New Friends and a Wonderful Thanksgiving

Four years ago our family met another family through homeschooling. S. was to be my school liason. She would be the person that would take my school 'observations' and compile them for the ministry to show how their 'baking', 'lego building', 'drawings', 'climbing trees' and then the typical book work, fullfilled the government's requirements in the 12 areas of learning.

What began as a professional relationship then moved onto where our children met and became friends - she has two boys the same age as two of our boys, and then onto where S. became a sort of counsellor (if you will) as I discussed 'teenage' issues and difficulties with learning with her. From there our relationship continued onto a close friendship.

Over the course of the last four years I have written 'letters' (observations) outlining our day to S. once a week - that is a lot of family interaction and knowledge!! I can now say that S. knows me and family more intimately than anyone outside of my friend, Denise, in Tennessee. And then at one point, her husband and my husband were introduced and became friends, and her hubby helped us finish our drywalling when we were in the hurrying stages right before Christmas. So now our entire family has become friends.

Yesterday we were blessed to be invited to S. and N.'s house for Thanksgiving. Her sister and her family were coming up for a visit and she wanted us all to meet. Her sister has five children - 4 girls and a boy. She had heard about this family with 'six boys' over the years and here was an opportunity to finally meet.

When we arrived we began with a bonfire and snacks.

See the lake in the background where the kids went canoeing. My boys would love to have a lake like that on our property!

Yummy Snacks

You should have seen those little ones eating the snacks. Try telling two year olds not to double dip! *laugh* They had a wonderful time! Right now, Briton is looking at these pictures as I post them and he saw the snack and said, "Nummy!"

Here is Briton with the two dogs just *dying* to get his little snack bowl. It is on the bench beside him. He, at two, is oblivious to the peril he is in!! *grin*

The afternoon was just the right weather; a little windy with a smattering of rain on and off. Note the monster fire we had!

We had great food: hotdogs and smokies, lasagne, chips, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream (that Cassidy made).

Marshmallow Ready!

At some point or another each of the kids took the canoes out. S. and N. have the most wonderful property. Where last year, we left the country to move to the town; they left the town to move to the country! They have a lake on their property and two canoes!!

Obliging Big Brother and Friend, J.

All the kids had their turns out there. At one point Cooper took S.'s niece J. aside to 'show' her something. I think it was his ploy to get her to volunteer to take him out in the canoe. She then very sweetly agreed to doing so. I could see that she was being kind, so I asked Colt to go along since he could do the rowing.

Dane and His New Friend, A.

During the course of the earlier evening the kids would go into the basement room and play games together. They had a blast! Here they are playing a drawing game where each time the drawing is done the criteria the pictures are judged on changes. Sometimes the drawing could be judged on: cutest; most incomplete; most unusual etc. Therefore even the worst or littlest artists can play this game and enjoy themselves.

Board Game Fun

It was so neat to meet a family where they also have a variety of ages, like us. S's sister's family's oldest daughter is 16 (as is our oldest) and their youngest is also 2 (like Briton). They have three in the middle that are very close in age to our 8,10, and 14 year olds. S. has two boys that are 8 and 10, like Austin and Cassidy.

But the coolest thing was that between our three families there were 2 two year olds, a four year old, a six year old, 2 eight year olds, 3 ten year olds, 2 fourteen year olds, and 2 sixteen year olds - and yet they played as a whole. As the darkness came on the outdoor game ideas came out. They ran wide through the trees, darkness and wild blowing grassy areas playing wonderful outdoor games. It was such a treat for our boys!!

Briton and Little M.

We adults were able to visit and just keep an eye on the two little two year olds. They were very sweet themselves! Briton just loved little M. Though, when I tried to get a picture of Briton with M. he threw himself over to S.'s sister - he was smitten with her. Each time I wanted a picture he would cuddle up to her!

We had a wonderful day/evening!! Our kids were so sad to see the end of it! They all made new friends that enjoyed the kind of things they like to do. Our kids like 'city' type fun, but really they were raised in the country and outside 'play' is something they always enjoy.

As we drove home the older boys were talking about phoning or emailing their new friends. That and lamenting the fact that they don't live in V. - they town the other family is from! LOL!

A Homeschooling Day At Our House

I thought I would give you a taste of what life is like on an ordinary day in the life of a family of 8 who homeschools. It is 7:00 am and I am stumbling downstairs ready for another hectic day. Our oldest sons have been up for half an hour.

