#teamhschoolforgiftedyoungsters

Guys.  Summer went so fast and I didn't blog about it at all (obviously).  I am going to look back years from now and wonder what I did this summer that seemed to fly by.  Maybe eventually, I'll recap what happened on our #hildebrandgirltrip 2015 edition..but thank you, Instagram, for keeping up with me there.  

The most important and exciting thing going on right now is that we officially are a homeschooling family, starting with our very ecstatic kindergartner.  Lily has been ready for school for months.  Probably even since last year and she first heard the word "school," and we've hit the ground running.  To catch up, we are involved in a Classical Conversations group, and we.love.it.  All of 2 weeks in.  I begged asked my mom to go to a practicum over the summer that was phenomenal in explaining what it was we would be doing and the classical model of teaching.  If you are interested in it, send me a message because I would love to talk your ear off about why you should homeschool.  And since I've had quite a few questions about it: once a week, we have a "community day" where our entire group gathers and all the students break up into classrooms where a trained tutor goes over the upcoming weeks material.  It's wonderful.  Not only does it show me one way I can present material, but it also gives Lily some in classroom time where she can listen to another teacher and learn classroom etiquette. 

first community day, and so excited!

Anyway, the point of this post: we are starting. 

And I am so so so thankful we are starting now.  I am having so much fun.  I know that I am still honeymooning over here, but come on, I'M TEACHING MY KIDS and I'm thrilled.  This will take some getting used to, and making sure that all the important things are covered, but hey, it's kindergarten.  I didn't have to start with physics and calculus.  I am viewing this first bit as "oh hey, let's figure out a schedule so Lily can learn while simultaneously entertaining a 3 and 1 year old."  And let me tell you, a few friends have gotten  an earful of meltdowns from me already because Kaylee was tearing everything apart like the hurricane she is and school just was not happening right then.  But, we are learning and adjusting.  And it's wonderful. 

first day!

One of the key components of Classical Conversations (henceforth referred to as "CC") is the Timeline song, which is just what it sounds like: a song that teaches a timeline, starting with Creation and ending with some later date we haven't reached yet.  Put to music with hand motions/signs to make it stick a little more, my girls love it.  Kaylee even loves it and will start madly signing the beginning motions if I ask if they're ready for the Timeline song.  Each week at our community day, we learn a new section of the song with new motions, to be combined with the previous week(s) information.  Lily was heartbroken the first week because she didn't catch on immediately and didn't get to go on stage with the other children who were helping show us.  The second week, she was ready, and when the call for, "anyone who wants to come up front to help lead" was given, she practically jumped out of her seat and charged onto the stage with all the bigger kiddos to demonstrate.  She's not shy, that's for sure.   

Emma and Kaylee go to the preschool class at our CC.

Lily turns 5 at the end of the month (what??!) and is just a little sponge that has a fire lit under her to learn everything she can.  I showed her how to tie her shoes maybe 5 times total, over a few months, and one day she said, "I'm going to tie my shoes!" and sat down and did so.  Seriously?  This is not my style of learning.  Hopefully Jesse can keep up with her later because she's going to blow past me.  I'm letting her set the pace for math and teaching her to read right now, and she's doing fantastic, in my opinion.  We will slow down when she hits some concepts she is struggling to understand, so I don't mind zipping right along now because we'll get there.

Emma is participating while we go over the memory work that CC has provided, which covers History, English, Science, Latin, Math and Geography.  I found a few preschool level workbooks, but she is still trying to master enough dexterity to hold a pencil so I've been giving her tracing sheets with the alphabet to practice on mostly.  By the time the memory work is done, I have been trying to put Kaylee down for a nap and Emma may have Quiet Room Time while I finish with Lily, and bam, lunch time and we are done.  If only high school would be so quick and easy...

Kaylee...I don't know what to do with her yet.  A third of the time, she sits and plays quietly; another third, she is destroying everything in sight; and the final third is spent trying to color on EVERY surface she can find with markers I thought I had hidden.  Needless to say, I don't know how to conduct a school morning with a very active and independent 19 month old.  And by independent, I mean until I want/need her to be and play by herself in the next room over...but we'll get it!

couldn't leave this one out. 

we got our new pencil grips today!  SO much easier for these little hands and I'll stop stressing about how they hold their pencils.

these if you were interested.

