Sunday School Teacher

From July through September I have the privilege of teaching the older children's Sunday school class. We have a lot of fun with games and illustrations and crafts. Also, we started a Summer Reading program with prizes for reading so many chapters of the Bible. One young man read 120 chapters in a week, because he was so excited about it.


Frank

Nana's Visit- Game Time

Sequence States and Capitals is a fun game. We had to borrow markers from another game to make it work for five players.

Once again, Mom came to visit and to watch the kids while Frank and I were in Conference.

Marie-Anne

Alex and Sabrina's New Pen-pal

Our friend, Ellen is moving out of state. Sabrina asked her to become her pen-pal. This is how Sabrina and Alex got their pen-pals, who aren't family members.

Marie-Anne

Library- Fratello Marionettes

I was very happy to find out that the Fratello Marionettes were performing at our library. We had seen them in the past under another library system. They are very talented. It was also on a Saturday, so Frank got to go too.

Marie-Anne

Homeschool Group- Movie and Pool Party

A friend opened up her lovely home to the homeschool group for a movie day and a pool party. The kids watched Tangled. Then they played games in the pool, while the moms talked. It was a lot of fun. She is planning another one next month, to which we hope to go.

Marie-Anne

Library Summer Reading Program

Of course Alex and Sabrina have participated in the Library's Summer Reading Program. They have read almost 20 hours since the first of June. So far, they have gotten a coupon for a free cookie, a gift card to Raising Cane's, a free train ride at the mall, and some trinkets. However, the best thing they have gotten is the chance to read lots of books they picked out and enjoyed. 

Marie-Anne

Happy Independence Day!

I hope your Independence Day was as fun and relaxing as ours has been. Frank grilled hot dogs, hamburgers, and brats for lunch. We had a feast, with enough leftovers for tonight.

After lunch we played a few board games; Apples to Apples Jr, Ticket to Ride, and Pizza Party. Ticket to Ride became very tense with four players. It was fun, but we were all hoping nobody blocked our path, which, of course happened from time to time.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing. We have church tonight. It has been a great day!

Marie-Anne

Homeschool- Children's Classics Course

One of the beauties of homeschooling is that I can take something the kids are already doing and make it into a class for them.

I got the idea for this class from Sabrina, who is devouring the Classic Starts books. She has read all of the ones laying on their side in the picture above. (Sabrina will take this course again using the unabridged versions as a freshman.)

Alex is also either reading or listening to the audio-books of the unabridged version of many of the Children's Classics. In the past few months he has listened to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Treasure Island, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He is currently reading Aesop's Fables. My goal is for him to do one or two books a month, since he is also reading other books he finds interesting.

Although our family doesn't watch many movies I decided to add in some movies based on the Children's Classic books. It is fun and we enjoy comparing them to the book, which we will have already read or listened to.

To make it into a class I found worksheets and quizzes for Classic Literature on-line. Throw in a few author bios, book reports, creative writing, vocabulary, and even an original puppet show or two and we have a course based on something the kids were doing for fun. To keep it fun, I am allowing the kids to choose which books they read or listen to from a long list.

Marie-Anne

Whitney Ranch Rec Center Indoor Pool

Today's swimming lesson, (and yesterday's, which I did not go to) was held at the indoor pool at Whitney Ranch Rec Center. The lesson came first. Both kids can now swim! They are still working on form and stamina.

After the work came the play. I played in the water with them while Frank swam laps.

Frank has been going to the pool some mornings before work to swim laps in addition to the time he takes the kids.

Just to clarify; the lesson time does not count for Alex's P.E. It counts towards the Congressional Award. The time after the lesson counts for P.E. for him. The entire time counts towards Sabrina's P.E.

Marie-Anne

Mr. Johnny

Mr. Johnny is a wonderful friend of ours. He spoils Alex and Sabrina terribly; he almost always either gives them a couple of dollars or buys them a treat at McDonald's. At first I protested, but he shut me down with, "They are MY kids!"

We met him at Walmart, where he works, a few years ago. One day he looked sad,  so Sabrina told him a joke. After that we started looking for him to say hi. A few months later he "adopted Alex and Sabrina".  Lest you think the spoiling is one-sided; the kids have given him their drawings and thank you cards. We even found out when his birthday is and surprised him with a gift. This is the second picture I have taken of him with the kids, and he will get a copy of it.

All it takes is being friendly to make a friend out of a stranger.

Marie-Anne

P.E.- Bowling

We picked up our friend to take her bowling. It was Sabrina's first time to bowl without bumpers. None of us are very good, but we had a very good time.

Marie-Anne

Alex's Kitty

Marie-Anne

Hospitality

Hospitality seems like a lost art. Many times we have had people over and though they seem to enjoy themselves and say they will have us over in return, they often don't.  Lately, even trying to have people over is hard. Frequently people cancel, by text, at the last minute, (after all the preparations have been done). People are too busy or too into their routine and comfort zone. It's rather sad. Despite that we are committed to practicing the fine art of hospitality. 

So here are the benefits of Hospitality:

• Strengthens bonds
• Shows that spending time with people is important
• Builds friendships
• Cleans the house 😉
• Shared memories
• Involving the kids in preparing teaches them to value others
• Investing in people
• Human connection 
• Sense of belonging to a community
• Spend time with friends 
• It's fun!

Yesterday we invited a family over that we liked, but didn't know very well. We worked together as a team to prepare the house and food. We had never met their older son before, yet the kids did a wonderful job of making him feel welcomed and helping him to enjoy himself. Sabrina entertained their toddler almost the entire time, (and had a blast doing it). We had so much fun laughing and telling stories that we never got around to playing the games we had set out. Both families are looking forward to getting together again. 

Marie-Anne