Year 2, Week 3

     It feels good to be back!  Last week I volunteered to lead the crafts table at VBS and man, it was chaotic.  Not the projects or the kids, of course.  Just all the running around we had to do before and after the VBS day was done.  Luckily, the doggie daycare place gave me one free day so on Friday, the last day of VBS (that's Vacation Bible School in case you didn't know) the kids and I didn't have to rush around to get the pup and get some lunch.  I will say that all of us conked out after lunch, puppy included.  A lot was packed into those 6 hours we were gone.

     Anyway, week 3 went smoothly.  We continued on with our schedule and finished our reading of Sundar Singh from YWAM Publishing.  If you have never had the opportunity to read any of their books, you need to change that.  Now.  Last year, when my daughter and I read I Heard Good News Today, we were introduced to missionaries around the world.  We loved hearing the work they did and many of the stories stuck with us.  Sundar Singh, in particular, stuck with me.  While attending the Great Homeschool Convention, I purchased that biography...plus 3 more (I actually should have bought more!)  It was a great and wonderful story and I highly recommend reading some or all of their Hero Biographies, especially these days with kids looking up to the rich and famous instead of the humble and kind.

     Okay, off my soapbox.

     The newest thing we did this week was listen to an audio book.  My best friend, who isn't fond of reading aloud to her kids, uses audio books.  I've never been a fan of them and never had a use for them because I actually love to read aloud to my kids.  However, at the homeschool convention I learned that audio books might be good for the reluctant reader or kids with special needs so I thought I'd give it a try.  We listened to Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  It was great!  The kids loved listening to it and thoroughly enjoyed the story (Which, by the way is just a little better than both movies, but just a bit.)  This won't happen often, as the kids are supposed to read aloud to me (or each other) and like I said, I love reading to them but I think this is a nice change of pace.

     Between homeschooling and housework, I spent a lot of time looking over and preparing for my first few weeks as a Classical Conversations Tutor.  I also prepared a few review games that I'll be using in class.  My very curious kids are wondering what I'm up to (I already had to explain one of the games) so much of my planning has to be done when they're in bed.  I'm campaigning for earlier bed times, 8:00 just isn't cutting it.  Who's with me?!

     With that, I must wrap it up.  The kids are off to bed and now I can laminate stuff!

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