And as our basement is under construction, my schoolroom is a disaster.  I will show it off when the construction is cleaned up and I'm organized.  Hopefully by the time Kaylee graduates.

 

Lily ism 35

Lily: look! A boom bam forest!
Me: a bamboo forest?

Emma: look, an airy-yo!
(an arrow)

Lily: the days just keep coming.  But some days are more special than other days, like birthdays.

Emma: Lily, trains are sneaky.

Lily: I'm hungry.
Me: do you want some more lunch?
Lily: well, I really  just want a cookie.
Me: no, those are for tonight.
Lily: but shouldn't I try one to make sure it's good?

Lily: did you see God before he died?
Me: no, Jesus walked the earth a REALLY long time ago.
Lily: oh, did Grandma and Grandpa see Jesus?
Me: no, way before them also.
Lily: oh, he's not a human anymore?
Me: uh..well..
Emma: is he a mermaid!?

Emma: I have the yawnies.

Playing a superhero game with Jesse, Lily called Emma Wild Krat.
Jesse: Emma is Wild Krat? What's your name?
Lily: Babe.

Lily: I mean, nothing is wrong, it's just broken.

I said what? 4

"Emma, don't hit Lily! No. I mean, Kaylee don't hit Emma!"

Lily: I'm the dragon!
Emma: no, I'm the dragon!
Me: well, one of you can be Smaug and the other can be...uh...Jesse, help me out, I need another dragon!
Jesse: Puff!

Jesse: no, don't touch my crown, I'M THE PRINCESS!!!!

"Why is there a puppy in the crib with Kaylee?"

After a discussion on hummingbirds in the van:
Lily: why do hummingbirds hum?
Jesse: (said so quickly that Lily almost didn't get to finish her sentence) BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW THE WORDS!!!
And after about 5 minutes of a ridiculous amount of laughing between Jesse and me,
Me: you've been waiting a long time for that.
Jesse: yes I have. Well, I have nothing else I want to do today.

Lily isms 34

This batch of "isms" may be better titled, "Emma isms."

Emma: can I have another flamingo?
Me: ...a flamingo.
Emma: yes, for Kaylee and me.
Jesse: she wants a mango.

Emma: we can go on the jumpaline!

Emma: I'm strong just like Superman!

Emma: look, Momma, that dump truck is hauling that tractor! Silly tractor.

Emma to Lily: thank you, you're the BEST Lily.

(I walked back to the girls' room to tell them to settle down after an hour of giggling at bedtime, and found Emma up on Lily's bunk).
Me: Emma, get in your bed, it's time to go to sleep.
Lily: but we were looking at this book together! Can we please finish it?
Me: ok, I guess that'd be fine, but then Emma needs to get in her own bed and go to sleep.
Lily: ok, Momma. We haven't started it, so it might take awhile.

Emma, talking about our Venus fly traps: oh, that one let the bug out!  That was sweet of him.

We were watching a few sparrows fly around and land around the house. All three thought that was great, and suddenly, Lily stopped and held out her hand. A few minutes later:
Lily: ...WHY IS IT NOT LANDING ON MY HAND!?
(we don't raise princesses over here, but apparently, someone expects to be treated like a Disney Princess when it comes to animals)

(I promise, more posts coming soon)

happy birthday, Emma!

Emma turned 3 at the beginning of the week, and I just can't get over how "big girl" she has gotten in the last 6 months.  I kept thinking of her as a fresh 2 year old until about last month when I had a moment of, "oh, wait...she's nearly 3.  Wow."  And that took me the rest of the month to accept.  

