better than others but even on the bad days I can't imagine not doing it. I love it! Caleb takes a PE class on Tuesdays which my dad has been kind enough to shuttle him to and from every week because it is at the same time as Women's Bible Study at church. I agreed (before I knew I was homeschooling) to coordinate child care for all the moms in the study, so that kind of requires me to be there! We usually just double up our curriculum on Monday to cover for the time we aren't at home Tuesday mornings.
I have started sending Caleb to AEP (Parker Street's after-school program) every day. It is for three hours in the afternoon and I think it is good for him to be under someone else's authority for a little while. Plus he gets a more structured classroom-type experience and some time to finish up any work we may not have gotten to. Last week he was tested for his reading and he ranked at a 4th grade level. I'm glad we are making forward progress since homeschooling began! Last school year he tested at a 2.8.
Yesterday during their playground time, he and some other boys started throwing rocks at a shed nearby. Evidently none of the teachers saw what was happening, so the gentleman who owns the property came over to let them know what the boys were doing. Caleb said that his friends told him it would make a neat noise and that's what made him want to do it, but when my friend Christina (who runs the program) talked to him about what happened she said he was very remorseful. I told Scott about it and we decided that last night Caleb would have to go apologize to the man so that's what Scott took him to do after we ate dinner. Caleb handled it really well and I think it was pretty humbling for him. Unfortunately the man gave him a dollar when he was done for "doing the right thing", so Scott spent the entire walk home explaining that it wasn't a reward and reminding him that he was being punished for doing something he shouldn't have been. What a teaching moment... making him understand that he has to use his judgement in situations like that even when his friends are doing something that may seem fun or entertaining, or especially when he is feeling pressured to join in and most importantly to ask for God's help when he needs it in situations like that... and don't we all!
Today after school and lunch we walked downtown to see our friends at the Farmer's Market. We hadn't been there since before our vacation to the beach!! The kids picked out a treat (ice pop for Lillian, ring pops for Ella and Jackson and ice cream for Caleb) and we visited and caught up with the lady who runs the snack wagon there. We left for a little while to take Ella potty across the street at Crisper's and ran into our neighbor who works there and he gave us free cookies and brownie bites! Back at the Farmer's Market we got some cantaloupe and chicken kabobs for free - does it look like I am starving my children or something? :) Then she let the kids walk into her snack trailer to see how everything works. Caleb loved it - I wouldn't be surprised if that boy ends up being a chef someday! I am yearning for some cooler weather for our walks but I think it is coming soon. Remind me that I said that when we are in the throes of winter and I can't keep our 80 year-old house warm. Someday new windows will be in order, though if we follow Dave Ramsey's plan like we are learning about on Sundays it might not be until Caleb is in college - lol! I should have already put out my fall decorations but I haven't... maybe I will skip this year, although that is my favorite season to decorate for.
1 comment:
loved the update!!
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