No Cameras Please!

Colt is getting ready for public school. Actually, right here he obviously doesn't want his picture taken! Given we have such a busy household we have a 'sort of' schedule. I seem to be schedule resistant, but I hate chaos, so in the mornings the schedule reigns! Colt is in and out of the kitchen by 7:00 am - having had breakfast and made his lunch. It is then Cassidy's turn to take over and do all of his cooking chores and emptying of the dishwasher.

Early Morning French

Dane is the first downstairs working on the computer. He has 30 minutes of French before his brothers arrive. While he is working his dad is warming up the house by lighting the woodstove. By the time the rest of us come down 30 minutes later the house is getting toasty.

Chief Cook and Bottle Washer

Cassidy is our resident cook and he is making a pot of oatmeal. A good hearty breakfast for the winter months. Other days he will make toast for the little ones and the big guys will make their own breakfast. Soon, we will begin making pancakes and waffles again. As winter comes on the desire for hot breakfasts takes over. I should just explain that each of our boys has their turn.

Colt worked along side me until he gave the job to Dane, when Colt was twelve. At that time Colt began working for his dad. Dane was 10 and he took over and became the main cook and baker, until last summer, when he was 13. Then Cassidy was crowned. Dane had spent the previous three years working *very* hard making bread, muffins, cookies, washing dishes, cleaning the house and just generally being my 'main guy'. The other kids all 'help', but from about ages 9-12 one boy is the my right hand. He then passes the job down to his younger brother when the time is right. Dane is now at a time where his schooling is at such a level that he doesn't have time for lots of chores anymore. That day will also come for Cassidy, and by then Austin will be the next one to take over. And the baton will continue to be passed down the line. In the meantime when they leave home they will all be well versed in running a kitchen.

A side note: Dane was visiting a friend this week for the night. His friend had Home Ec homework and was discussing the questions. The boy's dad told Dane he should teach his son. Dane looks baffled when he talks about this boy learning this stuff in a classroom. *laugh* It is just part of life and we are so thankful that our kids can learn through life and not a forced environment.

Late Owl - Late Riser

Austin is still snoozing. He is not needed for chores or schoolwork too early in the morning, so he is allowed the luxury of an extra 30 minutes of sleep. This boy likes to be awake in his bed til late at night and then is tired in the morning. He is just like his big brother - a night owl! It won't be long before his school days catch up and he will be up with the birds, just like his brothers!

Munchkins

Now, the two little ones can't be kept in bed!! Briton is always up by 6:30am. Some days it is 6:00. No matter how early we put him to bed he only ever sleeps 10 hours! And changing his nap schedule has not helped any! And then of course, once he is up he has to have his partner in crime, Cooper, up to play with him!! I *try* to keep them contained in their bedroom until at least 7:30! Not usually lucky though.

Somedays things get a little backed up in the morning and the boys choose to do a lesson or two while breakfast is cooking.

Learning His Sounds

Cooper is working at the kitchen counter while I am cleaning up the kitchen from the breakfast prep. He is working on his beginning sounds and doing very well. He loves to learn! He is a good example of teaching a child 'where they are at'. He is ready to learn and absorbing; therefore I teach to it.

Bye Big Bro'

Cooper takes a break from his phonics to say goodbye to his big brother, Colt. Colt is off to catch the bus for public school. The little boys are enjoying having Colt to bug! He gets such a kick out of how 'tough guy' Briton is. That is what happens when you are raised in a house with a bunch of people who like to rough house! Boys!

Computer Time

Now Cassidy has begun his two hours of computer time. He will stop after a few minutes and have his breakfast, but after breakfast he will continue. He begins with 30 minutes of French, followed by Spelling, Language Arts, and then Typing practice.

I find Cassidy a very self sufficient child. I guide him, but in reality he is very self motivated and gets through school easily. We gave us 'grading' our kids a few years ago and here is an example of why: Cassidy is getting straight A's in his grade 8 math text; does grade 7 level French; grade 7 Language Arts; takes Typing (an elective in highschool) and consumes the same interest level books as his older brothers do. But at the same time he has to pull up his grades in his Spelling. So what grade do you say this grade 5 boy is in? We just say he's ten.

Eyes, Mouth, Legs

Practicing His Happy Faces

After breakfast Dane gets Briton dressed for the day, but since breakfast is late today, Briton is doing his 'school' in his jammies. Here my little guy is drawing faces. Notice the eyes, mouth, and the tiny little legs hanging off the bottom of his face? He is such a smart little guy that he has been cutting with scissors and drawing faces for about two months now!!

