Summer 2013 -- Week One

We enjoyed looking back at what our summer was like last year, so I thought I'd try to do a weekly recap again this year.


May 27 - June 2

We always finish with school by Memorial Day so that begins our official summer. This year we visited a couple new parks and had a picnic lunch.

Conner wasn't able to be with us for Memorial Day, but came home on Tuesday. Later in the week, we celebrated Liam's birthday. TWO! We spent the morning and the zoo and the afternoon with friends at a park in Golden. I think he had a really good day.

Two years old

BIG ball was a gift from a brother

Fun at the zoo

With Mom

With Dad, making silly smiles

birthday cupcakes

Brenna hadn't seen her friend Anna for 2 years

Fall and Cub Scouts camp

This week flew by so fast! We had all the normal activities and added in high school bowling league for Chase and a field trip.  I also had the first meeting for my new book club. We read "Home Front" by Kristin Hannah.  I've read two other books by this author and liked them, so I looked forward to this one. I wasn't disappointed -- this was a good one.  It's about a marriage in which the husband and wife have been drifting apart. She is a helicopter pilot and when she is deployed, he is left behind to take care of their daughters. Their lives and perspectives change through the course of the book, following a couple of tragedies. I learned many things I'd never known about military families and how deeply they and their returning loved ones are affected by their experiences. I also cried through the last 3 chapters. Very well-written, moving book.

We also had a virus move through the house this week. Aiden came down with it first on the afternoon of the field trip. At first we though it was heat exhaustion, but then the next child came down with it. And the next. It has traveled through all the children now, so far sparing me and Scott. So for the majority of the week I had at least one of the kids on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. Thankfully it seemed to be quick-moving...a day or two at most.

We were so relieved that Aiden felt well enough to go camping with his Webelos troop this weekend. He had been fever-free since Wednesday night and said he felt fine, so he and Scott left on Friday and returned on Sunday. He had a great time, and Scott survived sleeping on an air mattress in a tent. :)

He got to try some new activities, like archery, b.b. shooting and rappelling.  

They also got to see a beautiful sunset and sunrise.

Chase had put an ear of corn in a squirrel feeder in the tree and it didn't take long for one of them to find it.

After church, I took the kids to a park for a little while.

As the week ends, I'm so thankful the sickness has passed and fall has begun.

Roller Derby, Water Balls and Returning Son

This was a busy, busy week. School is continuing to roll along: we began our first Five in a Row book of the year -- "The Bee Tree" by Patricia Polacco. We will probably spend 2 weeks on this one. The week was also filled with Scott's bible study, my bible study, AWANA, Cub Scouts, youth group, Options and FACE. 


This was the last meeting for my summer book club -- we read Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West by Dorothy Wickenden.     Quite a title, huh?  I had high hopes for this book as it's set in Colorado in the early 1900's. And the references to people and places here in Colorado was very interesting, and I did learn new things about our state's history. But the story itself was more like a textbook and I had to push myself to finish it. I just joined another bible study that goes through the school year, so I'm reading the first book for that right now.

I got a great deal on some fall flowers at Safeway. I've been wanting a mum plant for awhile -- seeing this in the window just makes me happy.

Conner came home for the weekend! He has been up at CSU for a month now, and this is the first weekend he's been able to get home. We bought  a nice sleeper sofa for him, since his room has been claimed. :)

We didn't tell the younger boys he was coming, so they were very surprised to see him walk in the door! Liam climbed on his lap and wouldn't move until bedtime. :) I commented that Conner should feel good, knowing Liam hasn't forgotten him. He replied that he actually felt bad, since he'd be leaving again for at least another month. I love the different bonds that form between the kids.

Oldest and youngest

We have always tried to get out on "dates" with our children individually. I had gotten some good Groupons over the summer and a couple were close to expiring, so we set out to use them. On Saturday night, Scott and Brenna went to see the "Roller Dolls" -- a nearby roller derby.  

While there, they ran into Scott's brother and our nieces.

On Sunday, Conner and Chase bowled in a tournament. Then Scott took Aiden on his "date", to a place called Miner's Maze. The Groupon I had was for unlimited trips through the maze, plus 3 other activities. Aiden has long wanted to try those balls you walk in on the water, so he was thrilled they had that there.

Needless to say, Scott was pretty tired by the end of the weekend. He's a great Daddy!

Back to School

We are off to a pretty good start this year. We always begin here at home after Labor Day, although the outside classes start a week or two earlier.

To celebrate our first day and the fact that, as homeschoolers, we can start whenever and however we want, we bought Krispy Kreme doughnuts and drinks from Starbucks and headed to the park.

We got there right before it got crowded and hot. Once it did, we left. At home, I went over our new materials with the kids and we discussed our schedule. For now, it looks like our main at-home school days will be Monday-Wednesday. Brenna, Aiden and Zane have classes at Options on Thursdays and Chase has classes at FACE on Fridays.

I'm going to do Five in a Row again with Zane and Declan, with Aiden joining in when he wants to. Aiden is doing Saxon Math, A Reason for Spelling, Daily Grams and Writing Strands at home while at Options he is taking a Young Entrepreneurs and Pioneer Crafts class for social studies, Mountain Lab and Mythbusters classes for science, P.E. and Art. He is also a Cub Scouts Webelo and attending AWANA.

Brenna is taking History, a Composition class, and Guitar at Options. She is also continuing her art classes through here -- this year the advanced class is 2 hours instead of 1, which I think is great for her. She needs the challenge; her drawing is amazing and I definitely can't help her in this area. At home, she's doing Saxon Math, Total Health, and Grammar. I haven't found a good science curriculum for her yet this year -- she may end up helping me teach the littles in this area.

Chase decided to attend FACE instead of Options this year. He wants to take advantage of their culinary arts program through Warren Tech. in his junior year, so we switched him there now in preparation. He is taking Algebra, American Government and a cooking class. At home, he is doing his writing, Total Health, Grammar and we're working on custom-building a science class around his interest in molecular gastronomy.

As always, we will tweak this as we go.

Labor Day Weekend

Usually once a year, my most excellent husband takes the kids up to the mountains to visit my parents. And I get the house TO MYSELF. The thought of that one weekend keeps me going some weeks, I tell ya.

Anyway, I filled my 2 1/2 days with cleaning, organizing, planning, but also with reading, bible study, browsing online and catching up on some shows on the DVR.

Meanwhile, at the grandparents' , it truly was "labor" day. Scott and Chase helped my dad put up a new fence:

But they also found time to have fun and eat s'mores

On the way home, Scott stopped at a favorite place by the river and took a group photo for me. Thanks, hon!

The weekend helped recharge me and now I'm ready for the new school year!