In Case They Ever Wonder

All three of our kiddos experienced a sort of first day of school this year! We celebrated Sophie's first day of second grade at her new school, Foundations Christian Academy. Will celebrated his first day back-to-preschool, which is even more exciting because he and Zoe are in class together. And even Lillie got in on the first day action, with her first day of "school" (going one morning a week to childcare with Zoe)! The schedule has worked out great, with Sophie in school on Mondays and Fridays (something we thought we wouldn't like, but is actually working well), Will is in school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Lillie goes on Wednesdays. It has been great for me because by only having two home for at least a big chunk of any given day, I have a little more to give to whoever is home. Now, we'll have to see how all that goes once Miss Lucie arrives! Sophie's teacher, Mrs. Griswold, could not be any more perfect for her. They are truly kindred spirits. Sop...

Yes, it is only a homeschool coop. Yes, it's only one day a week. But, it was her first day in the first grade and we celebrated (complete with obnoxious Veggie Tale song) like she was going to college. Because in our family - we like to party . And so we did. Cupcakes the night before, presents and sign the morning of, and PF Changs for dinner. All for the first day in the first grade. We bought a new backpack and lunchbox (for one day a week thank-you-very-much). Matt took the morning off, we all drove her to school, and she hugged Lillie like they might never see each other again. We did the "kissing hand" and I whispered prayers for our first graders first day. At the end of the first day in the first grade, we learned she has a nice teacher, a great friend in her class, and at recess, she was "the queen." It was a great first day. She is confident and full of joy. I know we have "the tween years" and middle school, tears and doubting, and dram...

At MAFA , we celebrated Christmas and an amazing semester with a wonderful medieval feast. Not since my days teaching second grade and pulling off a history fair, have I experienced such a fun, but tiring day of learning. I was so very thankful for an amazing assistant teacher and my always-willing-to-help mom. Thanks to my mom, we had beautiful decorations and thanks to the kids' moms, we had great food! The children enjoyed medieval Christmas music, medieval Christmas traditions, and of course, the opportunity to wear medieval costumes! Once again, I find myself so grateful to be a part of a school that is so tailor-made for our family. Not only is Sophie getting the opportunity to learn in an enviroment that gives her a strong classical education, but she also has the chance to spend time immersed in the fine arts. It is a pleasure to teach and learn in the MAFA / Cordis Academy community.

Will has been in a fairly trying stage lately. Ultra-demanding, ultra-intense, ultra-loud... Typical days beginning with "Milk, Milk, Milk," closely followed by "Read, Read, Read," followed by "Play, Play, Play," followed by "Eat, Eat, Eat." With variations of that pattern repeated throughout the day with the decibel level growing louder with each cycle. (the infamous White Family Half Glance...) He is something of a mama's boy anyway, but lately he has wanted my undivided attention (meaning it was unacceptable for me to interact with Matt, Sophie or anyone else). This made homeschooling Sophie on Tuesdays and Wednesdays a particular joy! He found it utterly unacceptable to be left out of anything Sophie might be doing, right down to wanting to write in the same book she happened to be writing in. As far as his own school experience, I truly wondered if he (or his poor teachers) would make it through the one 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. day a week he i...

Today was a great day to... color on the door, ride a bike or try to prevent your sister from riding her bike, finish up a school project involving fabric paint (only while baby brother is napping, of course), and make a pumpkin cake and decorate it at almost 10 p.m.!

Sophie has loved the first few weeks of kindergarten! We felt like we had found the right school for her in MAFA and Cordis Academy , and we feel even more confident about this now! For a girl who loves books, art, music, and dressing up, MAFA and Cordis have offered her lots of exposure to her favorite things. Sophie and her scars the day her class studied Atilla the Hun. Sophie, wearing all blue with her bear on Blueberries for Sal day. Sophie dressed as a Celtic girl Sophie, with body painted like a "Pict," an ancient Scottish tribe, complete with a log for our "caber tossing" competition! Sophie in a skit about Justinian and Theodora in my class at MAFA . And last but not least, just a couple of her many projects. Patti-Grams and Aunt Hope helped with the salt map (thank goodness), but I was amazed at how much Sophie was able to actually do herself (under Aunt Hope's watchful eye, of course). The othe...

Sandwiched in between Tori's wedding weekend and Hope's graduation weekend, was Sophie's end-of-the-year program and dance recital. Sophie was over-the-moon excited about her dramatic debut! Sophie was cast as Mrs. Noah, and the big news was that Mrs. Noah had lines that had to be memorized and spoken into the microphone! We practiced for weeks (Matt and I almost never got the Arky Arky song out of our heads), and the teachers at Sophie's amazing school, Master's Academy of Fine Arts, had the students more than prepared for the performance. The play Sophie was in included only four, five and six year olds , and I was amazed that children that young were able to perform that well. The play highlighted the major historical events the students learned about this year while they studied the Ancient Period. I really couldn't believe what a good job Sophie did. I knew that we had practiced and that she knew her part backward and forward, but I thought shyness might...