Breakfast is Served!

Recently Briton put his highchair aside to sit at his little table for breakfast and lunch. Here he and Cooper are having their porridge.

A Book Worm

After Cassidy had done his computer work, he settled in for a nice long read. This child was typical of all the readers in our family: he began late. With our first son we did the typical 'you will learn to read because you are five years old!' And he did, but it was drudgery and hard work and I can't say much pleasure for him.

With son #2 we backed off. He didn't like the idea of having to do bookwork when he had lots of things he would rather do. We began a little later for him, and a little more relaxed.

But by the time both those boys were 8 or 9 years old they were both reading their first classic: Pinnochio. From there it just took off - they read constantly. So that showed me that beginning at four was not necessary to get a good reader or a child who enjoys reading. Making it pleasant was very important. All children are ready at different times and we have seen that.

The most important part of our schooling is reading. There are so many things to learn through reading!! Classics like Tom Sawyer; 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; Oliver Twist; Science and Nature; History; Geography, and on. At the beginning of each school year our children are given a huge stack of books to read. By the end of the year they will have read between 20 and 50 books (depending on the child).

Having seen the benefits of taking it slower with Dane, I took the same approach when Cassidy came along. I began teaching him, but when I saw things weren't clicking I backed off. I would wait a few days and try again. I am sure that if I was diligent and did it daily without fail, it would have sunk in and he would have learned. But to me the thought was - "Why?" Is he going to love reading if that is the approach I take? Instead, I immersed our children in audio books and spent my evenings and times during school days reading tons of books to them. They were saturated in reading.

When Colt was in public school last term he commented in an essay on the type/quality of books the kids around him were reading during silent reading in English 10. The books were basically fluff - covering sex, drugs, gangs, alcohol - simple reads. Nothing lasting. His choice was a quality fantasy book with a deep meaning behind it. I am glad to see that years of insisting my kids read has shown such results.

Cassidy was a slow starter. I finally told him when he was 7 years old, that when he was ready to learn to read I would teach him. I gave him opportunities to try but backed off and didn't push the issue. All the kids were expected to take books to quiet time each day. I can guarrantee it doesn't take a child too long to *want* to read when he is looking at books every day and can't read the words. He came around and it started sinking in. Last year, when we went to Tennessee he was nine years old and not really reading yet. When we came home the reading took off. You know what did it? He really wanted to read The Lion, The Witch and Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. So he picked it up and plodded through it and this is remarkable because before this he was reading Magic Treehouse books and struggling!! Desire - it is everything!

Now a year and a 1/2 later Cassidy is my bookworm!! I *love* it! I get up in the morning and he is already reading in bed; I find him in the bathroom reading; eating lunch with a book; curled up in the afternoon with a good read. He loves to read. And he consumes books!! He has read every abridged classic we own, plus tons of other books. This school year alone he has already read 9 books.

In the above picture Cassidy has taken his stack of 'required' reading to his cozy seat. Over the course of an hour or so, he will read a chapter or so from each topic. Mary Poppins (classic); Shakespeare Stealer (historical fiction); Hatchet (wilderness survival); Nature Reader (science & nature); The Family God Gave (Bible). It is one of his favourite times of the day.

Two Handed Teaching

This is typical of the next part of my morning. I have Cooper on one side of me and Austin on the other. If you notice how I am pointing at two different kid's work - that is how we do it! Cooper is having to look for the four items on his page, while Austin is stuck on the word 'you'. They work very well side by side and Cooper is quickly catching up.

Gutters Today???

About 11:00 am a big truck arrived in our yard - we were getting gutters that day!! A field trip!

Soup for Lunch

Cassidy is generally done his schooling in the morning in about four hours, plus any time I spend on a unit study. This leaves him lots of time to use his creativity in the kitchen or on the multitude of crafts that he is presently working on.

Here he is having a break from his reading to make lunch. As I said, my main man in the kitchen! He is a huge help! Briton goes to bed rather early (11:30am) and so I like to get his lunch done early and then we all eat after he is settled. The other little boys are now outside watching the worker men.

