Adding to the Curriculum -- and long term lesson plans

We started second semester at Totus Tuus last week. Although we had a month for break, did I sit down once and lesson plan for 2nd semester? Of course not! So two days before we began, I did a week of lesson plans. A little short sighted. The problems:
1. DG reads too fast -- no books in the house for him to read (unless you count rereads)
2. 1st semester DG was prepping for 1st Confession and then working on his religious medal award for scouts along with reading through The Secret of Mary explained to Children, but he finished all of this during 1st semester.
3. He know all his states and capitals (doesn't sound like a problem does it?), but it was suppose to take him all year.
4. A mouse ate his bean plants that we were suppose to be charting the growth of and running other experiments on.
5. I tweaked the music curriculum for the year but knew I needed to look more in depth at it over break. I didn't.
6. RA memorized a year's worth of poems in a semester.
7. PG wants to start "school".

So conclusions and solutions:
I decided tonight was the night to solve the problems.
1. Go through book lists and reserve books at the library. Done!
2. DG is making his 1st Communion in April. Last year he studied the 1st Communion catechism. So we will re-start St. Patrick's Summer (we have never gotten past chapter 3 and the content is so meaty there is enough in two pages sometimes to last us all class). Do vocab provided my the parish. And use the section on the Eucharist from www.familycatechism.com to prepare for the sacrament.
3. At the end of the 1st semester, we made a list of the 50 states in order of their becoming a state and posted them. We also made a list of the state's in order of their "birthdays" by month. The idea being each month we would learn a little about each state. When we had moved, a dear friend (thanks Debbie) gave us the Colorado and Indiana books of state alphabets. We love them. Our library carries each state. I decided to check them out. Then I went to the publisher's website and found a teacher's guide for each book that is fabulous!!!! http://www.gale.cengage.com/DiscoverAmerica/guides/
I showed DG. We are really excited.
4. I still need to buy more potting soil to replant and we need to catch the mouse!
5. I reviewed the music curriculum and we should be fine!
6. I went through the two anthologies I have at the house and found some appropriate poems.
7. I pulled out the old faithfuls -- Slow and Steady and Before Five In a Row. Poor 3rd child, they get so neglected. DG did all the Slow and Steady activities and RA was read all the Before Five in a row books. But I am back on track and planning to move a third desk into the school room in the morning (why not tonight -- the light bulbs are burned out in the schoolroom and I don't have replacements!)
I feel somewhat accomplished. I'll let you know later how it all works out!

Enjoying my kids

I love seeing my kids have so much fun with their new gifts.
DG is so into his new Lego's. But then how could you not be when, the houses have gutters, doors leading from inside the garage to the inside of the house, a working garage door, lights, a covered patio... These are not your father's legos.
RA loves coloring her new butterfly books and making anyone who will wear them necklaces and bracelets. I have two that say I heart Mommy (one is turquoise and yellow and the other purple and green). And she just glows when she gets to wear her new dress that matches the doll dress.


PG loves his table and all the playmobil stuff, especially DG's pirate set.

And looking at pictures of "me" what could be better than that? Thanks Nana and Aunt Katie for the wonderful scrap books of each kid. What great memories they will be able to keep and make more of.

Loved this post

Thanks Sarah Mae and keep them coming: http://www.likeawarmcupofcoffee.com/home/index.php/2010/do-you-have-a-homemaking-intern/

And just as a side note, my little RA needs no training. She would rather help me make meals, sweep, vacuum, fold clothes, sort clothes... than play. She carries her babies around bouncing them on her hip all day. I hope this lasts.

Videos from Epiphany

As my husband said, most people have video and pictures of the kids opening presents in their pjs. Us, we have kids in coats and ties. Would you expect anything else?

Sledding in pictures