Summer BBs

Just in time for summer (Yippee!), The Husband devised his most brilliant scheme ever.

He suggested that, for the summer, we change summer lessons from a chore to a challenge by offering BBs as an incentive.  Then each evening when The Husband is home and can supervise, the boys get to shoot the BBs they earn during the day.

This plan has worked beautifully for the last few days.  It is a win/win scenario.  The kids have never accomplished so much with so little nagging (win for me).  The Husband and I have never let them shoot their BB gun so much (win for them).

This is taped to the back of the clip board for the summer:

On the second day of this plan, Thing1's goal was to earn 100 BBs.  He did a math drill in record time, two Life of Fred lessons (the rule is now one a day), and dictated and copied a 70-word letter to a friend.  Writing this much is not normal.  He worked off and on with no reminders from me all day long, and he earned his 100 BBs.  

He took his time in shooting them.  He was happy.

On the same "100 BB day," Thing2 earned 59 BBs by reading an entire book without batting an eye.  Again, this is not normal.

Thing2 was also happy.

One more win:  We get to practice gun safety, obedience, and following instructions.  The boys discovered that one safety offense means they forfeit all their BBs.

I am excited about this summer.  I hope this BB craze lasts at least a few weeks!

Three Down!

Today we finished Growing with Grammar Level One!

A week or so ago, we finished Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day!

Last week we finished Alpha Math-U-See!

My focus remains on learning rather than finishing books, and I'm trying not to let the satisfaction of completion skew my purpose...but it sure feels good to knock 'em out!

Still to finish: Writing with Ease Level 1, Story of the World Volume One, and Mind Benders Book 2.

Ongoing: Math Drills (great link for drill sheets no matter what program you use) and Spelling Power.

Ruby Bridges

Pick up this book next time you are at the library. I dare you to read it to your kids without crying.

Please Comment about Homeschool Planning Software!

I have decided to try something other than My Well Planned Day next year, and I would love to hear a recommendation from someone who has used something else.

Edu-Track?
It seems like they know their business, but the home page is so busy, it is overwhelming.  You can buy already put-together lesson plans for popular courses.

Scholaric?
Seems similar to My Well Planned Day.

Homeschool Tracker?
I am drawn to this one.  It is most like a spreadsheet.  Simple and straightforward.  You can also import popular lesson plans on this one.  There is also an offline option called Homeschool Tracker Plus.

Yes, I could do without a planning software, but I don't want to.  I enjoy the peace of mind that comes from glancing at what we have accomplished through the year.  Mostly, I enjoy the ease of printing a to-do list for Thing1 every day.

I believe that using the My Well Planned Day software has helped us stay on track and finish our courses this year, but I am looking for something more reliable and established for next year.  Maybe something more streamlined.  (i.e. I don't need a shopping list and menu built in, and it does not have to be pretty as long as it is efficient.)

It was a golden day.

The day was not perfect.  In fact, it had a rocky start, middle part, and end, which is why some of us lost our dessert, screen, and drink (other than water) privileges.  The golden-ness could possibly be attributed to the lack of those privileges, but that is another conversation.

The day was unusually good because we got through the rough parts instead of dwelling in them.

I will admit that we often spend most of our time in the rough parts.  Trudging through hip-deep mud.  Suffocating until Dad comes home to pull us out.  The truth is that there is usually a dry path next to the mud should we choose to use it.

I wish I knew the formula that caused the boys to play together for hours without my intervention on this golden day.  I actually had a quiet house to work in.  I mopped the bathroom floor, for goodness' sake!  I read two chapters of a book!  Unbelievable.  I can only figure that it was a special, rare gift.

Unfortunately, golden days do not come in pairs.  But I hope I can use the memory of this one to help me step around the mud pit instead of wallowing in it tomorrow.

Blue Bonkers Coloring Pages

I found an excellent coloring page site.  Blue Bonkers.  Excellent = A site where you can print out free authentic-looking Lone Ranger coloring pages.  We are still searching for Gene Autry and Roy Rogers.

There are many more themes than the Lone Ranger, though.  The ones I have seen are good quality for free printables.  

The kids like them because they look like book illustrations.  I like them because my kids are not normally "colorers," but they get excited about these.  It is like they are imagining a story as they color the picture.

Clutter Confession

I'm becoming numb to this beside-my-chair pileup. It used to bother me.

For sanity's sake, I am happy with the decline in my standards.