Saturday, July 17, 2010

Alison Dances Through the Fairgrounds





Fair Week & 4-H













Survived it. Has been a long hard week doing all the fair stuff but well worth it. The girls had such a good time and Emily got to be in the parade and ride on the float. 4-H has been very good for Emily. I think she has enjoyed it and has matured so much over the year. She had her judging of her dolphin project. Did beautifully and is thrilled will the ribbon she won. The fair was just the right size. Not much walking, lots of animals to see, pet and ride. Really good food and a hand full of rides.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Summer breeze makes me feel fine

The only good thing to me about public school was summer break. I lived for it. That feeling when you walk out the door and you know you don't have to go back until the fall. It's still with me. Maybe that's why I've quit so many jobs. Just to get that I don't have to go back bliss again. My girls will never have that desperate feeling with school ( I hope) but I want them to have a break too , so we're on break. I don't think they see much difference.

We've been running around like mad though. A very busy June and July this year. Maybe it just seems that way because I've been feeling like shit. Dave went fishing, we went camping, went to the fireworks, had cookouts with new neighbors, Back to the 50's , birthday parties. It's been busy alright.

Still have a vacation coming up. It's fair week this week with all the 4-H stuff going on. They're swimming a lot. Driving their little jeeps around the yard having pretend safaris. We watched many episodes of Big Cat Diaries this winter and they act out some of it.

I have been very busy working on curriculum for next year. I need the break just to get this all done. I know what the girls need to work on, and where they excell. Emily is reading on almost a 6th grade level so we don't need to focus on that very much. She'll read plenty on her own.

I know what didn't work last year and what we need to do. I got Emily a 1/4 scale violin and I can't tune the damn thing or get a note out of it. Maybe Dave can help her with it, but for school it's going to be keyboard and reading music this year. Maybe she can take lessons on the violin when she gets a little bigger.

We need to focus on math more. We just need to bring it up to level she is working on in everything else, then the skys the limit. She's 2 years ahead . I've found a lot of cool stuff, ideas for that will be fun for her. We're going to have a sale, hopefully if I can pull it off. I'm thinking October. The girls can turn the playhouse into a toy store , Emily handling the money, while I sell antiques, etc. in the garage. I found several great math websites, math lessons with candy necklaces, a" mini office" to print out- math lessons and lapbook material. So we'll be off to a good start.


Emily wants to learn about the presidents, inventions, animals and plants. Ok. I'm going to throw in some womens studies so she's not just getting male history thank you very much.

Alison is actually more challenging. She's very close to reading , but just not quite ready for that leap yet. Could pass Kindergarten with flying colors at 3 I'm sure. Whips through any work I give her eager for more. Keeping her busy and learning while keeping Emily on task is the hard part.

As I'm writing this Emily comes up and gives me a story she wrote about my birthday and my gift from Emily is a horse. "the best present I could get" It was hard to read it without getting all choked up. THAT was the best present I could get and I told her so.

This year will be more demand on my time. I can see it now.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Fair Week

Emily's dolphin project:


Thursday, June 3, 2010
















Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Saturday, March 13, 2010

4-H Presentation Day

I am so proud of Emily! Today we went to the 4-H presentation day and Emily got up in front of a room full of people and did a presentation on dolphins. She spoke up , was poised and did an amazing job! She had a poster to set up, props and set the whole thing up all by herself, read well and did a beautiful job. Much applause and praise from other people. She won a green ribbon, a sticker and $3. dollars. She was just giddy for hours. Such a positive exsperience for her. I never could've done that at 7 years old. 4 months ago she felt too shy to say her name at meetings, now she's doing public speaking. . Amazing(I have video which i will add as soon as possible)