We had a wonderful day celebrating Emma.  I made her birthday cake pancakes for breakfast, we went to Chick Fil A for milkshakes for lunch, and then went to our neighbor's for dinner and cake.  Jesse and I gave her a little 3 wheeled scooter and helmet for her birthday, and decided that she should have it first thing in the morning so she could spend all day playing with it.  Which she did.  And we had several lovely conversations about sharing with Emma and Lily, as Lily was just devastate that the scooter wasn't hers.  It's been quite the adventure this week, working on this sharing: trying to explain that this present is Emma's, but Emma needs to share it, etc.  Lily asked at bedtime that night if she could please have a "pretty pink scooter and special helmet" for her birthday, just like Emma.  Jesse about sent her through the roof when he told her she could get purple, and I think she's been dreaming about her own purple scooter since then.

the "Hello Batman" cake, as she called it.

Emma and her slug. that she later sang to.

Kaylee was having a rough afternoon, and I was trying to just rock and console her at one point, trying to remain calm.  I looked up when I heard Emma come in and there she is, wearing a pair of my glasses. I about dumped Kaylee on the floor because I was laughing so hard. she is hilarious and she knows it.

 At three, Emma is so much fun.  She loves making us laugh, and does so intentionally with her antics.  Her best friends are her sisters.  She melts down when neither of her sisters are with her, and is forming a wonderful bond with Kaylee now, as well as with Lily.  She loves bugs, worms, caterpillars, and I think every animal she's ever met.  Emma is trying hard to keep up with Lily, and loves doing whatever Lily is doing.  Her favorite color changes by the day.  I'm 95% sure I never scheduled her a 3 year old well child visit, but I'm positive she and Kaylee weigh about the same thing, which is heavy.  I should probably schedule one...sorry Emma.  We are so thankful we have this little fireball and for all her silliness she brings to our family.

 

Lily isms 33

Emma holds a pretend phone to Jesse's ear:
Jesse: hello? Who is this?
Emma: Martin Van Buren.
Jesse: ...who?
Me: the president.
Jesse: well right!

Lily: let's play put the horse tail on the cow!

Me: what do you girls want for lunch?
Lily: grilled cheese sandwich!
Emma: grilled cheese! Because I am a girl.
Me: ...what? No, it's gRIlled cheese, not gIRled cheese...
Lily: yes, and boys can have it, too.
Me: ...

Lily: no, your old boots were green like Africa because Africa is really green.  Your new boots are blue like the sky.

Emma: look, Lily, a cow! It's so nice!

Lily: that tree fell on the toppest hill.

Lily: good thing I chose Green Lantern underwear!

Lily: where is that scallywag reindeer??!

Emma: how about you get me some hummus and I will sit in your chair? That's a perfect idea!

Emma: I REALLY have to go potty! I know, you can take me to the north pole to go potty!

hello June!

Well, here I am again.  Forever behind.

Eh. 

Today's excuse is that I am just sitting over here shocked and awed at my kids, watching them grow up instead of recording it here.  I'm going to wish later I'd done both, I'm sure, so that I will be able to look back and remember.  

Anyway.  Rick, Nikki and company came to visit for a few days, and it was just as much fun, if not more, than normal.  A year or so ago, after a fun/crazy visit- because there are 5 of them, 4 and under- we all acknowledged that one day, before too long, we'd be able to send the kids off to play and we'd be able to hold a conversation in full sentences instead of broken, sporadic thoughts that leave us sounding like we all have zero attention span and tourettes: "how are GET THAT OUT OF YOUR MOUTH you guys GET DOWN how is EMMA STOP, etc.  You know it is talking to adults with small kids.  And we may have arrived.  Lily and Emma had a great time playing with Noah and Bri in our toy room and just keeping themselves entertained.  Kaylee was in and out of the play, still wanting to be with me a lot since she doesn't remember the Brennan kiddos as well yet.  Our next milestone will be when we have 5 kids and 4 adults sitting down for a meal and we all stay seated during the whole meal.  Baby steps.  Our visits go too quickly, but they are always so fun and relaxing, and so much MORE fun watching the kids all interact.

fire and s'mores.

the kids all took turns spraying Lily and Noah with a hose, as they were the only ones who participated in getting soaked

NOT a fan.

this was so special to me.  I sometimes feel I am failing to really show Lily how important she is to me, especially now that she has two younger sisters and she's getting older.  she was NOT wanting to stay in bed this night, so I finally just brought her outside to spend some time, just her, with the adults.  we talked about constellations, looked at planets, shared s'mores and watched the fire flies.  she loved it.