On Line Discussions

Dane has two on line classes a week. One is a Socratic Discussion. It is really cool. They have a reading from books such as the Odyssey and then they have discussions that spring from it. One conversation I overheard on his last class when I walked in on him was when the teacher asked the students "if courage in battle is the same as reckless fighting?" Another time they were discussing "how do written laws versus oral laws make a difference?" And what are the detriments of oral laws? ie: "people can change the laws more easily."

There are no wrong answers during these conversations; they are there to discuss and to learn to think logically. Dane finds it a challenge as he has not done this before. It is obvious from the verbal skills of the other kids that they are not first year students! By the end of the year his verbal reasoning skills will be much more advanced. I have heard rave reviews from friends.
His other class online which he thoroughly enjoys is Euclid's Elements. Euclid was the founder of Geometry and they are using his textbook! It is 2000 years old! Again, this is a socratic class which means they discuss the reasoning behind how the Elements work. It is a really neat concept and Dane and I both enjoy it. He loves having friends in Moscow, Botswana, as well as Canada and America.

World War II Author

Dane's other class that he is not really enjoying *smile* is a writing course. We have signed on with a professional writing teacher. This teacher is a published author with his university BA etc. Dane has chosen to write a work of fiction about WWII. He writes daily and then sends it off to his teacher. This man then looks through it and guides Dane in directions that he might not think to go in. It might be grammar, mode, the setting, or writing techniques. In the end Dane will have a remarkable story which we will then publish through Blurb. He will do his own illustrations, because he is such a great illustrator, plus he will add photographs.

Of course, besides all these computer courses he has his books for math, and language arts, and reading.

Watching the Guys Hang the Gutters.

Soon Austin will take off to play and Cooper will become their main man. I asked, diplomatically, if they needed their space and the guy said to me with a great big grin, "No. I'm being entertained." Well, I have heard Cooper and he *is* entertaining!

Entertaining Cooper

A Little Helper

He ended up being their helper. See the worker is still cracking up! Cooper says the funniest things! When we built our house he hung out with me everyday and worked along side the trades and they found him (to quote them) 'entertaining'. There's that word again! *laugh* Whoever said homeschool kids aren't social?!!

Brain Break

Dane either jumps on the trampoline or runs around the 2km loop of our block to work off his energy.

Collecting Kindling

We collect kindling from our back forest until the snow flies; then Colt will cut it for us.

Gym Time

P.E. anyone? The boys got hockey sticks and were running back and forth over the back yard and jumping on the end of their sticks.

Dane's Favourite Place to Relax

Lunch break on the trampoline, enjoying the afternoon sunshine during a cool fall day.

Chore Break

Our boys learn to do laundry as soon as they turn nine. Actually, they are folding and delivering laundry as soon as they are two! Tiny ones are very capable of folding dishclothes and rags. By the time they are four they are folding their own and a little brother's clothes. By five or six they are moving laundry from one machine to another, and then finally at nine they are officially old enough to run their own laundry from start to finish.

School's out for the little ones and now they will spend the balance of their day playing in the fresh air. Austin is very proud of himself as he is learning to skateboard.

Skateboard School

Austin is teaching Cooper and he is practicing his balance on a homemade skateboard 'helper'.

Worms!!

As soon as they are able the kids love to get outside and play in the dirt! They build forts, climb trees, dig, and just get dirty!

Bathing Little Brother

At the end of the day, Colt comes home. He was in 'luck' this day. Briton who is toilet trained and has been for 8 months now decided to get off the toilet.... I was up to my arm pits in rice krispie squares. Cassidy had decided to make some this afternoon but had wandered off during the making of them and they had decided to harden! Try mixing rice krispie squares when the marshmallow is no longer gooey! Fun!! So Colt was instantly delegated to the job of cleaning up the munchkin!! He may be in school but he is still a big brother and that is something he will never get away from!!

And from here we head into dinner and after dinner chores, then baths and then read alouds. Daddy reads to the little boys and then tucks them into bed and does prayers, while I continue with the novel that I am reading to the older boys. The boys grab their bean bag chairs and converge on Cassidy and Austin's room for a half hour or more of enjoyment. Even Colt, who always has homework joins us for a few minutes before returning to his school books.

Homework, Homework

It is always a very full day, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. There is love, and creativity, and different things every day; the fullfillment of seeing your little guy understand reading; or another little one able to help his older brother spell a hard word; and baking with four year olds and cuddles with two year olds and jostling with 14 year olds (who think they are big enough to win!) and chats with 16 year olds; and at the end of the day when they are all tucked in bed I creep away for my time! It is a good life.