Miscellany

So much is going on here right now, I have had little blogging time. So I think I'll share some miscellaneous "stuff" with you:

* We had a fun 4th of July cookout at our house, complete with fireworks, a flag cake, family and friends.

* In the process of packing away last year's school books and organizing, purging, etc...I decided, after much urging from my husband and encouragement from my sister-in-law, to sell some unused curriculum (well a LOT of unused curriculum -- gathered over 15 years) on ebay. I totally underestimated how fun it is to watch the balance in my account increase with each passing day!! And I still have lots more stuff to sell!

* Still plugging away at lesson planning for next year. Here are the plans I have already firmed up:
For Samuel
*Samuel's First Holy Communion Notebook
* Magic School Bus Science -- plans I am writing up and will share when complete
* Saxon Math 3
* Classical Writing Primer - Autumn
* Serendipity Alphabet Path (at co-op with cousins) we have had so much fun with this!!!
* Music -- Learning to play the recorder
* Art -- Art appreciation with Ethan using Seton Art 5, studying artwork depicting the mysteries of the Rosary and creating their own Rosary masterpieces.

For Ethan
* Growing with Grammar 5
* Teaching Textbooks 5
* Little Latin Readers
* IEW History-based writing lessons--I love these!!!
* Serendipity American History Trail with the Geography
* Magic School Bus Science (see above)
* Music (see above)
* Art (see above)
* still figuring out his religion program, but it will include the Blue Knights program as well as the Miniature Mass Kit lessons (as will Sam's)

Still working on Isaac's 12th grade curriculum

* Have I mentioned that my sister-in-law is a genius? We were both puzzling about what to do with grammar since the latin and composition programs we have been doing with our kids in our little family co-op have grammar built in. We didn't want to over do it, but wanted make sure they understood the grammar in these other programs. Well, she found a new grammar program that looks GREAT! I hesitate to endorse it too strongly, because I find I need to spend some time with a program and use it for a while before I can decide if it fills the need, but it looks REALLY, REALLY good!! I am excited to use it (and to purchase it with my ebay earnings!!) Thanks, Serena! Check it out if you like and let me know what you think: Growing with Grammar

*Annie turns 4 on Sunday. Oh how the time flies! She is such a different character, growing up with all these older siblings. She has a much less sheltered childhood than her oldest brother and sister. The other day, I was helping her pick out a movie to watch. When I asked her preference, she replied with a voice dripping with sarcasm, "Hello?...Cinderella!" After seeing the shocked and unhappy look on my face, she said, "Is 'hello' a bad word?"