Noah and Emma are two peas in a pod: Nikki and I had known this, but we saw it in full action so often this weekend.  this captures them so well. 

I don't remember why Lily was so mad here. but they were having such a nice little picnic. and then Jesse happened. 

In other news, the girls are all doing great.  Lily finished her soccer season and got a trophy, which I'm pretty sure was the highlight of her year so far. 

I just can't get over how much of a big girl she is.  She is so excited that she will be starting school in the fall, and we regularly talk about it.  Now if I could just stop being so ridiculously nervous about getting started and figure out how to homeschool, we'll be set.

Emma.  Oh my sweet, sweet, Emma.  She is in such an amazingly fun age, but when she's tired. she is NOT fun.  But we will focus on the good and fun: SHE LOVES WORMS.  Oh my word, does this girl love hunting worms, caterpillars, etc.  I am doing my absolute best to not pass my irrational fears onto my children, so when she found a caterpillar- one of those huge black gross ones with a bazillion legs, NO- she wanted me to carry it home for her.  I (as calmly as I could) told her no, if she wanted it for her "dead worm collection" (I wish I was making this up), she'd have to carry it home.  And so she did.  The entire half mile home, she chatted about putting it in her collection (that is fortunately non existent) and carried it the whole way.  Her favorite worm hunting buddy is one of our neighbor boys, and after they found a handful and it was time to leave, she absolutely melted down when I told her she couldn't bring them in the car.  Before you suggest it, I already asked Jesse to build her/the girls a worm farm so they could watch the worms.  For the record, worms are okay.  Caterpillars are not.  My rule is 0-4 legs are acceptable: more than 4 are NOT.

And tonight, as I was sitting talking to my neighbors, Lily came around the corner carrying a toad.  Which of course Emma wanted to bring home...we may have an animal/insect/thing lover.

Kaylee is finally through a really rough patch.  Jesse and I were so lost, and once in desperation one night that took us two hours of tag team to get her to sleep, he asked what in the world was wrong.  I gave the best answer I could: it could be teething, a growth spurt, upset stomach, a sleep pattern change, the days are longer, the sun was still up, she hadn't changed her sleep in 6 months, being done nursing completely..the list went on and on.  I cringed when I'd hear her in the night because I knew it would likely be multiple hours trying to figure out what was going on.  It was miserable.  Praise God she is back going down so easily and, sit down, sleeping through the night.  All of you blessed with kids that sleep through the night before they are one have no idea.  None of mine slept through the night until I was done nursing, BUT WE ARE THERE.  Such glory.  Now, if the other two didn't wake me up to go to the bathroom, have dreams or talk in their sleep..I MIGHT get a full night's sleep!

Anyway, Kaylee is so much fun.  She's so so silly and smart.  She knows a bunch of signs- most of which are animal signs- and has a handful of words in her vocabulary: no, cat, hot, Zeke, duck, fish, and this.  She also loves mooing which is my absolute favorite thing right now, and she will also yell "E-I-E-I-O" and neigh during Old McDonald, which her sisters sing with great gusto.

I'm loving watching them grow up together.  Lily and Emma recently learned Candyland and it is Lily's new favorite past time.

Jesse and I are doing fine.  He took last week off of work and stayed home to work on insulating the basement.  That project turned into "renovate Amber's laundry room," but that room is now completely (ish) done and he never has to take out the hot water tank, washer, dryer, toilet, etc., to work on that room again.  Hallelujah.  Mom and Dad H came for a few days last week and through the weekend so that Dad could help out with the project and Grandma helped keep the girls out of Grandpa and Daddy's hair while they worked.  I was exhausted and not feeling great, so it was nice to have everyone there to help with kiddos and keep us company!

That's about it from here, I started this post last week and obviously didn't get it posted then, so I lost my train of thought.  Nothing else too exciting to report!